The dreaded storage lurgy...Condensation

Noobie

Noobie

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We seem to love our bikes to a point we seek to protect them. Whether it be bikes in the house, a heated garage, a garage that is just that, a shed or outdoors but under a cover of some kind.

In some situations condensation not only causes rust and discolouration but also electrical woes. So describe where your bikes live and if condensation is/has been a problem for you, what have you done to remove/stop it or treat the bike to give it a fighting chance?
 
When I built my bike shed I built it from timber with a breathable membrane so I’ve a 4x2 framed structure, 6mm ply on the inside, 28mm OSB boards on the outside, wrapped in a breathable waterproof membrane, 1” uprights screwed to that (outside) then shiplap cladding on that. It’s been 2 years standing now and not a spot of condensation inside and I live in what, at times, can be a very damp & humid environment.

Even my bike clothing & helmets live in there, although admittedly I do have a small 40w heater at the bottom of the wardrobe I built for them which is turned on in the winter months.

Wherever the stuff is stored needs to breath. Timber does that really well IME.
 
High end Classic Cars worth several £million are stored at 50% Relative Humidity as an ideal (not too dry and not too wet) so I have always targeted this.

Front garage: brick, air gap under front up and over door / no windows. Relative Humidity in winter about 60%

Rear Garage - Log Cabin structure with 100mm thick walls Relative Humidity around 50% I've had bare mild steel in there for 10 years with no rust at all.

In the house at 19 degrees C all winter, oak flooring, relative humidity around 50%
 
Exige said:
High end Classic Cars worth several £million are stored at 50% Relative Humidity as an ideal (not too dry and not too wet) so I have always targeted this.

Front garage: brick, air gap under front up and over door / no windows. Relative Humidity in winter about 60%

Rear Garage - Log Cabin structure with 100mm thick walls Relative Humidity around 50% I've had bare mild steel in there for 10 years with no rust at all.

In the house at 19 degrees C all winter, oak flooring, relative humidity around 50%
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Any heating in the garages, or just solar gain?
 
Darkness said:
Any heating in the garages, or just solar gain?
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No heating (infra red heaters for when I'm in the Rear Garage), but I bring anything I'm playing with into the Kitchen when it's cold.
 
My garage is situated under my mum's flat so it's like a batcave and it's all concrete and i did used to get a lot of damp at the back of the garage because being it under ground level it would make things go moldy, as i found out once with one of my lids, it got so moldy i had to chuck it, i have since sealed the back wall with proper anti damp protection so no more issues but it get's fucking cold in the winter but lovely and cool to work in during summer.
It's massive and you can comfortably get two cars in there and a few bikes (y).

1608302980921.png
 
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Mines just a rendered block garage no heating and I’m afraid damp but it has to do.
Never really had any issues to be honest.
My 1299 used to sit in there covered up over winter and no problem.
The Panzer is going to be used all year round as long as it’s not snowing but I use ACF50 to keep corrosion at bay.
 
Basically if you've a condensation problem the room's walls, floor and/or roof are colder than the air.
Solve that it issue.
Insulate all and put in a heat source; even a Lithium battery if you like.
www.building-supplies-online.co.uk

SuperFOIL SF40 Multi-Layer Foil Insulation 1.5m x 10m Roll (15m2)

SuperFOIL SF40 Multi-Layer Foil Insulation 1.5m x 10m Roll (15m2) SuperFOIL SF40 has radiant reflective properties, reflecting unwanted heat from solar gain...
www.building-supplies-online.co.uk www.building-supplies-online.co.uk
The Silver foils stapled over battens make a good cheap, space saving insulation
Keep an air gap at the back.
I've seen people stick ground sheet to the inside of wood and rot a shed from inside out.

1608306137715.png

Jablite with green flooring for the floor.
Free standing shelves to avoid penetrating the foil.
Use Silver foil tape on all the joints...


Note you will loose all Wifi and Mobile reception.... unless you are facing the router / mast via a window.
 
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AirCon said:
Note you will loose all Wifi and Mobile reception.... unless you are facing the router / mast via a window.
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Gaaaaah - until I read that, I'd completely forgotten about some of the insulation that I put in the loft, and consequently the reason why my mesh WiFi device doesn't operate particularly well in the loft.. Damn you Michael Faraday! 🤬

AirCon said:
Basically if you've a condensation problem the room's walls, floor and/or roof are colder than the air.
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Good advice. In my workshop, I have good ventilation, and the floor is concrete (with epoxy paint). On particularly cold days in winter, there is a definite floor condensation issue. Around the bike bench, I've got rubber interlocking mats. I don't think I can fully insulate the floor without creating a false floor, but if I were to extend the mats (or something similar) across the entire concrete floor of the workshop, would that solve the problem? (by eliminating the air/concrete boundary, and providing some level of insulation between the concrete and the air) - or would it likely cause some other problem..
 
hindsight said:
Gaaaaah - until I read that, I'd completely forgotten about some of the insulation that I put in the loft, and consequently the reason why my mesh WiFi device doesn't operate particularly well in the loft.. Damn you Michael Faraday! 🤬


Good advice. In my workshop, I have good ventilation, and the floor is concrete (with epoxy paint). On particularly cold days in winter, there is a definite floor condensation issue. Around the bike bench, I've got rubber interlocking mats. I don't think I can fully insulate the floor without creating a false floor, but if I were to extend the mats (or something similar) across the entire concrete floor of the workshop, would that solve the problem? (by eliminating the air/concrete boundary, and providing some level of insulation between the concrete and the air) - or would it likely cause some other problem..
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Completely covering the cold floor would be better, but even better would be 2" of jablite covered in strong wood.
 
AirCon said:
Meaning the air and the barn are the same temperature. .. hence no condensation.
You will be at the mercy of atmospheric humidity...
And isn't getting yer junk out in public just called dogging?
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I’m no stranger to a bit of dogging 😂 don’t knock it til you’ve tried it
 
My garage is built from breeze block and with an asbestos roof. It used to be dreadful for damp in the winter. Condensation would freeze on the underside of the asbestos then drip over everything as it thawed. Around 5 years ago I had a new corrugated aluminium sheet roof fitted over the asbestos with 50mm of insulation in between. It has transformed the garage and I now have no problems with damp at all.
 
Gimlet said:
Three things ye should know about stopping condensation: Air Conditioning, insulation and ventilation.
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CTFY

Ventilation only works if the items / surfaces contained within are warmer or the same temperature as the air you are ventilating with.
 
Exige said:
High end Classic Cars worth several £million are stored at 50% Relative Humidity as an ideal (not too dry and not too wet) so I have always targeted this.

Front garage: brick, air gap under front up and over door / no windows. Relative Humidity in winter about 60%

Rear Garage - Log Cabin structure with 100mm thick walls Relative Humidity around 50% I've had bare mild steel in there for 10 years with no rust at all.

In the house at 19 degrees C all winter, oak flooring, relative humidity around 50%
Click to expand...
Damn you and your statistics. You have just made me buy a hygrometer so I can check my garage. Not got a problem but curiosity gets the better of me (again). 🙂
 
bridgland said:
I posted these photos on my intro thread, as someone mentioned that I did the shed specifically for the bike, which is true. The shed is foil bubble wrap lined and then panelled on the inside. It stays at 12 degrees C minimum all year round, plus I do my 3D printing of parts up there too, which helps keep the warmth going.

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Some 25mm Kingspan between the wood is the only extra I'd have done.🙂


... plus AC in place of the heater...😇

And what model of Ducati is that....?:unsure::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::coffee::giggle:
 
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