Moisture problem- new garage

[bigred292]

Just recently christened my garage with first indoor car wash. Washed my wifes car after kids went to bed- it was worth all of the hard work. I was like a little kid on Christmas morning.
I have radiant heat and it's kept at 58. I washed the car in cold water(haven't hooked up indoor H+C yet) I squeegeed the floor off as best I could.
The floor is bare concrete right now. I will be putting a urethane coating on in the spring.
The next morning I had major condensation in the garage. All interior glass was wet- it was like a jungle kind of heat. Is this normal? Should I open a window or a door up afterwards or leave them closed?
Kind of thinking that once I coat the floor it will be fine. Also should note that garage is insulated with living area above.
Don't want any mold problems to start off.
Thanks.

 

[BADSIX]

your going to need some ventilation mabe a fan in a window. you've got to get the moist air out, painting the floor isn't going to help. i would wash the car outside then move it inside to detail it. if you have to do it inside you may have to get a dehumidifier

 

[Gary S]

It is very basic. You can't pour all that water inside the garage without having excess water inside the garage. Wash your vehicles outside where it should be done. When it is too cold for that, go to a car wash and wash them there or leave them dirty.
Water in your garage is the worst enemy of your garage and its contents.

 

[pattenp]

I believe the main source of the moisture was the concrete. Unsealed concrete is like a sponge. Even though you squeegeed it off there was a lot of water already soaked in. I believe you'll see a difference once the concrete is sealed.

 

[KELLHAMMER]

Think of this way, all the moisture from the damp slab is evaporating and can't escape the heated garage. Moisture vapor is condensing on the cold surfaces such as a glass window. Just like a bathroom requires a fan to exhaust the humid air, So would your garage, until it reaches the proper humdity level. A dehumidifier is another way to reduce indoor moisture levels . Mold requires three things to support it's growth : moisture, oxygen and a food source. The best way to control the possible mold infestation is the control moisture or the humidity level. If the space is constantly damp then mold will be a serious issue

 

[Will67]

Is this a serious question, or where you dropped on your head? You washed a car inside your garage and are wondering why there is water still there?? Wow you are going to have a serious mold problem soon if you don't vent the heck out of it.

Mold needs three things to flourish
1) stagnant air
2) food source (basically anything with carbon)
3) moisture

Easiest to control is moisture

Good luck

 

[koditten]

You must have one tightly sealed garage. I have the radiant heat and never noticed any major moisture or humidity after washing a vehicle inside. I thought my place was sealed and super insulated, now I'm starting to wonder how tight my place is.

My floor is bone dry the next morning. What other said, the moisture has to go somewere. A bit of ventilation will help.

 

[LowKat]

ventilation is key
cross ventilation is best

 

[Falcon67]

It took my floor a week to dry after the etch and wash, and that was airing it out 3 of those days with temps in the 60s or better. So yes, your condensation issue would be expected. Bare concrete holds a LOT of water, more than you'd think.

 

[Jimmy_B]

I wash in the garage all the time. I heat with a Modine unit, concrete is not heated. I don't have a floor drain so I use a wet vac when I'm done and never had a problem. Maybe my garage is not so tight either.

 

[e-tek]

It's ALL about ventilation. A lot of guys don't know it, but if you bring in a wet or snow-covered car, it needs a lot of venting. I just hung a $40 box fan in the window and it's LOTS. It ***** air past the slightly loose garage door (this is in my 2-car attached) and dries stuff off very quickly. If your space is much tighter (like my shop is), then you'll need make-up air, which can be any vent on the opposite side. The 'right' way would be to have a wall fan, or in-duct fan through the wall, with a humidisat on it. I put humidisats in our bathrooms, works great in the small bathroom because there's enough mositure to trigger it, not so well in the big new bathroom though - too much space for the moisture to consensate at the switch. I need to get a bath fan with the humidistat built in, which would also be good in a garage.