I have a question regarding humidity for you Mark.
Do you use a dehumidifier in the workshop and if so which one would you recommend. Or is there another way?
The garage I am in the process of converting into a workshop didn’t seem all that bad in the summer.
However now winter has arrived I purchased an Extech humidity meter and my garage had on occasion shown 93% RH
I have borrowed a dehumidifier and managed to reduce it to around 63% after a three of days. Which seems to raise slightly at night in the cold
I think the concrete floor is to blame as the water is being drawn from that so I am going to lay an insulated wooden floor. To match the insulated ceiling and walls
I know that RH should be around 40-50% ideally but will higher levels mean I cannot store the raw wood in there or even use it as a viable workshop?
I've just installed an oil heater see if that makes a difference.
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
Great Q - Thanks!
Yes it can be a bit of a nightmare in a draughty shed. In the middle of winter...in the UK...
If you do not have any 'proper' heating available then I believe that the best solution is usually a small dehumidifier and oil filled radiator combo.
Some Tips:
- If you crank the heating up the humidity will drop
- If you cannot sustain heating the whole room then you could consider making a smaller area or box for storage.
- Don't use gas heaters! They increase humidity...
- A vapour barrier will help control the moisture levels
- As much insulation as you can handle
but you don't need to go mad - I am pretty sure with your setup that you will be able to make the target relative humidity. Make sure to let us know how you get on when it gets up to temp.
I'd also like to know how everyone else deals with this? Please chip in!
Measure twice, cut once...
UPDATE
Ok two dehumidifiers going 24/7. One 2500Watt oil heater left about half way up on the thermostat, to keep the frost out over night.
So two days later at 9 am and the RH level is down to a steady 63% todays temp was 5.5C degrees
It was cold in there so ran a propane heater for 15 minutes. I know its advised not to but I wanted to see what happens when it get the temp up to around 11C
Well stopped the propane heater and the temp was around 12C but RH went up to 69% 20 minutes of the dehumidifiers running and we had RH 0f 55% and temp of 8-9C
Still have a wall to complete insulating/studding and the floor to do. Plus the garage door needs some form of insulation but think I can get within the correct levels 🙂
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
Most dehumidifiers don't work too well at low temps (below 12 is too cold really for them to be efficient)
My advice is to crank up the oil filled radiator a bit - at normal room temps the dehumidifiers will work a whole lot better.
If you are stuck with lower temps then you might want to look at 'Dessicant Dehumidifiers'
I'd love to see some pics! What are you going to do with the garage door?
Measure twice, cut once...
Yes I have read the dessicant ones are better for workshop/garages. didn't know about the temp reason though 😉
I will try and get some pics up to the thread but not sure how atm
I have already covered the new garage door in 50mm kingspan insulation. Building regs and all require it still to be a garage.
The old door will be replaced with a UPVC window and door but for now Ive ordered a foil lining kit to see what that does.
After I've finshed the right hand wall stud/insulation it will be the floor next so that's 25mm kingspan with P5 chipboard on top.
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
The problem with any gas burner is that water is produced in the combustion process so if you are trying to reduce the humidity this method of heating will be adding more humidity that your dehumidifier is likely to cope with. Electric heaters, preferably with a fan to circulate the warm air, combined with a dehumidifier will give you a much more controllable atmosphere.
Thanks Darren
Yes I know the propane heater is a no no. just needed to see if the RH level could get down to anything close to a working environment. Which it did so will continue with the insulation changes ( wall/floor/garage door) then try again.
Funny thing is if I leave the garage door open during the day the RH level drops a few % as well. So I think I will need to look at ventilation. I have untill late summer this year, when I've finished the second course with Mark, until it will be really used as a workshop. I'm still trying to get hold of a drum sander and a bandsaw 🙂
Can someone tell me how to put pictures up on the thread 🙁
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
Can someone tell me how to put pictures up on the thread
This might help:
Let me know if it is not working for you - there is a 'time delay spam filter' thingy that sometimes kicks in...
Measure twice, cut once...
That is looking great Mike. I need to do what you have done with the insulation, my garage is just cold and damp at the moment. I want to insulate it but I don’t know the first thing about products to use and the installation of it. The last thing I want to do is spend my time and money putting some in and then it all start falling to pieces because of a damp problem (I’ve got a feeling there may need to be some ventilation between brick and insulation).
Your pictures are great, I’m glad you got them uploaded.
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
Thanks John
I am by no means a builder just keen DIY er. Taken advice from some friends who are builders.
All the vertical 4x2 pieces are side on and battened 1"off the wall and have damp proof membrane on the inward side faceing the brick work. I then fixed it to the wall with a couple of plated screws used in PVCu fixings. The 50mm kingspan type insulation is cut exactly and pushed into the gaps before the plasterboard is fixed over it. Then the joints roughly plastered and just emulsioned. This creates a cavity type gap behind for airflow that also vents into the roof space. Hopefully that will stop damp. As you can see from the pics its a pain moving all the other stuff around whilst you work on one area but I'm slowly getting there. Maybe I need a shed 🙂
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
Blimey....... I wish..... ☹️
And here I am in my 2x3 meter shed.... Or in front of it.... Guitar building is mainly an outdoor activity for me!
Looking great ?
Measure once, cut straight away and maybe you're lucky......
Blimey....... I wish.....
And here I am in my 2x3 meter shed....
You were lucky!
When I were a young whipper-snapper my first workshop was a double decker bus ?
A 2x3 meter shed? - We dreamed of having a 2x3 meter shed!
We slept on t'floor and ate sawdust for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and we loved it...tell that t'youth of today...and they won't believe ya.
Measure twice, cut once...
I sense a Monty Python Song coming on. Never knew you were from't Yorkshire Mark 🙂
Trying to make a living out of a hobby doesn't work 🙂
Blimey....... I wish.....
And here I am in my 2x3 meter shed....
You were lucky!
When I were a young whipper-snapper my first workshop was a double decker bus ?
A 2x3 meter shed? - We dreamed of having a 2x3 meter shed!
We slept on t'floor and ate sawdust for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and we loved it...tell that t'youth of today...and they won't believe ya.
Sawdust?
Luxury!
I had to get up an hour before I went to bed to get my spot under t’big tree on t’village green. I worked all day with only cold water sandwiches to keep me goin’.
Aye! Them were days.
Double decker bus he sez! ?
Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸
I am from t'Netherlands.... Nuff said................
Measure once, cut straight away and maybe you're lucky......