Damp & musty garage

[blueman]

We have an attached 1 car garage which sits on a concrete slab.

The concrete slab is visibly damp (but no puddles) and the air is beginning to smell musty.

What is the best way to fix this?

- Keep garage door and/or windows open for several hours a day?

- Buy another humidifier? (we already use one in our basement and would rather not have to buy and operate another one in the garage?

- Do nothing and wait for cooler weather to come in the fall?

- Other suggestions?

Thanks

[Noozer]

Is the concrete sealed? If not, this could be moisture wicking up through the concrete.

This is the best way to make sure that it dries out, but won't solve the problem.

A humidifier PUTS moisture into the air. What you'd want is a DEhumidifier. This will dry the air and could help, but it doesn't solve the actual problem.

It might get worse with the cooler weather.

I'd try and dry the garage as best as possible and seal the concrete. After that I'd ensure that the drainage around the garage is good. You may need to trench around it and install a "french drain".

[LB]

Sealing the concrete sounds like putting a band aide on an infected wound. You need to find where the moisture is coming from.. If it happens even when it has not rained for a while then you may have underground water - or maybe just dew? Where do you live? Does rest of basement get damp?

LB

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Sounds like condensation. Especially if the house is air conditioned and cooling off the garage somewhat.

[blueman]

We have only had the house for 9 months now, but the basement and garage were completely dry this winter and spring despite record snow and rains (we are in the Northeast). Also we are up on a hill, so water drains down.

We only started having the problem the last couple of weeks when it suddenly turned hot and humid (with no rain by the way).

This makes me think that it is not a classical drainage or water problem, but really just do to cool basement/garage set against some very hot and muggy weather leading to condensation.

Does this make sense? Would this explain why the cool cement floor is feeling damp? Also, if it is condensation, would sealing help or not?

[blueman]

Interestingly house is not air conditioned but basement is probably 20 degrees colder than rest of house (great place to go down and cool off).

This plus the fact that the basement and garage were completely dry despite the record snows and rains of the past 6 months makes me believe it is just condensation.

So, how do you solve condensation?

- Will sealing work?

- Is ventillation/dehumification the only way?

Thanks

[LB]

Agreed it is condensation. Sealing sounds like a waste. I would try a couple of cheap 20" box fans on the floor to move air. Remember the closer to the ground the cooler it is (which is why grass has dew on it). De-humidifiers are expensive to buy and operate

LB