Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.

Its got solid clay single brick walls (quite porous), a concrete slab floor
and a metal deck roof. I've lined the roof with 50mm polystyrene sheets,
mainly for summer insulation.

I've fitted a ventilation fan which runs for from midday till 4pm each day
to try and change out the damp air.

Over winter our nights get down to 5C / 40F and in the mornings there are
drops of condensation on the roofing beams. Its pretty damp with the
humidity often around 80%. Any paperwork in the workshop goes limp with the
moisture.


I think quite a bit of moisture is coming through the walls. The bricks are
quite porous, you can hose water on them and most of it gets absorbed into
the bricks.

I'm thinking of sealing the brick walls using a paving sealer which
according to the blurb will soak into the bricks and form a waterproof
barrier.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with 5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?

Thanks
K.


PS: it seems that dehumidifiers are commonly used in the US/UK. These are
uncommon here is Australia and the power costs concern me.

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:16:45 +0800, "kelly" wrote:

Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with 5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?


I used Bondcrete on the Hardiplank walls of my old house in
Golden Bay, worked for me.

Where are you ?

Alan

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:16:45 +0800, "kelly" wrote:

Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with 5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?


I used Bondcrete on the Hardiplank walls of my old house in
Golden Bay, worked for me.

Where are you ?

Alan


Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. I'm in Perth. So putting the bondcrete on the
Hardiplank seemed to stop the moisture getting in? Sounds like I might be on
the right track.

cheers
k.

On Jul 12, 5:16*am, "kelly" wrote:
Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.

Its got solid clay single brick walls (quite porous), a concrete slab floor
and a metal deck roof. I've lined the roof with 50mm polystyrene sheets,
mainly for summer insulation.

I've fitted a ventilation fan which runs for from midday till 4pm each day
to try and change out the damp air.

Over winter our nights get down to 5C / 40F and in the mornings there are
drops of condensation on the roofing beams. Its pretty damp with the
humidity often around 80%. Any paperwork in the workshop goes limp with the
moisture.

I think quite a bit of moisture is coming through the walls. The bricks are
quite porous, you can hose water on them and most of it gets absorbed into
the bricks.

I'm thinking of sealing the brick walls using a paving sealer which
according to the blurb will soak into the bricks and form a waterproof
barrier.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with 5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?

Thanks
K.

PS: it seems that dehumidifiers are commonly used in the US/UK. These are
uncommon here is Australia and the power costs concern me.

I've used a product called "Drylok" availabe in the US at HomeDepot.
What you have may be similar. It sounds like you have a really
extreme case though. I wonder if you cut a hole through your slab and
dug a pit, how much water you could collect in the hole. If you got a
bit of it you could pump it away from the building. I would suspect
that it's coming through the floor, but that's from my own
experience. I'd probably be running the ventilation fan all day, but
maybe you're concerned with your electrical budget.

"kelly" wrote in message
. au...

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:16:45 +0800, "kelly"
wrote:

Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with
5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?


I used Bondcrete on the Hardiplank walls of my old house in
Golden Bay, worked for me.

Where are you ?

Alan


Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. I'm in Perth. So putting the
bondcrete on the Hardiplank seemed to stop the moisture getting in?
Sounds like I might be on the right track.

cheers
k.

Kelly:

I have something on another computer which can be had later for you
dealing with
brick and mortar chimneys.

But there are other questions. What is the exterior exposure and
siting of your shop?
Is it basement level? Do you have an exterior drainage setup of any
kind? If there is any
earth -to-wall contact where moisture is trapped, there are other
procedures you would wisely
take before any interior approach.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

"Denis G." wrote in
:

snip
I wonder if you cut a hole through your slab and
dug a pit, how much water you could collect in the hole. If you got a
bit of it you could pump it away from the building. I would suspect
that it's coming through the floor, but that's from my own
experience.

I'd agree on the floor, especially if the soil is clay or something else
prone to hydrostatic pressure.
Try taping a couple foot square of some polyethylene vapour barrier plastic
to the floor for a couple days. If it's got condensation on the underside
then moisture is coming through the slab. Do the same test on your walls
to rule them out.

On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:12:45 GMT, Charles U Farley
wrote:

"Denis G." wrote in
:

snip
I wonder if you cut a hole through your slab and
dug a pit, how much water you could collect in the hole. If you got a
bit of it you could pump it away from the building. I would suspect
that it's coming through the floor, but that's from my own
experience.

I'd agree on the floor, especially if the soil is clay or something else
prone to hydrostatic pressure.
Try taping a couple foot square of some polyethylene vapour barrier plastic
to the floor for a couple days. If it's got condensation on the underside
then moisture is coming through the slab. Do the same test on your walls
to rule them out.

