Metal building condensation

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Rob,
Was in my metal storage garage today, it is only a 12 x 20 but it had no moisture on the roof or walls, it has no insulation.
Box fan running on low, it does have gabel vents on each end, no heat.
But it does only get a little of the morning sun, so maybe being shaded most of the day helps?
Got to love the monsoon weather the east coast is having now, it sucks.
 
Like said above keep the inside warmer than the outside. Either a heater or if you have alot of lights leave them on. same thing as a gun safe dehumidifier its just a rod that heats up the space enough prevent condensation.
 
The WORST thing you can do is seal up the bldg. the science is simple. a bldg contains moisture filled warm air. at night the temp drops to the dew point. the air inside cools and the moisure condenses out(onto your car, concrete, etc). If the air circulates and is the same as the outside air, nothing condenses since the air, in and out , is the same. when your indoor car has condensation on it, look at the car parked outside in the driveway.
Old barns have open cracks AND are built way above the ground. this is not an accident. This allows the air to circulate to do what I described.
Vents- the idea is good but there is not enough air moving thru it. A screen makes it even worse. either keep the windows open, the garage door open at the bottom or put in a power vent. no body has more humidity content than Florida (where I live now) but I get no condensation in my closed garage. That is because there is minimal temp change over a 24 hour period. In northern winters, the temp CHANGE drop 10-40 degrees. that is what causes condensation in moisture rich air. i know this goes against some of themyths proposed but read the science. I have a friend in NY that bought a new 73 Corvette. To this day, the undercarriage is solid as day 1. She always kept the garage well ventilated. hope this explains it. there is a lot to storage air quality. My shop is totally sealed with 1 sealed window BUT it is completely insulated AND airconditioned. My storage sheds have only a roof on them. never any condensation in either. Hope that helps
Richard
 
I use the dessicant bags inside the drawers of my toolbox. That helps to keep the drawers dry while their closed. Seems like you can find them in just about anything you buy, like shoes.

Its not a solution to your whole problem, but it should help your tools.
 
Paint the roof flat black, put a couple of fans inside to circulate the air. You should be able to raise inside temp above outside ambient. About as cheep and "now" as I think you're gonna get.

Good luck.
 
halifaxhops said:
Woody, he is looking for the cheapest right now.
Click to expand...

We tried a fan running all the time.. a kerosene heater.. cracking the doors.. leaving a window open...just way too much moisture... it would literally rain from the roof! There was no cheep quick fix for us...
 
Two choices. Add heat to raise the temperature above the dew point or remove the moisture from the air. Just bear in mind that any heating device that uses combustion will have water vapor as a by-product of that combustion, so it would need to be vented externally.
 
I have to ask, does your concrete feel wet to the touch? A concrete buddy help me pour my shop floor, he ask me if was going to heat it (the floor) if I did I would need to pick some insulation for floor pour....if not you need to lay down some plastic sheets why I asked, concrete will wick up ground water and you will have some problems, go figure.
 
I put that foil bubble wrap from menards on the underside of the metal roof in my pole barn - no condensation
 
cheap low cost no cost will be to get whatever is on the ground up on pallets (free all over) ,your in a notoriously damp humid area so air movement is key . The gable vents are going to help as long as you can keep the air flowing in the same direction , several box fans strategically placed are your best bet , absorb what moisture is present and surface coat liberally with oil based product as wd40 or.....get off ur lazy arse n et in gear slacker:burnout:
 
..local car collector put his collection in a new metal quonset hut that he had built.A few days later he went out and every vehicle was soaked from the door handles down.He installed vents and a series of fans blowing along the walls progressively that solved his problem.
we used to install 6mil plastic on the inside of the 2 x 2's in our modest portable moose camp to create a dead air space as was already suggested.
 
put tools, welding rods and small items in an old fridge with light bulb and they will stay dry. My shop has spray foam and does not sweat usually but one day I drove off and left garage door open. When I came back a few hours later it was wet but that was only time.
 
I bet you could you make a cheap dehumidifier out of an old air conditioner or freezer. Same thing really. We used to run one in our basement all the time, but it did freeze up occasionally. It was pretty simple. It had some refrigeration coils and a small fan to blow air through it. Water condensed on the coils and dripped down to a catch pan. If the air conditioner were fully inside the building it would also put heat into the air which might also help.
 
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