How Do I Stop Condensation on Steel?

Condensation on steel forms because steel has very low thermal mass and conducts heat rapidly. When the air inside a building is warm and moist and the steel surface is cold, moisture condenses onto the steel if its surface temperature has fallen below the dew point.

To stop condensation on steel you need to raise the surface temperature of the steel above the dew point of the surrounding air. This can be done by adding a thermal layer directly to the steel surface — and a spray-applied natural cork thermal coating is one practical way to achieve this on steelwork, cladding and metal roofs where rigid insulation boards are impractical.

By improving the thermal behaviour of the cold steel surface, an appropriate VIPEQ cork-enhanced thermal coating can help raise its internal surface temperature and reduce the conditions that lead to surface condensation — without significant thickness, joints or cavities.