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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2025 02:36pm
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Howdy everyone, it's been quite some time since i've made it back to this site to check in on everyone. Hope everyone is doing well!
I moved early this spring and have been buried in projects around the house and have only made it up to the cabin a handful of times this year  Nothing major to report on the cabin, still doing finishing touches to the inside like trim, paint, etc.
Anyways, i submitted and got the green light to build a 24'x24' pole building up there this fall so i'm looking forward to that! I'm designing the garage on the Menards site and will get all my materials from there. The plan is to do 11' walls so that i can have a 9' tall garage which will fit my trailers, tractors, etc. I have not decided on a garage door width yet, but I'll likely have a service door next to it. I am on the fence on whether or not to do any windows right away, however I was planning to do 2' tall eave lights on both sides the length of the building to allow natural light in.
Concrete floor is not in the budget right now, so it'll be a gravel floor. With that said, i'm wondering what I should do to reduce any condensation problems. I plan on putting a 18x24" gable vent on each end to allow for air movement, but what are ya'lls opnion on house wrap/bubble insulation for the walls and roof....is it worth it?
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2025 04:05pm
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Ime crushed limestone (crusher run) is what works for me (to be more specific than 'gravel'). You may need to put down a base of 3-4" crushed rock for the crusher run to sit on.
Talk to folks around there as to what dump truck guy to get and he will know his quarries and likely have recommendations for the job.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2025 05:35pm
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The gravel is already done. I have two shelter logic tarp frame units where the new building is gone go. So aside from leveling out the gravel more, the ground should be all set.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2025 06:09am
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The problem with any non insulated building no matter what the floor is when cold items have warm air around them they condensate. It really dosnt have much to do with the floor or even venting. The only way to really stop/slow this is to not allow drastic temp changes in the building. That means insulation. In the mean time put as big of gabel vents you can fit in with a fan. They make prety decent solar attic fans now.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2025 10:49am
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You will be hard pressed to make the whole building air tight so I question insulation at all unless you just do a partitioned and ceiling work area for cold weather.
The best Ive seen here has been those with decent air flow through to keep stuff dry, my dad's typically had couple of the big doors open; no condensation. Not practical for a not home site, though. If you have enough low air intake and high peak venting you may get enough flow?
I like the idea of the 'eave lights'.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2025 11:32am
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Just wondering if the house wrap for the walls and bubble stuff for the ceiling will help to keep stuff from dripping inside.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2025 08:10pm
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Quoting: WILL1E Just wondering if the house wrap for the walls and bubble stuff for the ceiling will help to keep stuff from dripping inside
Dont bother.
I have a 13x20' with two large openings for doors on the 20' side yet no doors. I still get gas cans and anything that can hold any type of warmth will be totaly soaked in the winter/spring. With cold nights and warm afternoons it's hard to avoid. So floor type dosnt matter. I would do a crushed stone with minimal fines to keep dust down.
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DRP
Member
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2025 08:21pm
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https://www.dripstop.net/ is one product that stores the condensation till drying conditions resume. The low tech way is tarpaper under the metal, the paper absorbs the moisture till drying conditions resume.
Lowering the humidity inside helps... a vapor retarder on the ground.
Warming the structure above dew point prevents condensation.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2025 08:35am
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I've had an uninsulated 3 car pole building garage at my home for 15 years. (Eastern PA). It does have a concrete floor with a vapor barrier under it. It has a full 2nd floor with a ridge vent at the top (shingle roof). So I don't know if having the 2nd floor helps things or not.
But, I can only remember one time in all those years that I had any kind of moisture problem. The humidity was high and the temps must have changed quick enough to cause my tool box and tools in it to be damp
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2025 05:01pm
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My cabin porch roof is metal directly on perlins with how wrap. The only time I have ever seen condensation make drips on the bottom of the roof was when there was snow on it and air temp was warm. That lasted a very short time as the snow slid off prety quick.
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