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Damp car in garage


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I have always had my car in a Carcoon over the winter months when I don't drive it.

However, as I've been working on it (engine work, gearbox out etc) the car has be up on axle stands in an unheated (and well ventilated) garage.

Well, when I Went to work on the car I was truly staggered by the state of it!

Almost every part of the car was wet. Water dripping off the brake calipers, the side of the engine, the heater....everywhere I looked there was condensation. Even the aluminium rocker covers have started to fur up! Even the seats have mould on them!

If there's anything that's brought home to me the usefulness of a Carcoon, this was it.

Simon

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I am very lucky.

 

The previous user of my garage ran a marijuana farm and it is well insulated. But he had no electrical supply so he was no good at farming.

 

But it does mean that I have no damp or condensation.

 

Try 50 mm of insulation all round and the roof..

 

good luck.

 

Richard & H.

Edited by Richardtr3a
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I seem to hold a lot of condensation at bay by keeping a strong fan (more a blower used for industrial floor drying, in fact) running in my detached brick, uninsulated garage.

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My downright draughty garage seems to do the same Don!

 

i.e. ventilation and air movement is key. I have noticed some condensation on dank murky days like today when the air is still.

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Must be the day for it. I opened the garage door today to get some natural light in and I noticed immediately my garage floor going damp before my eyes. Humidity is around 90% in the garage and temp around 12c. I've had the dehumidifier on all day as a result!

 

Cheers

 

Dave

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Must be the day for it. I opened the garage door today to get some natural light in and I noticed immediately my garage floor going damp before my eyes. Humidity is around 90% in the garage and temp around 12c. I've had the dehumidifier on all day as a result!

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

That's really strange Dave, because mine was at 94% today, the highest I've ever seen it. My old garage was pretty good in this respect, but the one at the house I've just moved to doesn't seem so good. Perhaps the ventilation isn't as good in this garage as it was at the old one. Anyhow, got the dehumidifier going at full blast now, so that'll help. Think I might get a fan going too.

 

Darren

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Hi Simon,

you have it in one.

It is not the ventilation or lack of it.

 

The last few days have been very cold. If you have an unheated garage then everything inside will get cold.

Today was very warm and very humid for January.

 

The moist air hits thecold surfaces and bingo - water.

 

Roger

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Hello, I recently moved house and under the cover of my wife's excitement over her new kitchen I got her to agree to underfloor heating in my garage, I can do most if not all the work myself, anybody any experience on whether electric or hot water is the way to go, cheers, Andrew

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Andrew.

 

Electric is easiest but hot water will be best (unless all you want is trace heat). Make sure you get some insulation in there too and if you go for hot water you will need a reasonable depth of screed over especially if you plan to jack your car off the slab!

 

Cheers

 

Dave

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I think it's the difference between the really cold days then really mild days.

+1 The metal cools down in the cold , below the dew point of warmer more humid air.

and as Roger says.

Peter

Edited by Peter Cobbold
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Of course, I forgot that we had a rapid and quite marked change in temperature yesterday. It was about 15c here, compared to 5-6c the day before. I usually try to keep the relative humidity to below 55%, as at that level dew should not be able to form at any temperature (according to the dew point calculator at least).

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Noticed the same in my wooden garage. Mind you dried off by the afternoon..

Tim

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Had the same problem as Simon several years ago, so bought a X-Dry dehumidifier which controls condensation nicely (removes up to 2.5 lts overnight) - there's some good info on car storage and controlling RH here: http://www.dry-it-out.com/dehumidifiers/car-storage

 

A couple of years ago I also bought an Air Chamber which is excellent and a value-added benefit is that it also reduces the volume of garage air, so the dehumidifier is even more efficient!

 

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Cheers

Andrew

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Wow, what a saga. I shan't complain about our winters here in one of the coldest places in Oz ever again.

 

 

 

mmmmmm, I do think that whoever, in days gone bye, decided to send the bread pinchers down south whilst we stay in damp, dank, dark cold lump of mud... might have got it the wrong way round :ph34r:

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It's strange how we spend money to keep the dog, £500 telly, the spare bedroom we haven't even been in for years and the wife warm and dry but neglect our £20k (and often more) pride and joy. My garage was built to the same spec as my kitchen with insulted floor, walls, roof and door along with central heating. I told the wife it was in case we ever wanted to turn it into a study, and she fell for it. The Joker sits in there snug as a bug in a rug. Magic

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