How Moisture & Humidity Impact Your Garage and Fixes
5/15/24, 9:59 PMIt is normal for us to wipe moisture from our brows on a hot day, but should it be normal for our garage floor to sweat? The answer is most definitely no. A sweaty floor and high moisture content in your garage ends up creating a slippery surface and damp walls.
How Moisture Builds Up in Your Garage
The most common reason moisture builds up in your garage is a sweaty floor. If you have a concrete floor, when warm air comes into contact with the cool concrete, it causes the air to cool below the dew point, resulting in condensation on the surface. As the moisture in the air condenses in your garage, it dramatically increases the humidity. Not worried about a garage that sweats as much as you do? You probably should be.
How Moisture and Humidity Affect Your Garage
Over time, excess humidity and moisture can negatively impact your garage. Moisture eventually breaks down the foundation of your garage. Mold and mildew are faster foes, however. They can grow in a season and cause rot to set in the wood of the building and health issues for occupants. Moisture also causes your tools, storage units and vehicles to break down much faster.
Things You Can Do to Protect Your Garage
You will often notice that springtime is when your garage starts to build up moisture and continues through the hot summer when the air is warmer. There are several steps you can take to protect your garage.
Check the Drains
Before installing anything new or running an electronic device to try to rid your garage of excess moisture, ensure the problem isn’t internal. Check all your drains and gutters to ensure they are unobstructed and working properly. If they are leaking anywhere or backed up, they can cause the build of excess moisture.
Dehumidifier
Once you have ensured everything is functioning properly, you can purchase a garage dehumidifier. They are great at getting excessive moisture out of a room and preventing mold and rot from going rampant.
Add Ventilation
Ventilating your garage is another effective, long-term way to protect it from excess humidity. Installing an exhaust fan is an easier way to go about this. While it isn’t quite as simple as plugging in a dehumidifier, it is more energy-efficient in the long run.
You can also do this somewhat effectively by installing more windows or passive vents in the walls of your garage. Installing storm windows can help, especially if you can put them on a side facing the sun to have the sunlight evaporate the moisture during the day.
Air Conditioning
For those of you who use your garage as a workshop or a man cave and have it air-conditioned, it is time to put that air conditioner to use. The vast majority of air conditioners work to reduce moisture levels in the air since they evaporate it as they run.
Epoxy Floor Coating
Finally, one of the best and most permanent ways to cut down on condensation is to apply an epoxy floor coating to your garage. You should consider using a coating made for a wet environment to help out the most.
If you need more advice on garage maintenance or want a high-quality floor coating, contact our garage experts at Carolina Custom Garages.