I purchaced a shed 12x16 paid $50.00 for it.The shed needs work and I am capable of doing the work.The roof is bad, will replace roof.The T-111 around shed is rotten will replace that.The 2x4 16 inch ctr. walls are in great shape throughout.There is no floor presently..I will be installing a wooden floor sometime soon.The current floor is stone.Other than putting spouting on it (none presently).....How can I get rid of the moisture issue before I install floor?The shed is sitting on treated 4x4 with block ..... is not sitting on ground.
I build furniture as a hobby and this will be my" wood cave."I have several woodworking tools that I want to keep in shed.The tools will rust if I do not get moisture out.It is not a heated shed.

 

I would put a vapor barrier (sheet plastic) underneath before installing the floor and I would install some vents in the shed for ventillation. Insulating will help prevent condensation by slowing temperature swings but it is too fancy & expensive for a shed.

Any unheated and uninsulated space like a shed, barn or hangar will tend to sweat and have moisture problems unless insulated or well ventilated. If you have humid weather the moist air works it's way into the building, then all it takes is a cold night to make the moisture inside the building to condense on the ceiling and walls.

 

[QUOTE]I would put a vapor barrier (sheet plastic) underneath before installing the floor and I would install some vents in the shed for ventillation. [QUOTE]

Thanks Dane for input.....A buddy of mine said the same thing.To clarify....the plastic would go on top of stone.I am concerned of mold building up under plastic sheathing,how does it "breath" under plastic?

 

Hi 63, storing your good tools in an unheated shed is, as Pilot stated, going to be a concern. I have one that is well off the ground, wood floor, and well vented, and any tools left there will show signs of rust. I try to limit what gets put in there.

As for your vapor barrier, as suggested, it is the correct approach. The link below will discuss crawl spaces so some of the science may apply. Be sure to crown the plastic so it doesn't invite water to flow in under your floor. The higher you can lift the shed the better, IMO, as it creates essentially a small crawl space. Use pressure treated wood next to soil or the vapor barrier. I'll also attach a link on vapor barriers for reading.

BSI-009: New Light In Crawlspaces —

Energy Savers: Vapor Barriers or Vapor Diffusion Retarders

Enjoy
Bud

 

Do what you may, but unless you put some sort of a heat source in the shed, the relative humidity level inside it will be exactly the same as the relative humidity outside. Your tools are going to rust in an unheated shed that isn't attached to the house.

 

Thank You Bud and Dane for the input/ links on vapor barriers and crawl spaces,they were very educational.


Bud,what do yo mean about a crown in plastic?

I had a shed on our other property(left it there)it was not heated or attached to garage.My tools never rusted..table saw all metal top..no rust.I heated it with a kerosene heater when I was working on a project.The heater was turned off when not working in shed.Yes I could see some codensation buildup on very cold evenings.Overall the rust is nothing like I seen here.I would think this is cause structure not air tite.

 

You are probably correct about the difference being air tight or not. If the moist air can't get in and you have some solar heating to dry the outside it MAY be ok. But I as well as others have seen where the results were poor. Certainly my current shed would not qualify as air tight.

As for the crown I was referring to, here is a link on concrete, not your issue, but the photo explains what I'm referring to. Yours would not need to be so drastic. BSI-003: Concrete Floor Problems —
The objective is to prevent water that might get on the edge of the VB from flowing in under your floor. An inch or two should do it.

Bud