Whether new or second hand, shipping containers are great for storage. However, one of the questions I am often asked is how to reduce the risk of condensation.
The first to thing to do that can really help is to site the container so that the doors do not open into the prevailing wind. In the UK the wind is often from the west. So it makes sense that on a wet and windy day when you open the doors of your container that the wind does not drive the rain into it!
Secondly it is important to realise that often condensation is caused by the objects stored in the container itself. Soft furnishings, for example, often carry moisture which gets trapped inside the container once the doors are closed so make sure everything is as dry as possible. The most effective way of counteracting any moisture still left is to either use moisture traps (which need to be replaced every three months) or to have a Grafo ceiling (which is a long term solution).
The grafo is sprayed onto the ceiling of the container at the depot and once it has ‘set’ 24 hours later, absorbs any condensation in the shipping container. But “what does it look like?” I am often asked. Hopefully the photo below will show that it really is very unobtrusive and electrics etc can be mounted on top of it.
20ft shipping container with grafo ceiling
