My garage is a 2400 sq. ft. metal building. It has no insulation and gets pretty hot inside during the summer months, to say the least. I keep a scroll fan running during the day to circulate some air, but I am worried about the long-term effects of not only the heat but even moreso the humidity on my cars, motorcycle, tools, etc.
I am considering purchasing either a very large, belt-driven fan (like they sell at Lowe's or Home Depot for around $250) just to move the air around even more, or splurging for an evaporative cooling unit from a company like Port-a-cool (
www.port-a-cool.com). Port-a-cool sells a 48" unit that they claim will create a significant temperature drop in an area up to 3,500 sq. ft.
My question is, does anyone have any experience with evaporative cooling units? Since they involve blowing air across a wet surface, I am concerned that they might actually promote oxidation, rather than help prevent it. I don't want a shop that is 10 or 15 degrees cooler but is filled with a bunch of rusting cars...
Thanks for any input anyone has.
Bob