A dripping factory roof is almost always caused by condensation, not by a leak. Factories produce warmth and moisture — from processes, washing, heating and even the breath of occupants. That warm, moist air rises and meets the cold underside of the metal roof. If the roof surface temperature has fallen below the dew point, moisture condenses onto the steel and drips back down onto the production area.
The root cause is the relationship between surface temperature and dew point. The metal roof cools rapidly overnight and during cold weather because steel has very low thermal mass — so even a relatively small amount of moisture in the air can produce significant dripping.
To stop the dripping you need to raise the internal surface temperature of the roof above the dew point. A spray-applied natural cork thermal coating applied directly to the cold roof surface adds a thin thermal layer that improves its surface temperature — an appropriate VIPEQ coating can help reduce the conditions that cause the dripping without full roof replacement.
Condensation forms when warm, moisture-laden air meets a surface whose temperature has fallen below the dew point. By improving the thermal behaviour of a cold surface, an appropriate thermal coating can help raise its internal surface temperature and reduce the conditions that lead to surface condensation.
Humidity
Surface Temp
Dew Point
Send us photographs, drawings or details of the substrate and application and we can assess whether a VIPEQ system is suitable for your project.