Condensation problem in a storage container.

[paulsoccodato]

I recently bought a used 20' conex container to use for storage at my yard. It was pretty damp and had a couple of small holes in the roof, letting rain water in, which i have since fixed. I left the doors open for about a week, and even ran a small propane heater, with the doors closed to dry it out a little. The plywood floor is whats holding the moisture, i guess.

Problem now is condensation is forming water droplets on the ceiling and falling back down. I've wiped it down more times than i can count. Do you guys with sea boxes, have this problem also? I know they sell absorbant packs that go on the ceiling to prevent this. Hopefully after some hot weather, this problem will go away. I was thinking of putting in a turbine roof vent. The box does have two vents on two of the corners. My buddy has a container also, but his is bone dry. Any Ideas?

[Pelican]

Can you put some vents in it up high like you'd see on a box trailer? My Pace landscape trailer has vents in the walls. When you are heating the container, you need to crack the doors so the moisture can escape, otherwise it gets suspended in the air and condenses like you've seen.

[paulsoccodato]

Originally Posted by Pelican

Can you put some vents in it up high like you'd see on a box trailer? My Pace landscape trailer has vents in the walls. When you are heating the container, you need to crack the doors so the moisture can escape, otherwise it gets suspended in the air and condenses like you've seen.

It has two vents up high on the walls, one in back and one in the front. I run the heater for about a half an hour then open the doors to "change" the air, i have done that a couple of times. Im hoping its because the plywood floor still has some moisture in it, and eventually dries out and this goes away. If not, im going to put a roof vent in it. I cant take it raining inside the container, on my tools and machines. Drives me nuts.

[Plow Dak]

I had to put ridge and soffett vents in my garage because of this problem. My cement floor was retaining the moisture from the cars. I put a small fan in the rafters to circulate the air also. Really helps out. I run it for 3 hours every night during the winter. It's on an a timer so i never have to think about it. With the wood being wet like you mentioned it will take a long time to dry that out with out some air movement.

FWTW. The shop had condensation and dripped the other day. We had heat going and the doors open a lot. Sometimes it will happen with a metal roof.
If you open the doors to change the air you have lost all the dryer air IMO.
If the humidity is more outside than inside you just defeated what you were trying to do

[paulsoccodato]

Originally Posted by Plow Dak

If you open the doors to change the air you have lost all the dryer air IMO.
If the humidity is more outside than inside you just defeated what you were trying to do

I understand what your saying Mike. I put the heater on after i wiped the water droplets off of the ceiling to help dry the container out a little more. I'm hoping this is just residiual moisture in the floor and will eventually stop, now that no more water is coming in. My buddies have containers that are exactly the same, and they are bone dry. I'm going to give it some more time and see what happens.

[Plow Dak]

Originally Posted by paulsoccodato

I understand what your saying Mike. I put the heater on after i wiped the water droplets off of the ceiling to help dry the container out a little more. I'm hoping this is just residiual moisture in the floor and will eventually stop, now that no more water is coming in. My buddies have containers that are exactly the same, and they are bone dry. I'm going to give it some more time and see what happens.

I wonder after it's dried out would sealing that wood floor help prevent that again. i'm just throwing things out..

[towmonster]

did you think about trying a dehumidifer to take the moister out of the air

[paulsoccodato]

Originally Posted by towmonster

did you think about trying a dehumidifer to take the moister out of the air

I have, but i dont have any electric there, and i didnt want to run it off a generator while i wasnt around.

[todddude]

Propane heat is FULL of moisture so you may have to set up a genorator on the roof ( for security ) and place a small ceramic heater of oil radiator type heater in there. Add a fan set on low to move the air around and that will dry it up in a day or two tops and stop the condensation. Just don't use a propane heater in the future or it wil put the moisture right back in.

[paulsoccodato]

Originally Posted by todddude

Propane heat is FULL of moisture

Interesting, i didnt realize that.

Im going to try a couple of things, i'll let you guys know how i make out. Thanks.

[massbowtie]

that propane heat has a good amount of moisture,especially the exhaust gases,so if your running the heat inside with no exhaust your defeating the purpose.try using an electric heater,very dry heat. as for the moisture packs,ice melt will absorb the moisture also..if its sitting on the ground the wood floor will absorb moisture from the ground.make sure you have the bottom off the ground so it can vent.thats all i have good luck

[apgarconstruction]

my aluminum trailer sweated like that and it was never soaked inside. it was just from the heat/cold outside and inside, sometimes it looked like it has rained inside the trailer.
i put rigid foam insulation in the ceiling and walls then covered it with plywood and it never sweated like that again. probably more than you want to spend but i think as the seasons go along, you will see this again as the inside and outside temps are different.