Before ordering, make sure the room can be delivered, assembled and operated in the planned location.
In short: check the route, floor, clearances, power, drainage, heat rejection and every service that is not included in the basic room price.
Where will it be installed?
Site reality constrains the design before the first panel is cut:
- Ceiling height — standard panel heights cover most rooms; taller enclosures need structural support and planning.
- Delivery access — panels are large. Confirm they fit through existing doorways and corridors to the install location.
- Floor condition — an uneven floor calls for floor panels; a level, insulated, sealed slab may allow a chiller without a floor (Cold Room 80 mm only).
- Ambient conditions — siting inside an air-conditioned building versus an uninsulated warehouse changes the heat load and may change the panel thickness.
- Refrigeration placement — air-cooled condensers need exterior access or adequate ventilation; monoblocks need a clear wall or ceiling location.
What is your real budget?
Purchase price is not the cost. Budget across the whole life of the room:
- Equipment and panels
- Delivery and installation
- Electrical work and connections (single- or three-phase)
- Site preparation — floor levelling, drainage
- Energy — typically 60–80 % of a cold room's operating cost; multiply annual consumption across 10–15 years
- Maintenance and service
A cheaper room with thinner panels costs less today and more every month in electricity. Over a 10-year life, the premium for correct insulation routinely repays itself several times over. Treat the headline price as the smallest line in the total cost of ownership.
From requirements to dimensions
Once all five questions are answered, translate them into a specification in this order:
- Calculate peak storage volume — product weight or m³ at the busiest time.
- Add a growth buffer — typically 20–30 %.
- Add working space — aisles and loading area, minimum ~30 % of floor area.
- Account for racking — vertical storage multiplies effective capacity, so design the shelving and the room together.
- Match to standard panel widths — the modular grid (panels 400–1200 mm wide in 200 mm steps) keeps cost and lead time down; reserve bespoke widths for tight architectural constraints.
- Verify site fit — physical space, delivery access, and utilities.
To run these calculations automatically against your temperature, ambient, volume, and door usage, use the Frostbox size calculator. It returns recommended internal dimensions, panel thickness, estimated heat load, and a refrigeration capacity. Treat its output as a strong starting point to confirm with the technical team, not a final engineering sign-off.
Related articles
- Choosing the Right Cold Room: The Five Questions
- Temperature and panel thickness
- Sizing for volume and traffic
- Cold room configurations by sector
- Using the Frostbox size calculator
- Requesting a quote
For a specification matched to your site and budget — including custom dimensions and floor ratings, available on request — contact [email protected].
