Grain Bin Sealing & Air Barrier Solutions
Steel grain bins lose moisture control through every seam, rivet and weathered panel. Ag-Tite spray foam sealants seal rusty bins without replacement — Auburn-validated.
Why grain bins leak — and what it costs
Steel grain bins were never designed to be airtight. Every panel seam, every rivet, every weathered patch becomes a leak point within a few harvest seasons. The cost shows up in three places: spoilage from condensation, energy waste from running aeration fans against an unsealed envelope, and pest entry through the same gaps moisture uses.
Even a modest 50,000-bushel bin can lose enough grain quality through moisture infiltration each year to pay for full air-sealing five times over. That is the math the Auburn University poultry study showed for barns — and the physics for grain storage is the same.
Where Ag-Tite fits
Ag-Tite’s patented AireBarrier Black high-density polyurethane sealant adheres to steel, rivets, and weathered metal — including surfaces that conventional caulks peel off within one season. Density runs at approximately 1.5 lb/ft³, twice that of competing polyurethane products in our category. The cured surface is hard, smooth, and resists the moisture-pest cycle that ruins stored grain.
For DIY scope under $1,500 of materials, Ag-Tite Can Foam in 24 oz cans covers roughly 3,000 linear feet of 1/4″ bead — enough for the joints in a typical bin. For larger operations or full air sealing, the patent-pending SprayPod 2.0 handles bin envelope work in a single day with one operator.
Detailed guides
- Complete sealing guide for rusty bins — surface prep, foam selection, application sequence, ASTM E-84 compliance.
- Repair vs replace — a cost analysis — when sealing makes sense versus full bin replacement, with 2026 cost data.
Adjacent applications
Grain-handling operations rarely involve only bins. Most facilities also have:
- Grain elevator headhouse sealing — large industrial scale.
- Metal building envelope — drying sheds, equipment storage, processing buildings.
- Cold storage warehouse sealing — for operations that store grain-derived products.
Financial assistance
The USDA Rural Energy for America Program covers up to 50% of qualifying energy efficiency projects, including envelope improvements on grain infrastructure. Application windows close March 31, June 30, and September 30 each year. Use our REAP Grant Estimator to check your state’s average award and likely grant amount before applying.
For energy savings projections specific to your bin dimensions and climate zone, run the ROI Calculator — it accepts square footage, propane price, and state, then returns payback period and 10-year net value based on the Auburn savings model.