Condensation is the real enemy
Steel panels swing temperature fast. When warm, moist inside air touches cold steel you get condensation that drips on equipment, rusts tools and rots the bottom of anything stored against a wall. Batts and bubble wrap do not stop it because they do not stop air contact with the panel.
Closed-cell foam adheres directly to the steel and keeps the panel above dew point. It is the only insulation approach that reliably ends the drip in a metal-clad building.
Heating a foamed shop
Once the ribs, seams, purlins and girts are sealed, a single hanging heater can keep a 40x64 shop comfortable all winter, and the building holds heat overnight instead of dumping it. Customers who used to run a heater constantly often tell us it barely cycles after foam.
Foam also adds meaningful rigidity to the panel assembly and dampens the noise of wind and rain on steel.
- Roof deck and sidewall coverage
- Condensation and rust prevention
- Purlin, girt and seam sealing
- Added panel rigidity
- Lower propane and heating costs
- New builds and existing buildings
Planning a new build
If your building is not up yet, tell your builder you plan to foam. A few decisions about vapor barrier, framing and panel selection during construction make the foam job cleaner, faster and less expensive.
We coordinate directly with post-frame builders throughout the region and can usually work into an active construction schedule.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you foam a building that already has a condensation problem?
- Yes. As long as the steel is dry and clean at the time of application, foam eliminates the mechanism causing the drip.
- Open-cell or closed-cell for a pole barn?
- Closed-cell, in nearly every case. It is the vapor control and adhesion to steel that makes it work.