During the winter months, preventing damp and the build-up of moisture in a garage can be a headache. Chris Michael from Meaco, a leading UK supplier of dehumidifiers and air purifiers, gives advice on preventing this annual winter nightmare

As the temperature falls, condensation rises, creating moisture, which will eventually cause mould and damp. Just turning up the heating in the winter will not get rid of condensation, and is not always a practical solution in a garage. A damp property means damp air, and raising the heating will only heat up the wet air molecules, rather than raise the room temperature. A room will feel warmer if you are heating dry air. Opening the window to bring in fresh air will work fine if you are heating the room up because by increasing the air temperature you will decrease the relative humidity of that air.  For example, if you pull air in from outside at 10°C and 80%rh and then heat it up to 20°C, the relative humidity of that air will fall to around 52%rh.

However, what if you need to look after a space that is not heated and contains something that is sensitive to changes in moisture?  This is often the case when you look at garages, that may contain classic and valuable cars, all with upholstery, veneer, wooden, fabrics and expensive electronics, that need protecting from excess moisture and could be damaged beyond repair if they absorb and hold the excess moisture in the air.

If you are not heating the space and air is allowed to come in at our 10°c and 80%rh then it will stay at 80%rh.  It could well be that the internal temperature is slightly higher than the outside conditions thanks to insulation but unless it is (in this example) 5°C warmer, you will not dry the incoming air below 60%rh to get it into what would be seen as the upper end of a ‘safe’ relative humidity zone by conservation experts.

So although a garage may be ventilated it only helps to keep the air moving and to stop the air from becoming stale, and will not help to keep the space dry or to protect the artefacts from moisture damage.

This is where a dehumidifier comes in. It will reduce the level of humidity in the air, by sucking in air from the room at one end, removing the moisture, and then blowing it back out into the room again, adding warmth in the process. Sealing any ventilation gaps when using a dehumidifier in the winter will make it work more efficiently.

Meaco recently launched the DD8L Zambezi dehumidifier, designed and developed to address the many problems caravan owners were encountering. The Zambezi works well at temperatures below 15 degrees, has a Which? Best Buy Award, and adds warmth back into a room. It has a Daily Run Timer to turn the dehumidifier on and off at particular times, so taking advantage of off-peak electricity hours. Said to be a world-first, the Meaco Control 20+ ensures that if the dehumidifier is left in the wrong setting Zambezi will automatically adjust itself to achieve the humidity conditions desired. It wears an RRP of £249.99 with more information from www.meaco.co.uk ENDS.