When a Canadian modular builder stored finished units outdoors for six months, the modules under regular shrink wrap needed full interior rebuilds, and the modules under Transhield came out in brand-new condition.
| Field | Detail |
| Client | A modular building manufacturer |
| Product | Custom Covers |
| Industry | Modular Construction (housing, healthcare) |
| Application | Outdoor storage protection |
| Conditions | About six months outdoors through a Canadian winter |
Under Transhield: Interiors in brand-new condition after six months outside
Under regular shrink wrap: Interiors water damaged and rebuilt
Project Overview
The client manufactures finished modules for housing and healthcare projects. Modules leave the plant with the interior already built out: framing, drywall, flooring, fixtures, and finishes. The plan is to ship each module to a site and set it in place quickly, before the weather has a chance to reach the inside.
On this project, the site was not ready. The land could not receive the modules on schedule, so the manufacturer had to store finished units outdoors while it waited. That wait ran about six months, through a Canadian winter, with completed interiors sitting outside in the cold, snow, rain, and repeated freeze and thaw.
The manufacturer covered some modules with regular shrink wrap and some with Transhield covers, then waited out the delay. Because both sets sat in the same yard for the same six months, the result was a direct comparison of the two covers under identical conditions.
Challenges going in:
- Finished modules, with interiors already built out, had to sit outdoors for about six months
- Canadian winter conditions: snow, rain, cold, and freeze-thaw cycles
- Interior finishes like drywall, flooring, and fixtures are easily ruined by water
- Any interior damage would mean tearing out and rebuilding completed work
- The covers had to hold up for a long storage window, not a short one
The Test: Regular Shrink Wrap vs. Transhield
Regular Shrink Wrap Traps Moisture
- Regular shrink wrap is a single layer of plastic film. It seals the outside, but it gives interior moisture no way out.
- Water vapor from the enclosed space condenses on the underside of the film and collects there.
- Over months, that trapped water runs down and drips onto interior finishes.
Regular Shrink Wrap Is Not Built for a Long Outdoor Stint
- Thin film grows brittle under months of sun, wind, and freeze-thaw.
- Stress points tear and seams open, letting outside water in on top of the condensation already forming underneath.
- Once it tears, shrink wrap is hard to patch reliably, and the damage often goes unnoticed until the wrap comes off.
When the manufacturer opened the shrink-wrapped modules, the interiors were water damaged and had to be completely redone.
How the Transhield Cover Managed the Same Conditions
- The soft nonwoven inner layer pulls moisture away and moves it out as vapor, so the space under the cover stays dry and condensation does not collect.
- The water-resistant outer film sheds rain and snow and blocks much of the sun’s UV, so the cover holds up across a long storage window instead of breaking down partway through.
- The soft inner layer sits against interior-grade finishes without marring them.
When the manufacturer opened the Transhield modules, the interiors were still in brand-new condition.
The Two Covers, Side by Side
Same yard, same six months, same winter. The only difference was the cover. The modules under regular shrink wrap came out water damaged and needed their interiors torn out and rebuilt. The modules under Transhield came out ready to install.
Project Results
The side-by-side outcome made the value of the cover clear. One set of modules was ready to set in place. The other set needed the completed interior work done over again.
Protection Outcome
- Transhield modules: interiors in brand-new condition after six months outdoors
- Shrink-wrapped modules: interiors water damaged and completely rebuilt
Cost and Schedule Protected
- No interior rework on the Transhield modules, so their materials, labor, and delivery timing were all protected
Supplier Relationship
- The manufacturer considers Transhield the best cover supplier available in Canada
Storing finished units outdoors? Choose the cover that manages moisture.
Regular shrink wrap seals water out, but traps vapor in, and over a long storage window, that trapped moisture is what reaches your finishes. Transhield builds covers that keep outside water off and move interior moisture out as vapor, so units stored outdoors for months come out in the condition they went in.
Get in touch to talk through your storage situation and request a quote.