Storage - Damp garage or outside with cover

[70-CA-Panel]

Hey guys,

I have found a double garage locally for rent.
It's detached with a stone floor and the walls feel slightly damp.
One half of the floor is damp as well.
It has a new roof, so don't think the damp is coming from rain above, could be runoff coming under the garage door or from soil on the other side of the walls.
It has power so could put a space heater in there, but I don't know about letting it run while I'm not in...

Would it be better to keep my bus outside under a car cover or inside this garage?
I would prefer the garage so I can do some work on it out of the weather.

Mind you the drive its parked on now has a bit of moss growing on it, so might keep moisture around it as well.

Is a damp garage bad news?

Cheers.

Andy

 

[martin.sim]

You could put an electrical tubular heater in there


Why didn't I buy my bus years ago !?

 

[Moseley]

Heater won't make any difference and may in fact make the damp situation worse as more of the moisture will end up in the air than in the concrete / walls. You'd be better with a dehumidifier in there, but they need the space to be reasonably well sealed from the outside air in order to be most efficient.

By what is the airflow like through the garage?

A cover may be the better option, but again, it needs to be used in a way that doesn't trap moisture inside it or allow it to accumulate.

 

[trebor]

My garage was turned into an outside 60's bar with all the trimmings, it has a wooden floor and plasterboard walls, even a carpet fitted. I don't get condensation on anything. Could not fit a van in it but perfect for the motorbikes. If I had the choice I would have a big wooden shed, the wood soaks up the moisture.

 

[faux]

The main thing is air flow. A damp garage with airflow would be better than a cover outside. This is due to the covers often holding the moisture.

My garage gets a little damp with condensation but the air flow is good.

Jon

 

[jonboylaw]

As Jon says, make sure there is good airflow through the garage, you can also put a dehumidifier in the van ( the bag of crystals type).

Jon


Sent from my GX64 SatCom phone using Tapatalk

 

[Wannabay]

check out the garage when it's raining hard to see if the roof is watertight or not
i rent a garage off a neighbour, the roof looks OK but rain came through the corrugated roof sheeting where it overlaps and then down the walls
I jammed a piece of pvc guttering across the width of the garage under the join and exiting outside, problem solved
I agree, a garage has got to be better than a cover

 

[ozziedog]

Agree with most of what is said above and I belive it will be better off in there as it`ll be drier most of the time with just a little of a damp atmosphere. If the place has a new roof (and it works) then it`s possibly the rain water goods at fault which are gutters and downpipes to you and me :lol: Best answer to this conondrum is to go there on a very rainy day and see for yourself what is happening . Is the roof still leaking ? If it is then you are on a loser from the word go and more than likely completely wasting your time. Is it running off the roof and down the walls? possibly an easy solution. Is it coming through the walls? Not ideal but just damp ain`t the end of the world. Is it coming in from ground level,, ie higher ground / banking etc? Not brilliant but just damp as above. Or maybe a drainage issue? But before you say yay or nay, just check it out as thouroughly as you can,, possibly take a builder type friend with you who might be able to point out what`s happening

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,Where is it ?????????

 

[Alex VW Heritage]

I's run an extractor fan on all the time in the rear wall and a dehumidifier too, much better than a heater.

 

[faux]

I's run an extractor fan on all the time in the rear wall and a dehumidifier too, much better than a heater.

Unless the garage is reasonably airtight a dehumidifier won't do a lot apart from cost a fortune in electricity. An extracter fan could help keep the air flowing but again would be expensive.

Water tight, well insulated with good air circulation is what is needed to keep the damp at bay!