How to Insulate a Shipping Container from Heat and Cold

Styrofoam: Ideal for Basic Storage Containers

Fast and easy to install, polystyrene (commonly known by one brand name, Styrofoam) is a cost-effective way to add basic insulation to a storage container and has the added benefit of helping deaden sound. Using Styrofoam as the insulating material doesn’t require any build-out of stud walls to secure the panels (as batt insulation does).  

The panels are glued directly onto the walls of the shipping container or mounted on bars that are flush with the walls, making it the most economical insulation method. Of the three types of insulation, it has the lowest R-value at 4, so it is most suitable for storage. Standard climate-controlled storage containers come with one inch of Styrofoam insulation which has a 50-year lifespan.

Batt Insulation: Ideal for Container Offices and Living Spaces

Made of finely woven strands of fiberglass, mineral wool, or plastic fibers, batt insulation—the pink cotton-candy-like material you’ve likely seen in attics and crawl spaces—is the industry standard for residential and office structures. Customers usually opt to use batt insulation for container offices and living spaces.

Once the shipping container’s interior wood framing is in place, batt insulation is easy to install and conceal behind a vapor barrier and plywood finish-out. While the insulation itself is very cost-effective, the framing and plywood can add extra costs. However, its superior performance will significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, bringing greater value over time. Batt insulation with an R 13 or R 19 rating is recommended to create comfortable living and working environments, and it has a lifespan of 100 years.

Spray Foam: Ideal for Temperature-Sensitive Equipment Enclosures

As its name suggests, spray foam insulation is sprayed onto interior surfaces where it expands slightly and sets as a hard, water-resistant covering. While not aesthetically pleasing on its own, spray foam requires no framing because it adheres to the shipping container walls. It has a high R-value (R = 6 per inch of thickness) and a long lifespan of 80 years.

Although there are interior finishes offered to cover spray foam, such as plywood or aluminum walls, customers looking for a purely functional climate-controlled space for temperature-sensitive equipment will sometimes choose spray foam with no further finish-out.

The nature of spray foam insulation includes other benefits, too:

• Acts as a sound barrier
• Won’t settle over time the way batt can
• Resists mold, fungus, and bacteria

Clearly, spray foam has many benefits, but the specialty equipment required for installation also makes it the most expensive option. Spray foam is ideal for enclosures that house highly temperature-sensitive assets, like paper documents, certain types of equipment, and computer network servers.

Mineral Wool: Ideal for Applications That Require Non-Flammable Materials

Mineral wool is sometimes called rock or slag wool insulation because it’s made from rock, blast furnace slag, or other melted raw materials. These materials are spun into fibers that appear to have a similar texture to wool. Mineral wool is used for living spaces but is ideal for applications that require a non-flammable insulation option.

The installation of mineral wool requires framing, like rolled batt, but steel framing helps with entirely non-flammable projects. An R-value of 13 on the walls and 26 on the ceiling helps deaden sound and provides thermal insulation while repelling water.

We hope this overview of how to insulate a shipping container is useful. It’s just one of the many modifications that can be made to a shipping container. To view additional modification options, check out our modifications catalog. You might be surprised to discover the many creative and unique ways that shipping containers can be modified to meet your needs.

Ready to talk more about your shipping container project? We’re ready to help. Call us at 877-704-0177 or email sales@falconstructures.com.