Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › Humidity in new shop (new bow pics added)
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Just finished my new shop and the humidity meter is running thru the roof.
I’ve had the heat on and it’s still high.
Humidity had been high until I finally got all the snow leaks sealed. Then it started to drop.
When I started painting it went back up. Guess the paint introduced alot of moisture back into the air. After the paint dried (that took several days even with the heat on) the humidity started to go back down.
Over the weekend I put down the final finish floor (pressure treated plywood). It had been in the garage for several weeks. As usual it was dripping wet when I brought it home. I felt like screaming when I grabbed the first sheet and noticed it had ice on both sides. Still, I needed the shop finished and elected to go ahead and put it down.
Now the humidity is really running thru the roof. 70 degrees in the shop with 75% humidity. Feels like a sonna when you walk in.
I have the heat set at 70 degrees and even have a fan going to move the air around. The PT plywood is drying, but very slowly.
I’m open for any suggestions in the way of drying things out or a better way to bring the humidity down short of buying a dehumidifier.
I know my machines will rust like crazy if I put them in before the humidity reduces.
Troy
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Troy, any plant hire shops around you? Just rent a dehumidifier off them for a week and see if this will remove the introduced humidity from the timber/paint/etc. If things settle after that you’ve only had a small rental fee. But if it’s a longer term problem you may have to invest in one or look at an extraction system. Is there a general humidity issue in your neck of the woods?
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Wexbow wrote: Troy, any plant hire shops around you? Just rent a dehumidifier off them for a week and see if this will remove the introduced humidity from the timber/paint/etc. If things settle after that you’ve only had a small rental fee. But if it’s a longer term problem you may have to invest in one or look at an extraction system. Is there a general humidity issue in your neck of the woods?
Humidity is higher in this area than it was in MO, but nothing like it was in AL.
Hadn’t thought about checking into renting one. I did check on line and the local Menards (lumber box store) has a 30 pint dehumidifier for around $160.00.
Normally Spring and Fall are low to mid humidity. In the summer months we will have afew days of really high humidity, but those are often only a day or two at a time.
I’m going to give it till the weekend and if it doesn’t drop I guess I’ll be heading to town to buy one. I’ve got a bow to build and I wouldn’t even try glueing up the limbs the way it is now.
Troy
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I’ve hired dehumidifiers before when trying to get hardwall to dry during the winter months over here. Impossible task without one – R2 will explain 😆 I just mentioned renting as in my case it’s only a one off use and as soon as you buy it’ll depreciate so it’d need to earn its keep!
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I think what he’s sayin is I have some kinda problem with humidity! Or perhaps lack of it. Seems there’s a lot of water to cross between us. :lol::lol:
Around here Troy, you just leave the door open and the dust dries it all out for you.
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New construction takes 1-2 yrs to dry to normal levels. lot of moisture in building materials, even concrete takes quite while to cure and dry.
I would run fans, open up windows, doors, what have you, and circulate air, ESPECIALLY when the Relative Humidity is lower outside,exchange air, pay attention to temps as well, do not want to create condensation with extreme temp differences.
All heaters need to be vented outside, avoid at all costs unvented propane heaters, these will bring a lot of moisture into the air, creating more of a problem. The best is a wood burning stove, these will dry out areas the fastest.
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There would be nothing like a small wood or coal stove to dry things out. Even a pellet stove if you don’t mind buying pellets. They are a bit neater than the other stoves. Once you dry it out you’ll be adding water to the air to keep it moist enough. dwc
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Went out and checked things before lowering the heat for the night. Humidity was down to 67%.
We are supposed to get a brief drying and warming spell over the weekend. Temp are also supposed to rise to the 40’s with addition of some sunshine.
If things work out right I plan to install a small window fan that I will be mainly using in the warmer months for those few days and use it like a vent fan in the bathroom after a shower.
I wish there was a way to put some wood heat in the shop. Just can’t afford to do that right now. Funds have just about run out.
It’s not that big of a shop and the oil filled heater I’ve been useing has kept the temps a litle above 70 even with the days only reaching the low to mid 20’s.
Troy
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I second Northerners suggestion keep the air circulating, but nothing beets a BIG dehumidifier keep the temp up and let it work 24/7 until it stops sucking water.
Good luck with it Troy.
Mark.
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Just went to the shop to turn the heat back up. Before going out I checked the internet for local weather conditions.
Outside it’s 28 degrees with 76% relitive humidity.
Inside the shop it was 56 degrees and the humidity was 73% even with a fan helping to move the air.
Looks like I’m fighting a loosing battle without the dehumidifier until spring or warmer drier weather gets here.
Got to thinking late last night and buying a dehumidifier might not be a bad idea anyway. Once the Spring rains come I’ll be in the same boat again.
Troy
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Looks like the window fan may be helping. Temps went up to about 30 today so I turned up the heat and put the small window fan in. At 3:30 this afternoon the temp in the shop was 60 degrees and the humidity was down to 62%. Supposed to have more sun the rest of the week and slightly warmer temps. Hopefully by the weekend I can have the humidity low enough to move in equipment.
