I have a detached heated garage built on a 4" concrete slab. The garage is mounted with a pressure treated bottom plate secured to the concrete with closed cell foam in between. The concrete slab is sitting well above the snow and doesn't have any standing water next to it yet the floor is soaking wet on the edges. Is this condensation from the hot moist air in the garage? How do I fix this moisture issue? Should I caulk the groove formed between the bottom plate, drywall and concrete?
Help: garage floor soaking wet
- Thread starter Petersa
- Start date
readhead
Well-known member
Pictures would help. Where do you live?
210Hardtop
Well-known member
I would guess the slab is colder at the perimeter and the warm moist air in the garage is condensing on the slab,
I would think insulate, on the exterior, with styrofoam vertically from above the slab down below grade.................about 24"
I would think insulate, on the exterior, with styrofoam vertically from above the slab down below grade.................about 24"
readhead
Well-known member
Knowing where you live I am with 210. Air circulation would help also. If you are parking wet cars that will add to the problem.
nonhog
Well-known member
Might try taping clear plastic to the floor. That will trap any moisture coming up from the slab. If its dry under the plastic and the area around is damp then its condensation. If its wet under plastic. Your screwed. Hope its condensation.
kert
Well-known member
Check under anything that is sitting on the floor; if it is dry the moisture is coming from the air. I've seen the floor in one of my buildings absolutely soaking wet when we have warm humid weather after an extended cold. If I move something that has been sitting on the floor (floor mat, trash can, anything) it is bone dry, so I know the cold concrete is just causing the moisture in the air to condense. My building is also well above grade on 3 sides, so there's pretty much no way for water to be coming from the ground unless there is a flood.
Nostraquedeo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2009
- Messages
- 501
My aunt was getting mositure through the slab from below. She has stem walls on three sides. On the back it is about three feet above grade. I drilled six 1/2" holes on the backside and the problem diminished a lot.
Oldbear
Well-known member
If he has moisture problems then epoxy wouldn't stick well.
I'm an hour north of Calgary. We've had very odd condensation problems this year too. The snow came early and hard. We haven't had an Chinooks to melt the accumulation either. Even my parents shop has some issues with this that they haven't had in the past 18 years since it was built.
You have some warm weather a few days ago; that mixed with no eave-troughs can make for a water problem.