Garage condensation. Everything's going rusty!
Discussion
Hey guys. I have a block built garage, built somewhere in the times of Jebus. I live on a hill and it is sunk into the ground on two sides, with a cavity wall separating it from the earth around it.
I used to suffer from a lot of condensation when it was cold and wet, the walls used to get soaked through and everything used to rust. Since last year I have inserted 'dry rods' into the base of the walls, and completely tanked the two sides that are problematic. I also installed a 6" fan in wall opposite the door to keep air flowing as much as possible. Having done that, there is no more wet wall syndrome. However recently things have been a bit wet and I have noticed condensation building up on the roof and on objects within the garage, as well as a puddle on the floor which has accumulated from water dripping down. The fan has been on constantly.
What the hell do I do now? Leaving a radiator or dehumidifier on all the time is too costly. Any ideas?
I used to suffer from a lot of condensation when it was cold and wet, the walls used to get soaked through and everything used to rust. Since last year I have inserted 'dry rods' into the base of the walls, and completely tanked the two sides that are problematic. I also installed a 6" fan in wall opposite the door to keep air flowing as much as possible. Having done that, there is no more wet wall syndrome. However recently things have been a bit wet and I have noticed condensation building up on the roof and on objects within the garage, as well as a puddle on the floor which has accumulated from water dripping down. The fan has been on constantly.
What the hell do I do now? Leaving a radiator or dehumidifier on all the time is too costly. Any ideas?
The roof is made of asbestos cement type sheet. I could possibly insulate it. But moisture seems to be collecting on the joists and light fittings.
The fan is sucking air out of the garage. There is a substantial gap around the up-and-over door, I imagine this to be sufficient for a 6" fan to pull enough air through without causing a negative pressure scenario.
The fan is sucking air out of the garage. There is a substantial gap around the up-and-over door, I imagine this to be sufficient for a 6" fan to pull enough air through without causing a negative pressure scenario.
I used to have a concrete sectional garage with the same type of yours and most of the time ventilation was fine.
but during certain cold, wet and windy winter periods it was not enough so as others have said I supplemented it with a de-humidifier
some nights it was pulling out 15 liters in 24 hours, I modified the tank so it would then constantly drain outside with some tubing to save need to empty it every day
but during certain cold, wet and windy winter periods it was not enough so as others have said I supplemented it with a de-humidifier
some nights it was pulling out 15 liters in 24 hours, I modified the tank so it would then constantly drain outside with some tubing to save need to empty it every day
Ben Chod said:
The roof is made of asbestos cement type sheet. I could possibly insulate it. But moisture seems to be collecting on the joists and light fittings.
The fan is sucking air out of the garage. There is a substantial gap around the up-and-over door, I imagine this to be sufficient for a 6" fan to pull enough air through without causing a negative pressure scenario.
Yes but...warm air holds more water vapour than cold air.The fan is sucking air out of the garage. There is a substantial gap around the up-and-over door, I imagine this to be sufficient for a 6" fan to pull enough air through without causing a negative pressure scenario.
If your garage interior and all its contents are cold; then when some warm, wet air gets sucked in, the water vapour in that air will condense on all the cold surfaces in the garage. Especially metal ones like tools.
There's not a lot you can do about it. But if you restrict the airflow through the garage, it will give the interior a chance to warm up without it getting hit by warmer, wetter air.
I was having a similar issue in a wooden shed. Tools were starting to show a layer of surface rust. Ive installed a dehumidifier and the amount of moisture it has removed is incredible. I bought it from these guys. Cracking service.
http://www.dry-it-out.com/dehumidifiers/home-and-o...
http://www.dry-it-out.com/dehumidifiers/home-and-o...
A kWh of electricity is about 10p - check your bill - so a 1kW dehumidifier will cost £2.40 a day to run all the time. Most have a humidistat so you can set them to come on and switch off at whatever humidty level you want, which can save some money, but it depends how damp it is as it might be that it has to run 24/7 to keep it dry.
I bought one second hand, no idea of wattage, but I run it in the winter when it's been raining a lot and it makes quite a difference, though it doesn't pull anything like 15 litres a day out. More like 2-3 I'd guess.
I bought one second hand, no idea of wattage, but I run it in the winter when it's been raining a lot and it makes quite a difference, though it doesn't pull anything like 15 litres a day out. More like 2-3 I'd guess.
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