Can you eliminate too much humidity inside a garage?

"I love stepping into my garage for some DIY or a session at our home gym to hot and humid air," said NO ONE, ever! Whether you find your garage is hot and humid or cool and damp, neither is healthy nor inviting. And while you dislike it, the interior also suffers mold, mildew, rust and corrosion. And whether you live in an area with cold, wet winters or hot and humid stretches, it is all the same. So, here are some tips to reduce humidity in your garage all year round.

Find the source of your humidity conditions

Below is a list of the most common sources of high levels of garage humidity:

• You have a floor drain with a catch basin. It should be cleaned of sand, stones and debris regularly, but it will remain a source of humidity and possibly odors from standing water.
• You park your car in winter in the garage. Snow accumulates in the wheel wells and the underside of your car. The same is true in the summer if you bring your car in the garage after a heavy rain.
• You keep cardboard boxes filled with things that you no longer use. Cardboard accumulates moisture and odors. Use plastic storage bins.
• Your garage floor is sealed with an epoxy paint.
• You keep various types of liquid in containers.
• You have installed your washer and/or dryer in the garage. Make sure the dryer's exhaust hose and dryer vent are working properly and are not obstructed.
• You store firewood there. Logs can contain a lot of moisture.
• Your garage door isn't insulated or insufficiently weathertight.
• Your garage isn't insulated.

As you read that you might think, "Darn it, I've got like three sources for humidity." The good news is that when you have determined your sources of humidity, you can start to remedy them. Begin by measuring just how damp it is in there a hygrometer in the garage for 24 hours. While you won't ever get levels as low as inside the house, you'll at least understand the scope of the issue.

You can leave a hygrometer in place to consistently check the humidity levels inside your insulated and weathertight garage. You can also use windows as a visual gauge. If you see ice or condensation inside of a window, this is a key indicator that it is a bit too humid in the garage.

How to decrease the humidity

As we get started working on this issue, it's important to know that there are two basic elements that need to be in place if you want to adequately resolve your humidity problem. They are:

• Your garage should be insulated – It is almost impossible to reduce or simply maintain comfortable and acceptable humidity levels without insulation. If you live in a cooler geographic area, heating your garage at the lowest possible cost (often using wood heating), is an ideal approach.
• The second element is your garage door, really your "fourth wall" – Thinking of it as a well helps you to see the importance of ensuring it is insulated and properly weathertight. That means the door should offer a thermal resistance factor of at least R‑12, be filled with polyurethane foam injected between the door walls, and have fully functional weather seals. The latter should include exterior perimeter weatherstripping that overlaps the sides and the head of the door by at least 1 ½ inches. The weatherstripping must also prevent rainwater from getting into the garage, and the threshold of the door correctly must slope towards the outside of the garage. The goal is to identify possible entry points for humidity, both in summer and in winter.

Once you understand these issues, and the need to use only an insulated garage door, you'll begin to gain more control over humidity and comfort levels inside of the garage. You can then take further steps, such as those outlined below (NOTE: But ONLY if the garage door is insulated).

For those who don't spend a lot of time in the garage, you can use a simple aeration technique:

• About 45 minutes before you need to use the space, shut off the heat and open your garage door an inch or two.
• Open doors and windows in the garage to create air flow.
• Place a pedestal fan in the door area to further pull air out of the space.

Take those simple steps and the garage will be more comfortable.

A short‑term option is the installation of a home dehumidifier. You will need to run this at maximum levels for at least a full day to lower the humidity by 5 to 8 degrees.

A long‑term measure for those who spend a lot of time in their garages is the use of commercial dehumidifiers. They integrate within an existing heating system and vary in size and capability.

You can purchase a device, 9 x 6 ½ x 4 in. to vent humidity out of the garage via a duct in the wall.

There are also door vents that don't work so well at moving humidity or controlling it, but which do eliminate odors and smells.

Are you ready to upgrade the garage door?

If reading this has inspired you to get an insulated door, and you are in the Sault Fredericton area, just contact us today. We can be reached toll‑free at 1-877-968-8075. Let us know about your situation, and how you use your garage. We will steer you towards the right choices for your budget.

We are glad to email you a quotation, meet you at our showroom, or allow you to use our Design Centre with its image gallery for inspiration and an introduction to the many garage door styles.