# Any ideas on keeping a bike shed dry/warm ?



## pjgraham86 (30 Jan 2012)

I keep my two bikes along with the kids' bikes in an Asgard bike shed in the garden. It does what it says on the tin in terms of security but condensation is always present on the inside of the top lid and water comes off the tyres after every ride.

Does anyone have any ideas for reducing /eliminating the damp/cold to inhibit rusting of the bikes ? Obviously something battery powered or mains recharegeable would be ideal. I have tried the small crystal-filled dehumidifiers which are mains rechargeable and work up to a point but want soemthing a bit more effective.

It may simply be that all I can do is have a supply of old towels at hand to wipe down the floor and inside the lid to mkeep moisture levels down but if anyone has come across a better solution I'd be glad for the tip.

Thanks

pete


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## roadrash (30 Jan 2012)

try a tray of cat litter ,brilliant for absorbing moisture and supermarket own brands are cheap as chips .


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## snorri (30 Jan 2012)

Insulate roof and walls?


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## The Brewer (30 Jan 2012)

You need air flowing through it, like you'd have in a loft. Fit a couple vents near ground level and a couple near it highest point


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## fossyant (30 Jan 2012)

Anyway of getting electric to it. Could get one of those 'tube' heaters


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## subaqua (30 Jan 2012)

fossyant said:


> Anyway of getting electric to it. Could get one of those 'tube' heaters


 that just means you have warm moist air . ventilation is whats needed to dry the condensation out, and as a supplementary method I can highly recommend the cat litter idea as thats what dries the moisture out in the conservatory at home when i dump the damp dive kit in there. a old paitr of tights filled with it is a great way to dry damp cycling shoes out too


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## kishan (30 Jan 2012)

get carpet on the floor and get one of these to warm the shed up with http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/campingaz-blackcat-propane-camping-heater-p140053


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## mickle (30 Jan 2012)

When I discovered condensation all over my bikes and tools in my garage I employed a dehumidifier. Run an extension. I don't run it 24/7, just when it needs it.


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## mickle (30 Jan 2012)

kishan said:


> get carpet on the floor and get one of these to warm the shed up with http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/campingaz-blackcat-propane-camping-heater-p140053


Burning propane will generate more moisture than it disperses shirley?


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## Bman (30 Jan 2012)

I store my bikes in the same place as my server/pc. Keeps the bikes nice and warm 

Puts all that wasted heat to good use 

What about a blanket?


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## slowmotion (30 Jan 2012)

If you can get mains to it, a small dehumidifier will sort it out. Much cheaper than trying to get rid of moisure by heating. A paraffin or gas heater will increase the moisure level, I think.

Edit: Oops! I missed Mickle's post above. Sorry.


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## Davidc (30 Jan 2012)

The cheapest option is usually a fan. Pushing/pulling air through will usually keep anything dry, and that's how I deal with my shed. (No bikes, but garden tools etc.) I also have one in the garage which goes on whenever anything damp goes in there, and that keeps bikes and other stuff dry.

The one in the shed runs off a sealed lead acid battery recovered from a UPS - 12v 35AH when it was young, and it's a former 12v desktop computer cooling fan. It's mounted in the wall. I've used a very old device, 555 timer plus a suitable transistor, to run it - it goes for 8 minutes on, 53minutes off. An alternative would be to run it at lower voltage, slowly, all the time. Charging is by 6 recovered and reused panels from a set of solar garden lights, and this time of year I need to mains charge the battery about once every 2 weeks. The battery also does lighting - which is what it was put in the shed for in the first place.

The reason for putting the fan in the shed was that the tools were going rusty because of condensation. They don't now.


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## Bluebell72 (30 Jan 2012)

I got rid of my kitchen table, my bikes are cosy next to the radiator and stand on a rubber mat.
Table returns when we have more than 4 to sit down for dinner.


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## col (30 Jan 2012)

A tip I learned from caravaners is to put bowls of salt in, one in each room. It absorbs moister very well, and keept the caravan moisture free in the off season when it wasnt used.


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## subaqua (31 Jan 2012)

burning hydrocarbons does indeed generate moisture , lots of it too.


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## pjgraham86 (31 Jan 2012)

Thanks to one and all for the replies and suggestions !

Plenty to think about !

P


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## Shaun (29 Feb 2012)

Interesting. I'm almost at the point of ordering an Asgard 4-bike storage box and have been wondering about adding the (rather expensive) wooden floor to the order - just to stop any damp collecting on the floor of it during the wetter/colder months.

Cat litter might be cheaper though ...


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## steveindenmark (29 Feb 2012)

Don`t add heat unless you intend to keep it on all winter. You need air vents.

My shed is all made of wood and I keep my bikes and motorbikes in it all winter. We go down to -30 and I have never had a condensation problem.

Metal must be the worst storage solution you can have.

Steve


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