Workshop Humidity

[Nigel Taylor]

I must admit that my tiny workshop 11 ft x 8ft inside dimensions struggles a bit with condensation.

the panoramic rather stretches it out

So, I use a small 150W tube heater with a thermostat set at around 7°C to limit the temperature drop. Plus I use a chemical dehumidifier. This keeps the humidity down and stops the worst of the rust.

I have avoided the electrical dehumidifiers based on the fact it will just take up more room. However, I was contacted by Alan with a measurement and control system that can switch a heater and a dehumidifier based on dewpoint measurements.

Hence I wondered what other techniques people use to reduce workshop humidity?

 

[Noho12C]

I bought a Meaco dehumidifier for my double-car garage. It has been working very well over the past year, keeping the humidity level at max 55% (i did reach 90% before).

Meaco dehumidifier

 

[Adam W.]

I built my workshop to house the gas boiler and I have central heating in it. Lucky really, as it gets proper brass monkey cold otherwise.

 

[clogs]

my old workshop was in the attached barn to the 17th century stone built converted water mill.....
draughty as hell and always damp......
all my machines, full set of Wadkin plus 2 metal lathes and 2 milling machines all got one of those old fashioned mains powered hand held inspection lights with an 11watt curly wirly bulb on 24x7 from Sept/Oct untill the last frost etc......all covered with old blankets an Duvet's....
never a rust problem and the lecky bill was not really noticable....
not hard to uncover a machine when needed....
also got sick of bining 15kg rolls of MIG welding wire each spring so the welder got the bulb treatment as well.....worked a treat.....
all the metal machines used a water /oil mixed coolant and still no rust....

 

[Fitzroy]

It's an interesting one as I live in what has to be one of the dampest places in the UK, Aberdeen. I have an outhouse which is so damp materials will go mouldy, however my shed/workshop has no issue with rust at all. The shed was built 5 yrs ago and is a raised wooden floor then a framed structure with house wrap, and a larch cladding rain screen.

My thoughts on why the two are different are:
- workshop has lots of timber in is so I think it acts rather like a cigar humidor perhaps?
- no concrete floor in the workshop which is where I think a lot of the moisture comes from in the out house.
- workshop has excellent rain protection so no penetrating damp.

I do feel that workshop moisture is more than just a temperature/environmental issue else both my unheated buildings would see similar behaviour. I'm trying to improve my outhouse at the moment and I'm thinking of a floating floor over a dpm to try to keep the moisture from the floor out.