Moldy garage

Big Chris · 15 Dec 2019 at 06:58

Bought a new build with separate garage, built in 2016 and we're the first occupants. Over winter, certain things in the garage go moldy, very moldy. Bags of children's clothes, shoes in boxes, a children's car seat and now the plywood shelves on my new shelving unit to name a few. See pics below, that green/grey furry looking stuff on the shelf-tops is all mold.

I have no doubt this is because the garage (end of a row of three) it's not insulated in any way and therefore it gets damp in there, but is there anything I can do about it? There's power but I can't imagine running an electric heater on a timer for a bit each day is going to be cheap?

NoobCannon · 15 Dec 2019 at 07:35

Other than provide some airflow in there no.

Midlife Crisis · 15 Dec 2019 at 08:29

is it ply or the mdf on the shelfs, low grade mdf soaks up moisture like a sponge and goes mouldy like that all the time in unheated and unventilated places unfortunately

Big Chris · 15 Dec 2019 at 10:41

Bugger. We've had to chuck bags of clothes and shoes that were covered in mold and wouldn't wash out. Would a dehumidifier be worth looking into? Failing that, some sort of ventilation in the roof?

Trifid · 16 Dec 2019 at 06:58

Is there no airflow? My garage is detached, uninsulated and unheated and doesn't have a mold problem.

D.P. · 16 Dec 2019 at 07:46

Check airflow. Keep a window open

sja360 · 16 Dec 2019 at 08:02

Has the garage got airbricks around it for airflow?

Haze · 16 Dec 2019 at 08:17

If there is no water leaking in, nothing you can do, not really very good idea storing things like clothes in a unheated garage in the 1st place, not really sure what you expected

sovietspybob · 16 Dec 2019 at 09:25

I've stored things in an unheated garage for years without any mold in my old house so there is a problem there, it's not a case of 'nothing you can do'

I think lack of airflow will be the issue, could just try a dehumidifier to start with but i'd want to investigate if the airbricks are blocked up or not present at all or is the DPC all OK, are there any damp/wet areas of the roof/walls/floor?

roboamigo · 16 Dec 2019 at 09:44

Ventilation, an airbrick/vent top and bottom of the space will help.

Avalon · 16 Dec 2019 at 17:16

Unless the garage is literally airtight or as close to it as reasonably possible, all you will do is dry the air in the garage and cause it to pull in moisture from outside to equalise the humidity level. You’ll literally be trying to dehumidify the planet and failing. As has been repeatedly pointed out, you need airflow, without it you are wasting your time.

TBirdUK · 16 Dec 2019 at 18:02

I had similar, used a low vaoltage fan just to move the air around, that solved the issue for me

Mark A · 16 Dec 2019 at 21:07

Same happens in my shed in winter. Added some ventilation grills and it helped a lot.

Dehumidifier will only work if you run it every day and the type that work in cold environments cost a lot to run.