And if it is, forget about sealing it until the underlying problem is
fixed. 15 yrs. ago or so at work, I had a very expensive high build
epoxy floor poured in a lab I built in an old warehouse. The floor
was about 5 ft. above grade. Nevertheless, the coating failed for the
same reason, moisture (or something) coming up through the floor. pH
was about 11 or so, whether from the concrete or something else, I
never found out.

Pete Keillor

"Edward Hennessey" wrote in message
news

"kelly" wrote in message
. au...

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:16:45 +0800, "kelly" wrote:

Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre with 5 -
10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?


I used Bondcrete on the Hardiplank walls of my old house in
Golden Bay, worked for me.

Where are you ?

Alan


Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. I'm in Perth. So putting the bondcrete on
the Hardiplank seemed to stop the moisture getting in? Sounds like I
might be on the right track.

cheers
k.

Kelly:

I have something on another computer which can be had later for you
dealing with
brick and mortar chimneys.

But there are other questions. What is the exterior exposure and siting of
your shop?
Is it basement level? Do you have an exterior drainage setup of any kind?
If there is any
earth -to-wall contact where moisture is trapped, there are other
procedures you would wisely
take before any interior approach.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey





Hi Edward, its ground level, no drainage problems etc. All of that is pretty
much ok.

"Pete Keillor" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:12:45 GMT, Charles U Farley
wrote:

"Denis G." wrote in
:

snip
I wonder if you cut a hole through your slab and
dug a pit, how much water you could collect in the hole. If you got a
bit of it you could pump it away from the building. I would suspect
that it's coming through the floor, but that's from my own
experience.

I'd agree on the floor, especially if the soil is clay or something else
prone to hydrostatic pressure.
Try taping a couple foot square of some polyethylene vapour barrier
plastic
to the floor for a couple days. If it's got condensation on the underside
then moisture is coming through the slab. Do the same test on your walls
to rule them out.

And if it is, forget about sealing it until the underlying problem is
fixed. 15 yrs. ago or so at work, I had a very expensive high build
epoxy floor poured in a lab I built in an old warehouse. The floor
was about 5 ft. above grade. Nevertheless, the coating failed for the
same reason, moisture (or something) coming up through the floor. pH
was about 11 or so, whether from the concrete or something else, I
never found out.

Pete Keillor

I'm pretty sure the floor is fine. Its been sealed with Bondcrete and then
later painted with paving paint. This hasn't bubbled or anything.

I run the fan during the afternoon when the humidity is typically lowest to
try to "dry" the insides of the workshop.

"kelly" wrote in message
...

"Edward Hennessey" wrote in message
news

"kelly" wrote in message
. au...

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:16:45 +0800, "kelly"
wrote:

Guys, I've got a 30' x 15' workshop with moisture problems.
This is one of the products I'm looking at, around AU$10/litre
with 5 - 10
m^2 coverage.

http://www.bondall.com/_webapp_5279/..._FINISH_SEALER

Have any of you tried a similar treatment?


I used Bondcrete on the Hardiplank walls of my old house in
Golden Bay, worked for me.

Where are you ?

Alan


Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. I'm in Perth. So putting the
bondcrete on the Hardiplank seemed to stop the moisture getting
in? Sounds like I might be on the right track.

cheers
k.

Kelly:

I have something on another computer which can be had later for you
dealing with
brick and mortar chimneys.

But there are other questions. What is the exterior exposure and
siting of your shop?
Is it basement level? Do you have an exterior drainage setup of any
kind? If there is any
earth -to-wall contact where moisture is trapped, there are other
procedures you would wisely
take before any interior approach.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey





Hi Edward, its ground level, no drainage problems etc. All of that
is pretty much ok.


Kelly:

Youire in the antipodes. My references are all American. If you have a
suitable international calling
service or Skype, calls across the distance can be cheap. Privately
email me after decoding the
posted address and I can later dispatch a larger file, the chemical
conclusion of which is you might
want to focus on silane-siloxane compounds either mixed or separately.
Many of the formulations
are named in said file and the manufacturer's names and numbers given
for contact and reference to
distributors that may be out your way.

A URL you will want to see is:
www.gobrick.com/BIA/technotes/TN6A.pdf

A basic approach would be to attack the problem at the entry point
instead of its exit: you need
to figure where the water is coming in and address that surface
because water traveling through
brick/mortar will deteriorate the wall. If your mortar is failing or
the brick spalling/deteriorating/
cracking, you have that as a fundamental problem. Mortar repointing is
the straightforward remedy
for mortar problems. And I must insure you it is a time-devouring and
filthy job when carried across
a large surface. Files and personal experience can advise on that.

Good on ya and let me know.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey