Thread: AARG steel shed, condensation and rust

When you lift the roof, you might as well put in the sisalation that has air bubbles - it is like bubble wrap and will do both jobs (moisture and insulation). It will work better with a gap, ie over rafters and under battens.
If you use thicker ply on your walls, you can rack tools directly
Definitely a job to have a mate over to help.

I had Aircell installed in the roof when my barn was built 5 years ago. Similar temp range but no condensation drips.

Incidentally my father was a builder and experienced the same problem with sisalation under a metal roof, woken in the night by the drip, drip, drip onto the ceiling. His last house was the last one he used sisalation on. It does not offer much in the way of thermal resistance or thermal mass, it's effectiveness is limited to reflecting heat back where it came from (inside or outside) and limiting drafts etc.

Certainly is a bugger to contend with!

I try to cover my machines with old blankets or cloth. Thinking of getting a mate to make some vinyl covers.

Originally Posted by artme

Certainly is a bugger to contend with!

I try to cover my machines with old blankets or cloth. Thinking of getting a mate to make some vinyl covers.

Artme, just a thought; wouldn't the vinyl (plastic) covers induce some condensation in the humid areas? I would think that preventing the condensation in the building would be the way to go, and if you want to cover the machines for some reason, like keeping the sawdust off them, then use cloth covers.

JMHO

Woodie, I agree with both Champs and Malb. Aircell is definitely the way to go, as is using either 7mm or thicker (12mm is good) ply for the lining. What I am doing is fixing battens around the walls at appropriate intervals to suit the sheets, then covering with reflective foil as a moisture barrier. The batts then go between the foil and the wall lining; they get a bit flattened in the process, but that doesn't have much effect on the insulation value, and is more than offset by the R value of the foil coupled with the moisture barrier.

My reaction to this problem is get some air flowing through the building, in other words you want the hot moist air to be removed as the temp drops.

Originally Posted by Mini

My reaction to this problem is get some air flowing through the building, in other words you want the hot moist air to be removed as the temp drops.

Yep, and that too, but when the shop is closed up and secure, the only moderately effective way is a whirlybird or two (or more) depending on the size of the building. I don't like using these though, unless they have a temperature controlled shut off.

Originally Posted by wun4us

Yep, and that too, but when the shop is closed up and secure, the only moderately effective way is a whirlybird or two (or more) depending on the size of the building. I don't like using these though, unless they have a temperature controlled shut off.

I would be interested in why you find that a problem as I have not heard it said before. In a cold climate I can see the issue but just put a small length of ducting into it and build a "blast gate" type shutoff to stop the air flow.

Originally Posted by Mini

I would be interested in why you find that a problem as I have not heard it said before. In a cold climate I can see the issue but just put a small length of ducting into it and build a "blast gate" type shutoff to stop the air flow.

I believe it is relative to where the original poster lives, and the temperatures that he says the area gets in summer and winter.

Wun4, you are right and given my time over again I would go that way.

I have a vinyl cover over my BBQ and one over the poole table. Water condeses on the top of the cover but doesn' condense on the metal underneath. i guess if i wanted to be extra sure I could have cloth sewn onto the underside of the Vinyl.

Originally Posted by artme

Wun4, you are right and given my time over again I would go that way.

I have a vinyl cover over my BBQ and one over the poole table. Water condeses on the top of the cover but doesn' condense on the metal underneath. i guess if i wanted to be extra sure I could have cloth sewn onto the underside of the Vinyl.

That's the ultimate answer artme, but the vinyl outer on the BBQ covers is to protect from outer precipitation such as rain or heavy dew, and the inner cloth to do like wise for the interior. If a shed had all as described previously, then there would not be a need for covers at all, given that proper and adequate preventative and operational maintenance was given to all tools from time to time, whether they are used or not.
Even a simple wipe over with a cloth dampened with WD40 or similar and then a clean/dry cloth does the job.

We spend a fair bit of money on our eqipment as time goes by, but there are many I'm sure who don't spend that much time on mai9ntaining their investment.


Cheers,
Barry

Originally Posted by artme

Certainly is a bugger to contend with!

I try to cover my machines with old blankets or cloth. Thinking of getting a mate to make some vinyl covers.

I use some bits of lino, cut to size
just sits on the cast iron, no gap - seems to work

I haven't lined my shed - if I did I wouldn't catch the termites at their work (yep not a steel shed)

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

I use some bits of lino, cut to size
just sits on the cast iron, no gap - seems to work

I haven't lined my shed - if I did I wouldn't catch the termites at their work (yep not a steel shed)

G'day Pockenholz! recovered from the Sydney WW show?

Pieces of lino as well as offcuts or not of ply, mdf, masonite, old blankets(or new ones), anything that "breathes" is good to cover up machinery from the ravages of the atmosphere in the shed. Its bad enough creating the sawdust and shavings (which I'm sure we all fastidiously and conscientiously clear away after each days work) let alone dealing with the dust and moisture in the atmosphere. Atmospheric dust (the soil type dust) can grind away at steel like valve grinding paste if left to accumulate.

I don't have all that much, and what I do have would not be considered at all expensive by many, but it is to me, and I do my best to take damned good care of it. I'm sure that none of us really want to throw money away replacing things unnecessarily!!!

Time to get off the soapbox now. Bye

Thanks for all your advice. I have been to Mitre10 and the big green shed and priced the AIRCELL. Will be installing some soon.

Once again thanks for all the suggestions