My Garage is Humid—What Do I Do?

Garages aren’t supposed to be perfect.  They aren’t meant to have supremely clean floors, pristinely kept cabinets, swept surfaces, and cobweb-free corners.  The garage fails to be as temperature-regulating as the main house, and humidity for homeowners in the warm south and even in four season states can feel the thickness of the air collect in what should be a cool getaway spot for hanging out or setting out on a new home project.

This car keeping, equipment storing, seasonal tool harboring room is designed for the buzz saw worthy projects, but most decidedly not for humid, sticky temperatures that hinder the potential of a homeowner’s greatest do-it-yourself work.  No matter where you live, here are a few foolproof ways to downplay the nasty humidity in your garage.

Get a Garage Dehumidifier

What’s the simplest answer to humidity?  A dehumidifier. There’s a reason why so many homeowners turn to dehumidifiers for their dark, damp basements, and it’s because dehumidifiers excel at leveling out the moisture in a room, making the air dry, warm, and allowing the environment to be free of excess water.  Humidity won’t only make your garage wildly uncomfortable, but it’ll also be a cause for mold growth.

For this fact, homeowners run dehumidifiers in rooms where mold can grow rampant, with the aid of a dark, damp, warm environment where it can spread and be a cause for health concern.

Run a dehumidifier when the air in your garage becomes thicker with moisture, as the humidity begins to set in. The sooner you take action, the less of a chance mold will have to take root.

Exhaust the Humidity Away

When humidity has become such a prevailing problem in your garage that it seems as if the air is thick with extra moisture, trapped within your garage’s four walls, and especially if you often try to make use of this space, then installing an exhaust fan might be the best solution for you. Yes, it’s not as simple as plugging in a dehumidifier and letting it do the work, but once the exhaust fan has been installed, it’ll be that simple!

Homeowners who have transformed their garage into a hangout space, a living area, a rec room, or a loft-style apartment, absolutely don’t want the old foe of humidity to ruin their hard work.

If this is the situation for you and you find that the upstairs of the garage traps humidity and heat, then installing an exhaust fan will help regulate the garage’s overall temperature. If the garage is attached, this will also help ensure that the humidity isn’t sneaking into the rest of your home, too.

Air Conditioner to Dehumidify Your Garage

Some homeowners are lucky enough to have air conditioners in their garages, and if you’re one of these folks, then it’s time to utilize the unit to help cool off your garage.  Or, if you plan on spending a decent amount of time in your garage, then buy a window air conditioning unit. These are relatively inexpensive and go on sale during off seasons.  Garage air conditioners can also help dehumidify your garage.

Some people don’t realize that air conditioners can actually reduce the levels of moisture in a room by evaporating it as they run, and the best perk about using the air conditioning unit to reduce humidity is that you’ll enjoy the coolness of the room.  Your garage air conditioner can make an otherwise stuffy room enjoyable.  Overall, it’s a win-win.

Ventilate Your Garage

Your garage may have few windows that should be opened to increase ventilation throughout the room, thus decreasing the levels of humidity.  Of course, many homeowners will turn their noses up to the idea of cracking open a cobweb-ridden window in their garage, only to let in critters and other debris. However, having much-needed airflow through your garage will immensely lower the humidity within it.

If you’ve taken up the suggestion of an exhaust vent, this will greatly assist in your garage’s ventilation, but if not, consider installing sturdy storm windows if you have windows in your garage.  Even opening blinds and letting in the sunlight will help evaporate excess moisture throughout the day.

Investigate Your Garage’s Drains and Plumbing

As a homeowner, you’re well aware that bad drainage problems can lead to a slew of bigger issues at hand, some you might not even consider—like humidity.  Leaky pipes, moisture escaping from a rogue washing machine or faucet, or a backed up storm drain can be the cause to blame for the air heavy with an unshakable wetness.

Take a look at all the places where water travels, the bends of the pipes, the source of the water, and any machines that utilize water hook-ups.  By ensuring that nothing is leaking, you can stop not only the humidity in your garage, but the potential growth of harmful mold, and the dreaded weakening and damage of your garage’s structural integrity.

Humid Garage: Tips and Tricks

Now that you’re outfitted with a few solutions to try for your humid garage, you’re looking at a cooler, much more bearable workspace in your future.  Keep in mind that chasing away the humidity may take a few solutions, and perhaps more than one at a time, or the solution could be just as simple as plugging in a dehumidifier or cracking open a window for a breeze.

Resolving the problem of a humid garage if it’s attached can also regulate the temperatures in the main house—and for a detached garage, you can expect to regain comfort over your space once again.

Detached garages are ideal for all four seasons. At Danley’s, we build garages that are capable of withstanding warm temperatures and humidity. We properly build garages to your needs to ensure that your garage stays cool in the summer. Speak to a specialist and get a free quote online today.