Condensation in garage driving me mad!
Discussion
We have a single block walled garage which I'm trying to smarten up, paint etc. It has a slightly angled corrugated asbestos roof which I've covered with corrugated plastic sheets to seal. The problem I'm having is there is condensation forming on the inside of the roof which runs back and down the back wall of the garage.
Could this be cured by fitting some air bricks to improve ventilation ? There are some gaps around the garage door and even with the side door left open overnight, the condensation still forms.
Please help it's driving me mad!
Could this be cured by fitting some air bricks to improve ventilation ? There are some gaps around the garage door and even with the side door left open overnight, the condensation still forms.
Please help it's driving me mad!
The new building regs. for flat roofs calls for insulation in roof void. I have a top floor flat, with a flat roof terrace above ceiling, and getting a lot of condensation. By removing surface of roof/terrace, and filling the void between roof and flat's ceiling with loft insulation, i have stopped the condensation.
In your case the same might be achieved by a false ceiling with loft insulation.
In your case the same might be achieved by a false ceiling with loft insulation.
Mark34bn said:
We have a single block walled garage which I'm trying to smarten up, paint etc. It has a slightly angled corrugated asbestos roof which I've covered with corrugated plastic sheets to seal. The problem I'm having is there is condensation forming on the inside of the roof which runs back and down the back wall of the garage.
Could this be cured by fitting some air bricks to improve ventilation ? There are some gaps around the garage door and even with the side door left open overnight, the condensation still forms.
Please help it's driving me mad!
Condensation forms when warm damp air meets a cold hard surface. Putting the plastic sheet there is the perfect way to form condensation. Could this be cured by fitting some air bricks to improve ventilation ? There are some gaps around the garage door and even with the side door left open overnight, the condensation still forms.
Please help it's driving me mad!
Even without any form of heating in the garage you will still get the condensation as the outside weather will change and the roof surface will change temperature at a different rate to the inside air. The same way you get dew on things early in the morning.
You would do better trying to line the roof with some form of soft sheet insulation, to present less of a sharp temperature change.
Originally I thought the roof was leaking, I'd go in in the morning and there would be water droplets covering the inside of the roof. Didn't want the hassle of trying to dispose of the asbestos roof so I covered the whole thing with corrugated plastic sheets to seal it.
I guessed some kind of false ceiling / insulation was called for and it was my plan to do this when I get time, and also batten the walls and get some gyproc sheets in there eventually.
I guessed some kind of false ceiling / insulation was called for and it was my plan to do this when I get time, and also batten the walls and get some gyproc sheets in there eventually.
couple of
http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9... Dry &catID=&frostCat=&frostSubCat=&subCatID=
should sort it- work well in my car anyway.
http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9... Dry &catID=&frostCat=&frostSubCat=&subCatID=
should sort it- work well in my car anyway.
You aren't going to solve the problem with drying bags like that !
Were it me I'd solve the problem once and for all. Take the roof off and fit a kingspan roof (expanded foam trapped between 2 sheets of metal). Funnily enough there was a thread on here just the other day asking where to buy it cheaply kingspan thread
If the cement board sheet is taken off the old roof carefully it isn't the most expensive stuff in the world to get rid of, probably £2-400 and you'd only have someone moan when you came to sell the house potentially chipping you for more than that off the price.
Henry
Were it me I'd solve the problem once and for all. Take the roof off and fit a kingspan roof (expanded foam trapped between 2 sheets of metal). Funnily enough there was a thread on here just the other day asking where to buy it cheaply kingspan thread
If the cement board sheet is taken off the old roof carefully it isn't the most expensive stuff in the world to get rid of, probably £2-400 and you'd only have someone moan when you came to sell the house potentially chipping you for more than that off the price.
Henry
It could well be free to get rid of. We removed the asbestos roof from my brothers garage last year, and his local council tip had free disposal facilities, the only proviso being that you had to wrap it in plastic first. So the only cost was about £30 for a roll of plastic from the builders merchant, and the petrol too and from the tip.
Henry-F said:
You aren't going to solve the problem with drying bags like that !
Were it me I'd solve the problem once and for all. Take the roof off and fit a kingspan roof (expanded foam trapped between 2 sheets of metal). Funnily enough there was a thread on here just the other day asking where to buy it cheaply kingspan thread
If the cement board sheet is taken off the old roof carefully it isn't the most expensive stuff in the world to get rid of, probably £2-400 and you'd only have someone moan when you came to sell the house potentially chipping you for more than that off the price.
Henry
I agree, the drying bags would be a waste of time.Were it me I'd solve the problem once and for all. Take the roof off and fit a kingspan roof (expanded foam trapped between 2 sheets of metal). Funnily enough there was a thread on here just the other day asking where to buy it cheaply kingspan thread
If the cement board sheet is taken off the old roof carefully it isn't the most expensive stuff in the world to get rid of, probably £2-400 and you'd only have someone moan when you came to sell the house potentially chipping you for more than that off the price.
Henry
The Kingspan roof may well give exactly the same condensation, as the inside surface is still hard metal and will be the same temperature as the outside of the garage.
