The outside cement block wall sweats copious amounts of water in the old dairy barn I'm turning into a shop. Cold days with the heat on. Is there a type of insulation I could attach to the wall to stop this? Thanks for any help. To clarify the water is forming on the inside of the wall and running down onto the floor.
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cement block wall sweating
- Thread starter shopkook
- Start date
nehog
Well-known member
What are you heating this space with? Possibly you have too much humidity in the air (unvented gas heat?)
Do you plan to sheetrock it? If so, studs, fiberglass and sheetrock with a vapor barrier should help. No sheetrock? I'd go with rigid foam perhaps?
Do you plan to sheetrock it? If so, studs, fiberglass and sheetrock with a vapor barrier should help. No sheetrock? I'd go with rigid foam perhaps?
BetterDays
Well-known member
How to reduce the humidity if using a tank top propane heater?
Heating with a ventless propane heater..
Get rid of that and I'll bet the problem lessens
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Lots of moisture in propane and with it being ventless you are adding a lot in there.
BetterDays
Well-known member
Cheap dehumidifier then?
70redbee
Well-known member
Get some air circulating in there with fresh air and an exhaust to the outside. After it is good and dry you can put some paint made for block or concrete on the walls. Your friend is going to be the air moving.
dlewis
Well-known member
Had the same problem I have half block half wood walls and was using a propane convection heater to work inside finishing the interior once I hung up my 45,000 vented heater the problem with the walls sweating went away.
HoosierBuddy
Well-known member
I 100% agree that your ventless heater is most, if not all of, the problem. The products of combustion of gas are CO2 and H2O. You're pumping all of that water into the air and it's condensing on any surface it can find that is colder than the dew point.
NOW...I have had a problem with an office area (old construction) where they firred out block walls and just drywalled over the firring strips with no insulation. The drywall had a lot of problems because of excessive moisture. The ultimate fix was add 2" of polystyrene on the wall's exterior and then cover that in metal siding. That worked because it allowed the interior surface of the wall to stay above the dew point temperature, so water didn't condense on it.
The idea to use a dehumidifier seems wrong to me. Use an appliance that makes the humidity sky high and then use another appliance to try to fix the humidity? If you get the right applinace to heat with, you won't have the problem to begin with.
I like ventless heaters as occaisional or backup heat. I wouldn't recommend them ever for the sole source of heat.
Phil
NOW...I have had a problem with an office area (old construction) where they firred out block walls and just drywalled over the firring strips with no insulation. The drywall had a lot of problems because of excessive moisture. The ultimate fix was add 2" of polystyrene on the wall's exterior and then cover that in metal siding. That worked because it allowed the interior surface of the wall to stay above the dew point temperature, so water didn't condense on it.
The idea to use a dehumidifier seems wrong to me. Use an appliance that makes the humidity sky high and then use another appliance to try to fix the humidity? If you get the right applinace to heat with, you won't have the problem to begin with.
I like ventless heaters as occaisional or backup heat. I wouldn't recommend them ever for the sole source of heat.
Phil
mpraddict
Well-known member
If it's exposed block, you're losing a LOT of heat through that wall. If you do decide to insulate, go with rigid insulation. Block is very porous and will allow water through from the outside as well. If you put up furring and fiberglass, you'll end up with a wall that holds the moisture.