moisture issues in shop????

[Big Block 88]

As some of you may remember I built a large 60X80 Morton building for a shop/loft area on my land here in KS. Here recently the weather has been just pure crap with extreme humidity, heat, and storms. I was up at the shop the other day and for about the 5th time the shop smells like mildew with mold and midew trying to grow on my sheet rock and wood work. I am not currently living there yet as I am still working on it. But is ther anyway to stop this from happening???

There is alot of money in tools and toys up there and I don't want it getting ruined in the damp enviroment. We cracked a window last week and it seemed to help a bit, but maybe a fan blowing in there would help?? It seems to be the conctrete that is doing it with little white circles on the floor that look like calcium deposits but they start as puddle of water. There are NO leaks in the roof, it is fully isulated, and has vented saufets with vented cupeuloes ontop. Any ideas??? Thanks

 

[Poltergeist]

Do you have adequate drainage around the foundation? Sounds like water is getting under the foundation and working it's way up.

 

[lotsofmiles]

yup, get the roof water as far away from building. keep air moving if you can. try to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent.

Similiar problem at my building. it just wasnt built to be shut up all the time. gets way too hot and humid. I put in a solar powered fan to blow out hot air and going to do a couple more soon

 

[Big Block 88]

Do you have adequate drainage around the foundation? Sounds like water is getting under the foundation and working it's way up.

i would agree, it has excellent drainage system in it, and the roof water is routed about 20 feet away for now, my plan is to have the downspouts feed one of the ponds in the near future. Irun a criss cross of perifeal drains aswell but with all the moisture we've had it may not be enough

So should I keep a window cracked and run a fan all the time?? The buildings now adays are so air tight when they are closed up all the time it seems they make there own little enviroment/climate inside.

One very odd thing I have noticed is I have a buddies 71 chevy C10 in the shop awaiting restoration and it leaks oils and what not. Where ever there has been an oil spot the water just sits there, I am assumeing the oil is displacing the water???

 

[maxthis]

Your building is sweating...Do you have plastic under your roof metal and plastic under your concrete?....

 

[Smokum]

Your building is sweating...Do you have plastic under your roof metal and plastic under your concrete?....

This is exactly what I was going to say. The company I work for is a Wick Buildings dealer (post frame - comparable to Morton) and in a building like yours we always put a visquen vapor barrier down over the gravel before the concrete is poured to prevent this very thing. Please post if you do have a plastic barrier and I will try to figure out what else it could be. As for the ceiling, it would be sweating there and dripping down, so unless it is dripping, I wouldn't think that would be the problem.

If you don't have a plastic barrier, there are a few options:
1) Run a de-humidifier & ceiling fans
2) Seal your concrete w/ a clear sealer or put an epoxy coating over it\
3) Tear your concrete out and re-pour it (obviously last resort)

It sucks if there isnt a plastic barrier b/c if costs next to nothing to do and makes a world of difference.

Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

 

[JD Dave]

Our shop sweats on really humid days also. Our walls are steel cladded so it doesn't seem to cause much of a problem. We keep the door open on each end and let the wind blow through to keep it minimal.

 

[9W3-HD]

This is exactly what I was going to say. The company I work for is a Wick Buildings dealer (post frame - comparable to Morton) and in a building like yours we always put a visquen vapor barrier down over the gravel before the concrete is poured to prevent this very thing. Please post if you do have a plastic barrier and I will try to figure out what else it could be. As for the ceiling, it would be sweating there and dripping down, so unless it is dripping, I wouldn't think that would be the problem.

If you don't have a plastic barrier, there are a few options:
1) Run a de-humidifier & ceiling fans
2) Seal your concrete w/ a clear sealer or put an epoxy coating over it\
3) Tear your concrete out and re-pour it (obviously last resort)

It sucks if there isnt a plastic barrier b/c if costs next to nothing to do and makes a world of difference.

Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

Where do you get that stuff? Im thinking about putting up a Lester pole barn and that good info to know before hand.

 

[Big Block 88]

This is exactly what I was going to say. The company I work for is a Wick Buildings dealer (post frame - comparable to Morton) and in a building like yours we always put a visquen vapor barrier down over the gravel before the concrete is poured to prevent this very thing. Please post if you do have a plastic barrier and I will try to figure out what else it could be. As for the ceiling, it would be sweating there and dripping down, so unless it is dripping, I wouldn't think that would be the problem.

If you don't have a plastic barrier, there are a few options:
1) Run a de-humidifier & ceiling fans
2) Seal your concrete w/ a clear sealer or put an epoxy coating over it\
3) Tear your concrete out and re-pour it (obviously last resort)

It sucks if there isnt a plastic barrier b/c if costs next to nothing to do and makes a world of difference.




Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

Thanks for all the replies fellas, I do have a plastic barrier under the concrete it is 6" high impact double bar. The ceiling has 10" of insulation in it and is a finished metal skin. I am going to buy a couple smaller fans that can run 24/7 apposed to the big batards I run when I am up there, and see if it helps any.

 

[maxthis]

Hmmm.....I would say just got to open it up and get some air in it then. How often are you in there? If your not in there very often I can see where it would stay humid when you get some moisture in it. I don't have this problem in the summer but I do in the winter when I have my heater running. My floor will get soaked, but I don't run my heat 24/7 I just run it when I'm in there.

 

[Big Block 88]

Well with all the hay beeing cut I have not had much time for it Maybe once a week if I am lucky. But with dew points in the 70's and 80's I am going to assume and hope that is the issue

 

[496 BB]

I would use a Rhino Liner floor epoxy system and run it 6" up your walls too if they are finished. Of course it will have to be dry before doing but using some dehumidifiers will solve that. Id keep one in there anyways and run the hoses to a drain. Its just the nature of being humid outside and being hot in there. No breeze or cool air with less moisture to get inside and dry it out. Might want to look into gable mount exhaust fans also if applicable in your situation.

 

[Smokum]

Where do you get that stuff? Im thinking about putting up a Lester pole barn and that good info to know before hand.

I'm assuming you are asking about the plastic? You can pick that up almost anywhere - hradware store, lumber yard, Home Depot, Lowes, ect. You want to use the thicker stuff, as it is more durable.

 

[Smokum]

Thanks for all the replies fellas, I do have a plastic barrier under the concrete it is 6" high impact double bar. The ceiling has 10" of insulation in it and is a finished metal skin. I am going to buy a couple smaller fans that can run 24/7 apposed to the big batards I run when I am up there, and see if it helps any.

Glad to hear you have a plastic barrier. Those dew points are going to make things sweat. Like others have said, get the air moving if you can and a dehumidifier will help a bunch. If the problem persists after the dew points go away, you may have other problems. Guess you'll just have to see how it goes. Good luck. Hope everything works out.

 

[68skylark455]

Sam's Club here had some new solar powered attic fans that move air but use no electric power what so ever. I think they were for 1800sf so you may need 3 or 4 but that would move the air around and not cost you any electric. I would assume you would have to "fix" the thermostat setting to get them to blow more often

 

[msjdgman]

It sure seems like the humidity levels are the problem along with lack of interior ventilation. I`ve had more issues this spring than ever. I had been noticing lots of moisture on much of the cast iron but didn`t think too much of it until tonight when I went to use my loader tractor. It hadn`t been run for a couple of weeks while the heat and humidity was at it`s worst, and then tonight when I went to unload a new air compressor (my 30 yr old one crapped out on me the other night), the clutch wouldn`t release. It had siezed to the flywheel or pressure plate. I finally got it free, but I was sure starting to worry. That had never happened before!!

 

[seth999]

sounds like you need to let the building breath open it up somehow so air can circulate like attic type fans sounds like its sealed too tight...also if the concrete is sweating put down some dry lok paint