Wet Floor In the Spring

[11555wally]

Damp Floor in the spring
I have a 26 x 32 metal pole barn with about 6" of insulation in the ceiling as well as 1" foam panels for the ceiling. Only have about 2" of insultation in the sidewalls. My problem is in the spring when the first few day of warmer weather come the floor get very damp. All of my tools and the bottom of my car are just covered in water. I just read in an old car magazine that if you don't have a vapor barrier under the concrete (I don't) consider a urethane or epoxy coating on the floor to stop the condensation. Will this help with the problem? What products are available? Thanks in advance for any advice
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Below is an update to a post I made last year (see above) regarding the condensation problem in my pole building.

As was suggested in some of the answers to my question in the Flooring Section I installed a 48" ceiling fan and run it on low speed with one small window open when the temperature gets above freezing. Recently I bought a used 70 pint dehumidifier on Craigslist and use that in the barn when it is over 45 degrees. I am pleased to say that I have not had any condensation problems at all this spring. On some days I do empty the dehumidifier once or twice. I should say that the barn is not insulated real well nor is the building sealed up tight. I have fought this problem for many years but think I have found a solution. Thought this might give others some ideas with the same problem

 

[finn]

It’s sweating because the concrete temperature is below the dew point of the air.

A vapor barrier wouldn’t help your situation.

All you can do is heat the slab so it’s above the dew point or reduce the relative humidity of the air.

 

[Corvair]

I used to have season tickets to the Boston Bruins. This was (probably still is) a big problem up in the balcony at TD Garden. During the playoffs in springtime I saw more than a few people slip and fall on the wet concrete steps. Not good! I was shocked they never did anything about it over the 7-8 years I had the tickets. Even some sort of grip/grit paint would've helped.

 

[Janda21]

It’s sweating because the concrete temperature is below the dew point of the air.

A vapor barrier wouldn’t help your situation.

All you can do is heat the slab so it’s above the dew point or reduce the relative humidity of the air.

+1

 

[11555wally]

Well fortunately I think the problem is resolved with the fan primarily and the dehumidifier.

 

[finn]

All the fan is doing is blowing warm air over the concrete surface, which speeds bringing the slab temperature up.

No magic, the slab surface is now above the dew point . Dehumidifier raises the dew point of the room air by reducing ambient humidity.

If you shut the fan off, the mass of the slab will tend to lower the surface temperature once again, until the slab approaches equilibrium with the summer air temperature.

I have a slab that sweats well into July, but is fine after that.

 

[11555wally]

I think mine has sweated sometime in the summer as well. I'm about 300 miles south of you. I know at times I have taken a 36" squeegee to get the water out of the barn. Anything made out of metal really gets wet. I think the problem is solved somewhat now.

 

[TractorJeff]

Open the Windows!
I shut the heat off as I was leaving the garage door open more often, got a couple of cold nights in a row, then found the floor wet Saturday. Thought about it for a while, then opened the windows, next day the floor was dry again!
Natures De-humidifier and Fan!

 

[Ballarin]

Hello. I also think that the dehumidifier solves this problem, I constantly had moisture in the garage and basement. Moreover, the problem was both in winter and in the warm season, various factors affect the appearance of moisture. Now I use a homeLabs Dehumidifier 30 Pint has 0.8 gallon water tank https://whatever-tech.com/homelabs-dehumidifiers-reviews/. It is able to work 24 hours, but at the same time it saves energy as it turns off when the required humidity is reached. The dimensions are approximately 15.2 inches wide, 10.2 inches deep and 19.7 inches high and easy to move.