Garage humidity and surface rust

chrisd0729 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 06:43 PM

My garage sometimes has condensation and/or moisture inside and I'm starting to see some surface rust on rotors, bare metal parts underneath, etc. I live in SE PA where the winters get pretty cold and we've had a ton of rain in the couple months. It's a 3 car attached garage with 2 of the walls adjoining the house and then other side wall and doors facing the outside. All 4 sides are insulated in the walls and the doors fit pretty well (with only a few spots where light may shine through the rubber molding.

Anyone have ideas on a heater, vent fan, dehumidifier, etc that could help cut down the humidity? We do use the garage as our main entrance as we pull in the driveway and come/go through one of the doors.

If no good option to keep the humidity out, what are thoughts on the blow up car capsule? I have 3 cars in here (Cobra, Viper, Corvette), 1 is in the end garage, the other 2 are stacked with a 4 post lift. Not sure how well the car capsule would work in the bay with the lift?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

patrickt · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 06:58 PM

I used to put my Cobra in a special "Car Bag" with desiccant in it from Thanksgiving to Easter when I had a non-climate controlled garage. The car would come out looking exactly the same as when it went in, with no surface rust even on the shiny rotors. I quit doing that after I built a climate controlled garage for her. Here's a pic from back when I was using it. It really did do a very nice job. Spectacular job, really.

spdbrake · #3 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 07:15 PM

Portable dehumidifiers will do the whole garage. Under $200

https://www.amazon.com/hOmeLabs-Dehu...63GENK969Y2JH7

Trubble · #4 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 08:02 PM

[quote=patrickt;1455536]I used to put my Cobra in a special "Car Bag" with desiccant in it from Thanksgiving to Easter when I had a non-climate controlled garage. The car would come out looking exactly the same as when it went in, with no surface rust even on the shiny rotors. I quit doing that after I built a climate controlled garage for her. Here's a pic from back when I was using it. It really did do a very nice job. Spectacular job, really.

Patrick:
Do you remember your source for the bag? My garage here in the Midwest gets that dampness too.

patrickt · #5 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 08:16 PM

[quote=Trubble;1455540]

Quote:

Patrick:
Do you remember your source for the bag? My garage here in the Midwest gets that dampness too.

Yep, here it is: https://www.carbag.com/carjacket/ I can honestly say that it kept my car in perfect condition. You can either dry the desiccant out in the oven or just buy new desiccant each year. I just bought new desiccant.

Trubble · #6 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 08:55 PM

Thank you Sir! Hope to have her under wraps vy soon.

CSX3183 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-21-2018, 09:41 PM

Well for those who don't have cars on a lift, put down a sheet of visqueen (sp), as moisture will seep through the concrete, and get a heater. I have a natural gas heater in my garage, NO insultion, cement block walls and wood walls, attached to garage is a patio with windows, and a back work room.

I keep the heat at btw 65 and 80, seems to keep it pretty dry, no Cobra anymore, but there is a Concours restored 68 GT-E, and a 67 Fairlane 427 R code clone.

DanEC · #8 (**permalink**) 12-22-2018, 05:34 AM

If it's a garage you regularly access with your daily drivers then you have a tough challenge. One thing that will help with keeping moisture from collecting on surfaces is simply putting an oscillating fan on the floor to stir the air. And it's cheap too. Putting visqueen under the cars that sit on concrete is also a good idea in case your garage floor lacks a vapor barrier, which it probably does if you have a lot of moisture or humidity in it.

My garage is actually very well insulated and dry but I've installed a big ceiling fan in it to help with summer heat while working out there. But if we have a real rainy spell in the winter time and the humidity is high outside, I will flip the fan on low speed just as a precaution to keep the air moving a little out there.

desgros@vtlink. · #9 (**permalink**) 12-22-2018, 07:34 AM

Car bags are great until temps stay below -0. Then the desiccant freezes and no longer absorbs moisture. A temp controlled garage is great.

ERA Slabside BRG #3010

t walgamuth · #10 (**permalink**) 12-22-2018, 03:47 PM

If your ceiling is insulated and your doors reasonably tight you can do a lot with a small electric heater. YOu just have to keep things above the dew point to stop the condensation.

