Stop the damp!!

[Victorthesecond]

Hi, we have a small greenhouse that has been with us for a few years. It is a wooden, hexagonal, greenhouse, and the panels are all sitting on pre-formed concrete footings that have been prepared with a trough in them to let the panels sit in. Every winter, we always get get damp in the greenhouse - the floor is often really soaked. Using silicone, I've sealed, and re-sealed, all the joins in the wooden panels and am happy that no water is getting through them. I'm also happy that no water gets in "from above" - the glass panels are all watertight. I can only think that water is getting in from underneath the concrete fittings and am planning to spend some time going round the greenhouse to press mortar tightly against where the footings meet the paving stones on which they sit, and in between the footings.

I just wondered if anyone had any other ideas or thoughts on how to "stop the damp"?

Thanks in advance of any replies.

 

[DirtMechanic]

It may be condensation from a warm inside and cold outside? If so a dehumidifier to control humidity may help.

 

[oneeye]

You need to get yourself a heavy-duty dehumidifier and run it most of the time. They're not that expensive and worth the money. You can run an exit hose outdoors and not even have to check the water tank. You and use one only during the growing season.

 

[Tetters]

Keeping damp out of a greenhouse is an impossibility. The timber needs to be treated and it also needs airflow. Sealing it is just a waste of time and money. Your plants need humidity, and they need watering. During hot weather my greenhouses have always been hosed down on the insides for just that purpose.
I think there is a design fault here if the panels are sitting in a trough. Having a gap all around the periphery would be much more suitable, and allow air to circulate.
Plants don't like the kind of houses we choose to live in, and very often I think their ideas are better than ours

 

[DirtMechanic]

You need to get yourself a heavy-duty dehumidifier and run it most of the time. They're not that expensive and worth the money. You can run an exit hose outdoors and not even have to check the water tank. You and use one only during the growing season.

I took my dehumidifier apart and cleaned it after some years. It was really gross. It was amazingly smooth and quiet when I got it back together. I am suprised it ran actually with all the water I used and those circuit boards.