Controlling Garage Humidity

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
10/18/2018 at 21:00 • Filed to: garagelopnik, humidity

Also, why is this bag of DampRid frozen?

Humidity has long been an issue in my garage. To help keep tools from rusting, I’ve been using microwave-rechargeable desiccant packets in my toolbox drawers and cabinets. They seem to work pretty well.

This garage used to have mild flooding issues, but last year I finally got around to landscaping the surrounding area to help pitch rainwater away from the slab. It’s helped, but the old, cracked concrete floor still sweats pretty badly sometimes. Could be the recent swings in temperature we’ve been having, causing condensation. Or maybe it has something to do with the porosity of the floor which has never been sealed.

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to sealing up some of the cracks. It didn’t help with the humidity, but it sure does make sweeping easier.

A couple of weeks ago, we had several days of rain, and the floor was sweating hard. I’ve been hesitant ot get a dehumidifier, as it wouldn’t be a good year-round solution for this unheated, uninsulated garage. So one of the things I’ve been doing is using DampRid hanging bags. I don’t use them very often, but the recent rain reminded me to hang a fresh one up.

Now when I say “fresh”, i mean that it was still in a sealed package. It’s beena couple of years since I bought it though. Didn’t think it would matter, but I started to notice that the moisture collecting in the bag was freezing, even in room-temperature weather.

I don’t recall having that happen before while using this product, unless it was during the winter, a time when I would expect to see some ice anyway. Must be some kind of chemical reaction. Is it normal, or a side effect of the bag’s age? Again, it had been kept in its original sealed packaging up until a couple of weeks ago, and the packaging was still intact when I opened it. There were no signs of it collecting any moisture until i exposed it to the garage environment, so I’m not sure what to make of that.

But back to the main topic of humidity- I think a dehumidifier would probably be the best course of action, even if I can’t use it during the winter (freezing coils and all that). Are adsorbents /absorbents the best course of action for freezing weather? What measures have you taken, or are taking, to combat moisture in your garage?

DISCUSSION (10)

BigBlock440 > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 21:49

I tarred the seams in my garage, eliminated most of the leaks. The next year I put tin over the roof and that took care of the rest. I have a half-dirt floor and it’s not that bad though. My garage isn’t airtight, so I think that helps. In my house I use a dehumidifier and damp-rid bags because there’s a bit of a moisture problem in my basement and areas where there’s no airflow though.

MM54 > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 21:55

Ceiling fan, find someone throwing away an old ugly one and bam: free air circulation (after you hang it which takes like an hour) .

Moisture goes where it’s coolest, and the slab is going to be the coolest part of the room. Heating the garage can help but is a pretty big commitment ; next best thing is to make sure it can breathe and that the air is circulating.

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 22:06

I never heard of such things, but I should get some of those bags for my toolbox. My garage has the same issues, and my hand tools are suffering.

vondon302 > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 22:28

Have you looked into crawl space dehumidifiers?

https://www.santa-fe-products.com/santa-fe-compact70/

I've got one of these in my crawl work's like a champ but pricey.

Chariotoflove > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 22:35

Current rainy spell notwithstanding, it’s fairly dry climate here. And the lot is well graded. So I’m blessed to not have your problem to deal with. Good luck though.

Urambo Tauro > vondon302
10/18/2018 at 23:05

I did pick up a dehumidifier from the local Goodwill for cheap a while back , but it turned out to be non- working. I was hoping for an easy fix, but t here were no drain blockages or dirty filters, so I just returned it. N ot just for the cash, but so I didn’t have to deal with how to dispose of it. I should probably resume the hunt for a used one...

Urambo Tauro > MM54
10/18/2018 at 23:08

I’m a big fan of circulation!

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Urambo Tauro
10/18/2018 at 23:31

one PITA of sealing is ys it keeps water from coming up, at the same time it prevents it from going down. I n winter, m y parents detached garage could become a skating rink with black ice inside.

Urambo Tauro > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/18/2018 at 23:42

This garage is also d etached. And I have seen it ice over just like you’re describing. It’s just a plain slab, with no drains except for the crac ks I haven’t sealed.

vondon302 > Urambo Tauro
10/19/2018 at 06:47

Scrappers love dehumidifiers. You do have to take em apart to get a decent price though.