inspector71 Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Not technically a problem with a caterham but just as important. I have just had a detached single skinned garage built to house my C7 but have found a problem which needs to be solved ASAP. The garage seems to be very damp; the inside of the pitched roof is constantly dripping with water. I have checked for leaks in the roof but found nothing. The concrete base was installed with a damp proof membrane as has the single skinned brick walls. I open the garage doors at every opportunity to get some air flowing round it but still it persists. Has anyone got any ideas as to resolve this? Regards Peter *eek* *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Was any vents put around the soffit boards ? Sounds like the roof needs some ventilation as it appears that the air is condensing in the garage hence the large amounts of water. Solution would be to vent roof thereby allowing the moisture to circulate outside, if you still have problems then i suggest a de- humidifyer, mine runs 24hrs a day to combat moisture. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puremalt Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Condensation on the inside of the roof? Or you could move I can almost hear it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelw Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I had the same problem and bought a dehumidifier from B&Q for about £100 and no probs at all - must get around to plumbing it in though. It is very useful if the car is washed and put straight away as well. The only problem I may have is longevity though as it has been on for a year now and has started to sound a bit rough Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmmarsh Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 You say it has just been built - Does it have a concrete base, and how long has it been down? It takes at least a month in warm weather to dry out an inch of concrete - preferably two. There is a lot of water in liquid concrete! I agree that you need to get a dehumidifier (and empty it frequently) Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buda Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 concrete slab is probably still drying out, reckon on about 1" thickness /month, thats probably where the moistures coming from, ventilate it often, should settle down eventually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singlespeeder Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 Warm moist air from car hits cold surface(underside of roof)=condensation you need to insulate roof and provide some cross ventilation. Agree with comments about about concrete slab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfarrell Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 A really easy fix is simply put carpet on the floor - get a large 'end-of-roll' off cut (preferably not cream coloured!) this will have a massive effect on reducing condensation - works for me! - Will - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 I would go with a de-humidifier as well. I have had mine running every winter for the last 3 years with no problems. I would also consider lining the roof if you intend using the garage as a hideaway/workshop for yourself. I lined mine between the rafters with 100mm Rockwool faced with a reflective foil membrane. With the heating turned on it is nice and cosy and reflects all the light back down. Brent Zetec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight fart Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 If you have a dehumidifier in the garage keep an eye on it if the temp drops, mine froze solid last year. T.F@O.F. A7 RDP Pics here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 Definetly recommend a dehumidifier.. my garage didn't appear to be damp but the car did consistently rust when left in there. (depsite the oil fired boiler being in there..) Got a dehumidifer a few months back and it's pulling 2-3l/day of water out of there!!! it's got a drain hose to the outside now as I got fed up emptying it. Cheers Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrm Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 If the roof was lined with roofing felt and is unvented you will definately get this problem - either get some vents in the soffit boards or replace a couple of tiles on each side of the roof with vented ones (top and bottom to allow circulation). The roofing felt acts as a very good weather seal that encourages condensation to form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Bradley Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 And we have a dehumidifier in our conservatory - this was beginning to seriously rot. Problem solved, although the two cats, who sleep in there, are getting progressively dessicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector71 Posted December 2, 2003 Author Share Posted December 2, 2003 Thanks for all your suggestions, I have managed to "borrow" a dehumidifier from a neighbour. This will teach me for having the thing built late autumn/ early winter. Regards Peter AKA inspector71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wag Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 The single skin walls are laible to let a bit of dampness through. Not much you can do to stop that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrain Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 My solution is to use asingle (or sometimes 2, depending on the Rel Humidity) Glen 120w tubular heaters from B&Q (£15.98 each) placed under the car together with an indoor type car cover - cotton which breathes. The warmed air rises and vents through the bonnet vents and takes the moisture with it. For the price of running a light bulb - it works for me ❗ Large size viper& yellow 1.6 S/S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alicat Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 put a heater in and ventilate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan L Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 My garage is a typcial concrete prefab stand alone structure. Dampness had not really occured to me but did notice some condensation the other day. What sort of dehumidifiers are you guys using. The sort from from B&Q / Machine Mart? If so do you leave it running 24x7? Alan and his Yellow and Green BDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I use 2 of the B & Q types which drain directly to outside and run 24/7 from October through March. Each one takes between 2-3 L/day of water from the garage. In addition the garage is heated by a radiator connected to the main central heating system as the garage is attached to the house. I generally just keep this on low when I am not in the garage but then turn it up if I want to work out there so the 7 is kept warm & dry. 😬 Brent Zetec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector71 Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 Update, Neighbour wanted his dehumidifier back so I got one from B&Q (£80) after running this for a week and getting 2/3Ltr per day the garage is now perfectly dry!!! Car seats are totally dry and not damp at all. The roof has also dried out and all the water has gone from it !!! If I hadn't sorted this out last week I doubt I would have had much Caterham left for spring 2004. Definitely worth sorting out, Thanks again for all your suggestions. regards peter AKA inspector71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Beaumont Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 What sort of electrical running costs are you dehumidifying folks experiencing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 ISTR it's about the same as a fridge, ie not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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