Unless the garage is internally heated?
I'll happily put some vents in if it means reduced condensation. There isn't any heating in there as the garage is the other side of the patio, I'd have extended the central heating system into there if I could!
I still had the problem despite leaving the side door open, but I guess that didn't count as through flow ventilation.
I still had the problem despite leaving the side door open, but I guess that didn't count as through flow ventilation.
Mark34bn said:
I'll happily put some vents in if it means reduced condensation. There isn't any heating in there as the garage is the other side of the patio, I'd have extended the central heating system into there if I could!
I still had the problem despite leaving the side door open, but I guess that didn't count as through flow ventilation.
Through ventilation you need, so the air inside can move around as freely as the air outside. I was thinking you'd be trying to keep it warm as well, but simply letting the whole place breathe easily will make a difference.I still had the problem despite leaving the side door open, but I guess that didn't count as through flow ventilation.
The first thing you need to do is establish what the source of the dampness is. The dripping roof is very clearly a symptom, not the cause (since you made it waterproof with an outer plastic layer - probably completely unnecessarily, I'm afraid).
First thing I'd look at (after a leaking roof) would be the floor. If it is a concrete slab - as most are - and it has no DPM (damp-proof membrane) beneath it (nor contains a water-proofing agent which can be just as effective - assuming it hasn't badly cracked), stopping damp from penetrating through from the soil below and your ground conditions are against you, you will have all the damp you could possibly want (not).
The other possible causes are leaking gutters/downpipes which allow water to soak through walls but this should be pretty obvious - inside and/or out. Also, a leaking water pipe is not unheard of but again this should be relatively obvious.
The easiest way to deal with damp is to ventilate - a few air bricks will fix most problems but not much help if you also want a warm garage as well as a dry one.
Heating will make the situation worse, generally, as warm air can absorb a lot more water than cold air.
I have yet to try this but if your issue is a concrete floor with no DPM, one way to combat it *might* be to lay a layer of heavy duty plastic on the slab eg a continuous layer of vinyl or one of the more dedicated floor covering designed for garage use (a bit pricey). It also makes the garage look a lot nicer (and makes finding small things dropped on it a lot easier). And it's easier to keep clean.
I would avoid applications to seal concrete floors (or walls for that matter) as the vapour pressure in the concrete will almost certainly blow it off in due course.
In my opinion, anyone who lays a concrete slab for internal use without some form of dampproofing should be shot - the extra cost of providing a decent DPM is minimal and the potential problems you (or some other poor sap) are likely to encounter later having not used one are enormous.
First thing I'd look at (after a leaking roof) would be the floor. If it is a concrete slab - as most are - and it has no DPM (damp-proof membrane) beneath it (nor contains a water-proofing agent which can be just as effective - assuming it hasn't badly cracked), stopping damp from penetrating through from the soil below and your ground conditions are against you, you will have all the damp you could possibly want (not).
The other possible causes are leaking gutters/downpipes which allow water to soak through walls but this should be pretty obvious - inside and/or out. Also, a leaking water pipe is not unheard of but again this should be relatively obvious.
The easiest way to deal with damp is to ventilate - a few air bricks will fix most problems but not much help if you also want a warm garage as well as a dry one.
Heating will make the situation worse, generally, as warm air can absorb a lot more water than cold air.
I have yet to try this but if your issue is a concrete floor with no DPM, one way to combat it *might* be to lay a layer of heavy duty plastic on the slab eg a continuous layer of vinyl or one of the more dedicated floor covering designed for garage use (a bit pricey). It also makes the garage look a lot nicer (and makes finding small things dropped on it a lot easier). And it's easier to keep clean.
I would avoid applications to seal concrete floors (or walls for that matter) as the vapour pressure in the concrete will almost certainly blow it off in due course.
In my opinion, anyone who lays a concrete slab for internal use without some form of dampproofing should be shot - the extra cost of providing a decent DPM is minimal and the potential problems you (or some other poor sap) are likely to encounter later having not used one are enormous.
king years, the OP has sorted it now.I have a garage condensation issue that I would love to address.
My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
David Ramsbotham said:
I have a garage condensation issue that I would love to address.
My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
I doubt they'd be able to help, just not their thing.My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
I have a garage condensation issue that I would love to address.
My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
My double garage was built as an open fronted cartshed ( new but supposedly in keeping with our barn conversion). It is timber framed, single horizontal boarding to outside with slate roof.
I have put a pair of double opening doors on the front for security and weatherproofing.
If I leave my “summer” cars with their covers on during the Winter months I get condensation by the bucket load under the covers rendering the covers not only pointless but potential harmful.
I have purchased a smallish dehumidifier which I operate manually for about 4 hours a day most days and this seems to help with the exterior drainage showing plenty of water.
I like to do more though in tackling the cause of the condensation. Rather than running off fitting “kingsman” everywhere in the vain hope that insulation is the cure, I would appreciate knowledgeable thoughts from others about the route I should take.
Appreciate any advice I can get as I don’t want to go throug( another Winter like this! Thanks, David.
Have a read of https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
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