Home » FAQ » Should I Install a Dehumidifier in My Garage?

Should I Install a Dehumidifier in My Garage?

featured image_Should I install a dehumidifier in garage

I see many homeowners leaving their garage door open in the summer. I imagine they are attempting to allow fresh air into the garage or make a way for their pets to enter. No matter the motive, leaving the garage door open when it is humid outside can affect your indoor air quality. So, should you install a dehumidifier in your garage?

Is Garage Humidity Affecting Your Home?

Garage humidity affects your home just like basement or crawl space humidity affects the living space. When you leave the doors of the garage open it allows hot humid air to enter the garage and travel into the living space. Garage doors are not air sealed well so this happens naturally without the doors being open. Remember if you can see daylight around the doors, humid air and pests can come in the garage.

Many homes have a bonus room above the garage allowing the humidity to travel to the second floor. Heat is also a factor in the room above the garage and builders seem to under insulate that space. They certainly do not air seal the area. If your garage ceiling is exposed make sure you air seal that area and the rim joists to slow air movement to the bonus room.

Whole Home Humidity Control Includes a Garage Dehumidifier

Homeowners spend thousands of dollars in repairs of wet basements and humid crawl spaces. Interior basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation has grown in popularity because it works at making your home more healthy. Maybe the same will be true of the garage dehumidifier to control relative humidity.

If your garage is finished or not, it is susceptible to mold and termites if the building materials absorb humidity. Storing porous materials like cardboard or plush toys can also be affected. Once these items grow mold, the mold spores spread to other parts of your home. Remember, high humidity alone is responsible for encouraging high levels of virus and bacteria in living spaces.

crawl space dehumidifier

Installing a garage dehumidifier is the best way to battle the humidity spikes that are already affecting your home. Dehumidifiers only run as needed. This is great for those concerned about energy costs. We recommend you install the Aprilaire E Series dehumidifier and set it on 50%. Make sure to include a condensate pump to push the captured water to the outside of the garage.

Ready to find out more?

Drop us a line today for a quote!

What Next?

Do you need help with controlling humidity in your home and you live in Alabama, Georgia, Delaware, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, or South Carolina? If so, please contact us to schedule your assessment. Also, let us know in the comments below if you'd like to suggest a future blog post.

Perhaps you'd like to tackle your own crawl space repair. Visit our DIY Store.

Contact us if you need help fixing your crawl spacebasement, or yard drainage by clicking here.

Learn about Crawl Space Ninja Franchise opportunities.

About Michael Church

Michael Church has been involved with indoor air quality since 2005 and feels the unhealthy crawl space is one of the major problems causing poor indoor air quality.

2 Comments

  1. Betty on November 9, 2021 at 5:36 am

    Encapsulations seems to want to close all vents under home. Do you not need air circulation to have healthy air?

    • Michael Church on November 9, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      Hi Betty, yes we do crawl space encapsulation with ventilation according to the EPA. Here is a video that could help explain our philosophy on the matter. Thanks and hope it helps. https://youtu.be/Ivmdo4iVSPI

Leave a Comment