Concrete floor sweating

[WadeT]

I have a 28x28 detached garage with no insulation (yet)in central Illinois. In the spring and fall it sweats like crazy to the point i have small puddles on the floor at times. What can I do to prevent this? I have a couple long cracks and settling in the floor that I am working on soon as I am thinking about a plywood floor as all i use my garage for is woodworking and boat building.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Wade

 

[budget76]

i have the same problem - seems to be condensation more than sweating due to temp shifts & humid days. Haven't come up with anything good yet.

I'd think covering it with plywood would just create a mold issue, but maybe it would help avoid the moisture entirely by acting as "insulation" between the air and concrete?

 

[Garage Flooring]

Start with a fan. Air movement is often the answer.

If you cover the floor use a good garage floor tile that allows moisture to work its way out

 

[Shea]

i have the same problem - seems to be condensation more than sweating due to temp shifts & humid days.

It's actually the same thing. Sweating of a garage floor is the result of condensation.

Justin's suggestion of a fan is a great way start the process of reducing or eliminating sweating. Interlocking garage tile is excellent as well.

This article helps to explain what sweating is and the different steps you can take to reduce or eliminate it depending on how bad it is. https://allgaragefloors.com/how-to-stop-sweating-garage-floor/

 

[CKS1955]

I use a ceiling fan.

Jay

 

[Showkey]

Call it the “ice tea effect”..........change the temperature of the floor or the humidity level in the air. Both are not practical in most situations and the condition will solve it self as the floor temperature moderates.

Same for your ice tea glass........drink warm tea on a humid day the the glass will not sweat.

Obviously insulation and sealing the building and heating the building will warm the floor.

You should measure the humidity levels in the building with no insulation and poor seal with high air exchange rate you have no chance of controlling sweating. Your at the mercy of the weather. There are dozens of post on this topic in the heat and AC section. Many are related to metal building which seem to be worse on having their own little climate zone in the building. Some so bad the roof rains droplets........

The last thing you want is a wet wood floor.

 

[WIHD]

I have a 28x28 detached garage with no insulation (yet)in central Illinois. In the spring and fall it sweats like crazy to the point i have small puddles on the floor at times. What can I do to prevent this? I have a couple long cracks and settling in the floor that I am working on soon as I am thinking about a plywood floor as all i use my garage for is woodworking and boat building.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Wade

i have the same problem - seems to be condensation more than sweating due to temp shifts & humid days. Haven't come up with anything good yet.

I'd think covering it with plywood would just create a mold issue, but maybe it would help avoid the moisture entirely by acting as "insulation" between the air and concrete?

did you install a vapor barrier under the slab when it was poured?

 

[WadeT]

did you install a vapor barrier under the slab when it was poured?

The garage was already built when we bought the home 9 years ago. I am not sure there is plastic under it or not. By guess is no since the previous homeowner poured it.

 

[firebirdparts]

The floor is staying the same temperature. It’s the air dew point that changes.

 

[Dagny]

If you blow humid air at a cold floor you will get more water . the only way to stop it is to make the slab warmer or reduce the amount of water in the air.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Only climate controlling the air inside will help. Warm, wet air contacting cold floors means wet floors. Reducing temperature swings with insulation will help a lot, but opening a door can result in suddenly wet floors in the right conditions.

 

[Tntundra13]

Is it just the slab that is sweating, or is everything in the garage sweating? I would imagine if the temp change was causing the issue everything in the garage would sweat (condensation of steel, concrete, etc). If there is no moisture barrier under the slab, and during the spring when it rains a lot the slab could wick/rise water to the surface. Couldn't you use a sealer on the slab?

 

[bad_idea]

Did any of you read the article Shea linked? It answered all of you all's questions and assumptions well. Also explained a simple test to identify the source of the condensation (soil or air).