Garage high humidity floor wet vehicle inside.

[littleant]

Originally Posted by Warstud
Originally Posted by billt460
The answer was to insulate the walls, and replace the aging, non insulated wooden garage door with a metal insulated one.

Does the insulation keep the moisture out ? I was thinking maybe OP's problem was moisture from the garage floor.

I did read online that I can check if a moisture barrier was put in when the floor was poured. Placing a piece of plastic down. If the top of the plastic gets wet but not underneath then there is a moisture barrier. I will try that.

 

[P10crew]

Cheap dehumidifier and cheap to run!

 

[Warstud]

I bet there's no moisture barrier and that's why you have a moisture problem. Maybe a floor sealant would help.

 

[meep]

I'd be concerned about the rest of the house attached to the garage. That kind of moisture can't be good. Lots of good ideas here. the right solution will you will depend on whether this is a ground water problem or an environmental/dewpoint/temp problem.

In our partially basement home, the lower floor is typically 20% higher humidity than the top floor. Installing a dehumidifier helped. But the bigger difference was discovered when adding a fan on the main floor that 24/7 dumps 100CFM or 1st floor ceiling air to the finished basement (high efficiency Delta bathroom fan). That's made a significant difference. so while a dehumidifier seemed the right response, circulation was the key.

 

[littleant]

Garage is detached. About 100 feet away. House has no issues. Dry basement.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by Warstud
Originally Posted by billt460
The answer was to insulate the walls, and replace the aging, non insulated wooden garage door with a metal insulated one.

Does the insulation keep the moisture out ? I was thinking maybe OP's problem was moisture from the garage floor.

Yes it will help a little. But it will also help keep heat in, which is more important. The reason you get a wet floor is because of moisture condensing out of the air when it comes into contact with the cold concrete floor. (A bit like water forming on the outside of a glass of cold beer on a hot, humid day). By insulating the walls, and providing a heat source, you will heat the floor just enough, along with the contents of the garage, to where moisture will not condense on it.

The heat, (be it electric or gas), will also help dry out the air somewhat, thereby reducing the chance for condensation. Circulating the air with fans helps to distribute the heat more than it does to dry anything out.