Ron61 · #11 (**permalink**) 12-23-2018, 05:49 AM

I have had good luck with the Race Deck flooring as it has an air space under it between the floor and the Race Deck top.

Ron

Large Arbor · #12 (**permalink**) 12-24-2018, 07:32 PM

I got tired of using the electric heaters and worrying about setting something on fire. I broke down on the new place and put in a Big Dawg gas heater and set it to 50 degrees. Its a wonderful thing to do those winter projects in a warm garage.

Phil

Horseracejudge · #13 (**permalink**) 12-25-2018, 06:38 AM

Hi Chris,

I don't have any corrosion issues on car or tools. I'm in South Jersey. I did this year. Too much rain and humidity. Almost impossible to get some good weather cruise time in. It was a horribly wet year.

Merry Christmas

133bus · #14 (**permalink**) 12-26-2018, 05:12 AM

I use a car bag for my Cobra..it work great ..just as Patrickt said, the car looks the same as when put away and my garage is not heated..as for the desiccant,it may well freeze, temps can go to -30 (22 below 0 ) for a couple of days in mid winter here in central New Brunswick, Canada..Just DON'T open the bag and let in new moisture laden air. The desiccant has already sucked up the water vapor from when the car entered the bag.Steve

Jeff 427 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-26-2018, 05:35 AM

I have a 3 1/2 bay garage, two bays for the normal drivers and
1 1/2 bays for the Cobra and motorcycle. The garage is insulated
and I do have a heater if I want to work in it but 99.9% of the time
it has no heat. I also have "Swiss Track" flooring throughout.

I live in northeast NY with cold and snowy winters.

I have been using the "Car Bag" and "Motorcycle Bag" for over
ten years and all I can say they work great! The way you put
your stuff away is the way it comes out in the spring. It's also
sealed from dust and varmints. I have the aluminum cylinder
desiccant for the Cobra and packs for the motorcycle and just bake
them in the oven to refresh the materials before I put the stuff
away in the fall.

rads42 · #16 (**permalink**) 12-26-2018, 07:07 AM

I live in CT and I'm using a Car Capsule. This is my first year using it so I can't speak from personal experience yet but they claim that because the air is being changed 3-4 times per hour the temperature remains more consistent thereby eliminating condensation. My car has only been in about a month and a half but so far so good. The air is filtered as well so no dust.

http://carcapsule.com/how-it-works/

PNJSNAK · #17 (**permalink**) 01-03-2019, 06:53 AM

Wall mounted gas radiant heater is the way to go. Mr. Heater, easy to install and hook up.
Keeps everything in the garage at the same temp. No more condensation and if you have a daily driver, it’s nice to get in a car that is 45-50 when it is below freezing outside.
And like said above, when you want to work on your cars in the dead of winter, crank it up to 70 and wear light clothing while you work.

Unique427 · #18 (**permalink**) 01-03-2019, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

If your ceiling is insulated and your doors reasonably tight you can do a lot with a small electric heater. YOu just have to keep things above the dew point to stop the condensation.

Visible moisture appears when temperature is within 4 degrees of dew point.

Small electric heater with blower not only heats but will help dry out the air.

I placed a small one in front and one in back that blow air under the car cover just above the floor.
The warm air rises up through the chassis.
Helps dry out collected moisture on metal bits susceptible to rust or corrosion.

Effective when heating the whole garage is not an option.

t walgamuth · #19 (**permalink**) 01-03-2019, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unique427

Visible moisture appears when temperature is within 4 degrees of dew point.

Small electric heater with blower not only heats but will help dry out the air.

I placed a small one in front and one in back that blow air under the car cover just above the floor.
The warm air rises up through the chassis.
Helps dry out collected moisture on metal bits susceptible to rust or corrosion.

Effective when heating the whole garage is not an option.

I don't understand your last sentence, care to elaborate please?

patrickt · #20 (**permalink**) 01-03-2019, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I don't understand your last sentence, care to elaborate please?

You just fire up your space heater and point it at your car.

That reminds me of the one time I tried to "vacuum out" the air that was in my car bag to see if I could make it work like the old "seal-a-meal" that you saw on TV. I hooked my shop vac up to it and tried and tried... but it didn't work.