Condensation in Garage-Options?

CEE DOG

CEE DOG

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
7,358
Reaction score
0
I live in Florida. So this morning I went out to my garage to get some hedge clippers to trim the top of our new Christmas tree. As I was walking around the rear of Skybaby I noticed moisture on her lid. I can't believe I hadn't thought about this issue. So I was looking on the internet about this and saw some people saying the moisture in the garage causing problems with their engine internally as well. So at this point I am trying to decide what to do. Please review the options I am considering and please tell me what you have done if anything to protect your garage belongings from moisture and high humidity.

A.-Thermally seal the floor - would this be enough to do it?

C.-Purchase Dehumidifier for garage - Price about $200 plus maybe 20$ a month for higher electric bill

B.-Thermally seal entire Garage
Con's: 1.-Price 2.-This will seal heat in during summer which will be unbearable without adding ac to the garage.

What have you guys done?
Feed back please
 
What kind of garage? Attached/detached? Windows? Insulated walls w/vapor barrier?
 
Attached, One window that is currently borded up (you can see a fan in it but their is a boad behind it, Garage door is NOT insulated.

I don't know weather or not the walls have a vapor barrier but I will post a few pictures in just a couple minutes

From kitchen towards garage Door
IMG_0628.JPG

Towards boarded up window
IMG_0629.JPG

From garage door towards door to kichen and door to pool
IMG_0630.JPG
 
Last edited:
you need to open that window, you need air flow in there. you might wanna check your walls and celling, you might have some mold growing, if you do, wipe it with some bleach and water and like i said you need some air flow.
 
Sounds dumb, but maybe it's the dryer vent or the heat generated by the washer and dryer. Check them, can't hurt
 
We do keep the glass on the door that faces the pool open. I was also planning to open that window. Do you think that the added window area alone will do it?

I don't think its the dryer because it seems to be a new situation having to do with the recent "cold".
 
CEE DOG said:
We do keep the glass on the door that faces the pool open. I was also planning to open that window. Do you think that the added window area alone will do it?

I don't think its the dryer because it seems to be a new situation having to do with the recent "cold".
Click to expand...

If you're looking for sympathy about the "cold" you're barking up the wrong tree. 60% chance of snow today.
 
Actually, if there is a drop in the humidity due to the ahem "cold" , the heat from the washer dryer could be a source of the water condensing on a colder object ( trunk or roof of the car)
 
I'll double check with my wife but the washer dryer weren't on since yesterday. You're definetly right on about the car bein the colder object but I have a feeing it has a lot to do with the concrete slab it sits on
 
Down in Fl I don't think that you get the problem with dust as much as us northerners do in the winter months when the humidity levels are lowest. I think that having a little humidity in the garage when it is cold and dry would cut down on the static electricity and thus the degree of dust.
 
The problem with sealing the garage the way you're talking about, is that you seal the inside as well as the outside. So if the problem is inside you've now sealed it in. Normally you'll get some condensation on the floor slab, because it will lose it's heat the quickest and thus become the condensate source. If there was no vapor barrier installed under the garage slab when it was poured, there is virtually nothing that can be done now. Surface sealers really don't work and are quite expensive. For the 3-4 days a year you get your ( God help me) "cold snap, you might have to just deal with it. Ventilation would help tremendously.
 
Think about it ur front garage door leaks air it's not sealed like ur front door of the house. The garage is not climate control like the inside of ur house or is it? If u have an attic space above the garage it will hold heat during the day with humidity. If the outside ur house is all brick, stone, or alum it all holds heat. I can go on for hrs. about this but ur garage is like a shed. U could look into a fan with a temp controler to keep air moving, but at night when it's temp is low and dewpoint is up moisture going to happen.
 
I had a somewhat similar experience over the last few days here in Alabama. The air in the garage has roughly the same relative humidity as outside before you closed the garage door. Through the night, as the temperature drops, you will get condensation on anything that reaches the dew point. Metal, being one of the most conductive materials, will cool down quicker than most anything in the garage. And your trunk lid has basically no insulation, so it makes sense that the condensation will form there. Plus, it's closest to the garage door, therefore, closer to the cold. It's the same issue as up north when condensation forms on the inside of poorly insulated windows in the winter. For me, this only happens when we have a humid day and a major temperature drop that night. Obviously the dehumidifier would do the trick, but before spending that kind of money, I'd recommend trying a portable heater to keep the temp high enough that the water remains a vapor. You can get a good one for less than $50 at Home Depot or Lowes. The one I have came from Amazon. Amazon.com: Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater with Adjustable Thermostat ...
With all the South FL members, I'm sure someone has better experience and advice than I do, but that just my $.02. Good luck!!
 
CEE DOG said:
B.-Thermally seal entire Garage
Con's: - This will seal heat in during summer which will be unbearable
Click to expand...


Insulating the garage will keep the heat OUT of the garage.

I'll just assume your dryer is vented to the outside. If your dryer wasn't vented to the outside, it would cause moisture to build up inside of the garage.






 
Dude... aren't you worried that some of that Junk will fall down on to your precious Car ?
 
Must agree with fubar. I have a ceiling fan (w/light fixture type) at the center of my garage celing. In the summer months I turn the fan on at night and it helps move air around and my concrete slab is not sweating to death.
 
2003 GMC Denali said:
Dude... aren't you worried that some of that Junk will fall down on to your precious Car ?
Click to expand...

Agreed!


But, as for the condensation, how cold does it get in your garage during your Florida "cold" snap?

It's the same effect that you get when you park your car outside overnight on a cool night where there is condensation on the roof, trunk even the outside side of the windows.

As the metal cools down, the air around it is warmer than the metal and the warm air loses it's heat energy to the cold metal, causing the previously highly energized moisture in the air to also lose energy and become a liquid rather than gas.
 
A dehumidifier will not work great with that front garage door not sealed properly. If that dryer vent not exhuast outside would cause alot of issues, but i hope it is vented to the outside. What i meant by fan is a exhuast fan in the ceiling, duct to the outside with a temp. controler. You would need a airintake also to keep air moving. What ever air u remove u put back into that same space area.
 
You mentioned that it is a new problem that you think is related to the recent cold.

My guess is it's condensation created by a big change in temperature. Up here in PA if there is a huge change in temperature my garage will sometimes get condensation on the inside of the windows. The same thing happens in the winter when I am out in the garage with the kerosene torpedo heater running for a long period of time. Several hours after I shut the heater off and the temperature in the garage drops back down towards freezing, condensation appears on the inside of the garage windows.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top