Troy
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Good luck on your problem Troy. I’ve been watching with interest and curiosity. Having never lived in humid country, only visited long enough to know you gotta be used to it (humidity)it’s an interesting topic for me.
In our semi-arid country here in the panhandle a day of 30% humidity is uncommon for most of the year. Negative dewpoints not unusual.
Anyway, I’m watching and good luck. Looks like your gaining.
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Everyone else has given you great ideas Troy, I will second the wood stove! You can go to a recycling center and find all the parts you need to build a good barrel stove for next to nothing, you just need a buddy with a tig welder and you are in business. There is also craig’s list and local papers, someone always has a wood burner to get rid of for a steal. The wood heat will suck moisture out of there like a sponge, and every shop I have had always produces a fair amount of fuel:) Your most expensive part will be the pipe and collar to go through your roof. Get the wood stove going and keep it glowing before you end up with a mold issue!! Very bad for your health, and you may have to replace material or your floor if it starts to grow black mold!! Vent to the outside is a must, but lots of dry dry heat man!
Good luck amigo,
J
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Shops not really big enough for a wood heater of any sort. It’s just 12’x24′.
I thought the window fan was doing great until I shut everything down for the night. At 5:00 it was still 60 degrees in the shop and the humidity had dropped to 60%. Went to the local diner to get something to eat and was gone about an hour. When I returned I walked into the shop, which was added to the back of the garage. I opened a door from the garage to the shop so I wouldn’t have to go outside if I needed anything that might be in the garage.
Anyway, one hour later and the humidity had raised from 60% to 65%. Looks like I’ll be heading to town in the morning to pick up a dehumidifier.
Not only do I have a bow to build, but I also have a few pieces of furniture to make. That and all my stock has been stacked in the garage all winter. So that means it need to be in a low humidity area for a couple weeks before I can start to use it.
Troy
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Troy Breeding wrote: Shops not really big enough for a wood heater of any sort. It’s just 12’x24′.
Troy,
I have a 12×16 shed/shop and put a mid sized camp stove in it to heat in the winter, on the rare occasions that it gets overly warm I just open the window and maybe crack the door a hair to regulate the temp. It has gotten easier for me to regulate the temps in the last 2 years since I put another shed the same size on the back of the original one with a door to close one off from the other.
But if your not really into burning wood for the mess there are some good gas heaters, like what they use in a fish shack, you just need to vent it out the wall. Plus a wall mounted heater would take up less room.
Good luck
Troy
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Decided this morning to go ahead and bit the bullet and purchase a dehumidifier.
Picked up a 30 pint model and had in operation by 10:00am
Just went out and checked everything before calling it a night.
Ten hours and the holding tank was full. Looks like the purchase was well worth it. I checked the humidity meter and the shop is down to 48%.
I’ll see how things look tomarrow morning. If the humidity remains low and tub isn’t full again by morning I’ll be able to start moving equipment in after lunch.
It sure felt alot different in the shop this evening. Warm and dry……:D
Troy
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Ben,
Trying something alittle different on this one. Going to use the limb style of the RMR bows I’ve built. I really like that limb design. Gonna try it with one of my older riser designs.
May be something that just looks goofy and want even work together, or it could be something that really pops!!!
I’ll post pics and the work progresses.
Troy
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Lefty?????:shock: What good would that do????:D I have enough trouble hitting the target right handed and when you have limited vision in the left eye as I do it’s best to stick to what seems to work best for now…..:?
Besides,,, that would make me have to remember to do every step in the riser building backwards…8)
Troy
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You will not regret the dehumidifier purchase. I needed one for my shop and I was amazed at the amount of water I dumped from the tank when I first used it.
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broadhead wrote: You will not regret the dehumidifier purchase. I needed one for my shop and I was amazed at the amount of water I dumped from the tank when I first used it.
Your exactly right on that. Today is the first day since cranking it up that I didn’t have to dump the catch tub before calling it a day and shutting down the shop for the night. Looks like I may have the humidity finally under control. Still going to run it afew hours a day until warm weather gets here. On rainy days I’ll most likely run it all day.
Troy
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You ask so here it is. Didn’t know if everything was going to work out right. One style limbs with another style riser. So far they are working out perfect. 55#@28″ and feels great in the hand. Still have alot of work to do, but hope to be able to shoot it one day later this week or the first of next.
Troy
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Troy –
Another Beautiful Bow !
I like the slim riser design – very “smooth”
Scout.
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Beautiful bow. Glad you were able to get the humidity under control.
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broadhead wrote: Beautiful bow. Glad you were able to get the humidity under control.
I ran the dehumidifier for four straight days before things started to settle down. Even thought one day that it was about to clear up and the next morning the machine was full. I’ve been able to average around 50% since then. I’d like to have it and the 30’s.
Still run it at night and most mornings I empty about a quart out of the machine. Days like today it will run all day. Rain and snow can in lastnight.
Hopefully when warm weather gets here I’ll only have to run it a day or two per week at most.
Troy
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