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

"blueman" wrote in message
...
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.

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

What is the best way to fix this?
- Keep garage door and/or windows open for several hours a day?

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

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

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.

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

It might get worse with the cooler weather.

- Other suggestions?

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".

Noozer wrote:

"blueman" wrote in message
...
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.

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

What is the best way to fix this?
- Keep garage door and/or windows open for several hours a day?

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

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

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.

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

It might get worse with the cooler weather.

- Other suggestions?

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".

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

Address drainage around the garage and venting first, you do have the
roof vented I hope. Open a window. mustiness is mold, spraying bleach in
a garden sprayer is the easy way to kill it.

wrote in message ...

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

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

writes:
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

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?

"Edwin Pawlowski" writes:
wrote in message ...

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

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

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

blueman wrote:

writes:
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

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?

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