On Mon, 6 Jan 1997, Ross Overcash wrote:
> >> With weather like that put the top down and cruise. Seriously it sounds
> >> like a ventilation problem. If this is not a regularly occuring
>phenominone
> >> I suggest a ventilation fan. Don't know what tyype of roof you have
>(gable,
> >
> >> Ross Overcash, 74B, NAMGBR 2-1172, Ayer, MA.
> >
> >I have to disagree with Ross; I don't think a fan or more ventilation
> >would help much. It might very well make the problem worse. Somebody
> >else, forget who, nailed the cause IMHO. The car, tools, and masonry
> >surfaces in the garage are cold, and you have a sudden warm spell with
> >high humidity. The cold surfaces are below the temperature at which water
> >condenses from the air (the dew point), so everything is getting wet
> Ok Ray I see your point, and I certainly agree, but wouldn't ventilation
> with a gable or roof vent assist in equalizing the temperature and reduce
> the condensation? Since this is probably not a recurring problem (except
> during winters like this one) I thought the additional ventilation might be
> a less expensive way to go, but If I'm wrong I'm wrong.
>
> Ross Overcash, 74B, NAMGBR 2-1172, Ayer, MA.
I don't think you would be wrong to install extra ventilation as a
general rule. But I would include a door or something to allow you to
shut it off. If you bring a wet or snowy car into a garage, extra
ventilation should help keep the humidity from rising, help dry the
floor, etc., all good stuff.
I think the one situation that would be the exception is the one you
experienced--the garage floor, walls, and everything in the garage were
cold and the weather suddenly warmed up and became humid. About the only
thing you can do is try to warm up the car, walls, and floor as fast as
possible to prevent water condensing on the cold surfaces or dry out the
air. Letting more air in only replenishes the humid air inside, so
ventilation won't help much. I was probably wrong about fans--if you blow
a fan at the car, it might speed the warming of the car and help. If you
use the fan to exhaust air from the garage, it probably won't do any good,
because more humid air just comes in.
The best solutions for that particular climatic glitch, I think, are
shutting up the garage and running a dehumidifier until the car and
garage are dry, or warming up the car and garage so they don't condense
water out of the humid air.
Ray
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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