Condensation is an issue that you can’t ignore in container home construction. You need to take steps to prevent it from forming in your home’s interior as soon as possible. If you don’t, you could end up building a living space that’s not so livable.
Condensation can cause multiple problems in your home. The excess moisture will make your rooms damp and uncomfortable. Many pests are attracted to damp environments, so you could contend with more infestations. The moisture could damage your interior over time, causing paint to peel, wood to rot and walls to grow mold. More importantly, your shipping container home’s structure will be vulnerable to high moisture levels. The corrugated steel walls could rust.
The good news is that you can minimize condensation in your container home. All you have to do is take the right steps during your construction.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Pick a New Container
Whenever you’re constructing a shipping container home, you should pick a one-trip grade (new) container as your base. Why?
A one-trip grade will be wind and watertight, and it will have accumulated the least amount of wear and tear in comparison to containers that have been in use for several years. A used container could have vulnerabilities like rust patches, small holes and small tears that can let moisture seep inside.
You can find this type of shipping container, along with advice on how to build a shipping container home from scratch, through a reliable online seller. Once you’ve selected your container, you can arrange to have it delivered and offloaded onto your construction site.
Step 2: Increase Ventilation
Shipping containers have small vents built into the upper sides of the walls. This provides a small amount of ventilation, but not much. These vents are mostly designed for containers to adjust to changes in air pressure while traveling overseas.
So, when building a shipping container home, you should consider increasing the ventilation. Ideally, you should have a combination of passive ventilation and active ventilation to keep the condensation levels in your home under control.
Passive Ventilation
One type of passive ventilation that you could add to your container home is louver vents. Louver vents allow air to freely move in and out of the container, all while preventing dirt and pests from gaining access indoors.
You can also increase passive ventilation by installing windows. These are some window styles you should consider:
- Horizontal Slider Windows
- Casement Windows
- Single-Hung Windows
- Double-Hung Windows
- Awning Windows
Active Ventilation
Active ventilation uses mechanical fans to ventilate a home’s interior. One type of active ventilation that you could use is an extractor fan. This will pull humid air out of the home, directing it outside. Another type is a supply ventilation system, which uses a mechanized fan to pull fresh air inside the home.
Step 3: Add Insulation
One of the most effective ways to control condensation in the home is to add insulation to the walls. Insulation creates a protective barrier against outdoor temperatures and prevents water vapor from building up along interior walls.
Shipping containers are not built with insulation. So, when you’re building a home out of one, you need to add insulation to the interior. The type of insulation that you choose is up to you.
Step 4: Install Vapor Barriers
During the construction process, be sure to add vapor barriers over the wall insulation. This will give another protective layer between condensation and your interior walls. It is crucial to install vapor barriers in areas with higher levels of moisture, like bathrooms.
You don’t want to have condensation in your container home. It can do a lot of damage. So, follow these steps when you’re constructing it!
