Asked on Jul 22, 2019
How can I prevent moisture buildup in my underground storm shelter?
+3
I have a metal underground storm shelter that has moisture buildup and is developing rust and some mold. What can I do to prevent this from happening. It has vents above ground and I open it up from time to time on warm days. But I don't do it often because I don't want little ones falling in it. Any ideas?
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Hi Jackie, if the vents are out of the weather (won't get rain in) you might want to consider leaving at least one of them open all of the time. You can cover it with heavy duty screen so no little ones can get in through it. Otherwise besides a dehumidifier places like that are very hard to keep dry.
Damp Rid will remove excess moisture out of the air.
I would add a fan to keep the air moving, and a dehumidifier or some of those StayDry moisture removers (I get them at the Dollar Tree). I would wipe it down real good to remove as much moisture as possible, maybe with some vinegar to retard the mold.
If the metal is not painted, I would remove all the rust, and then paint with Rustoleum paint. I would check any seams are caulked so no liquid can seap in
Thank you, it is painted. I did get some flex paint to redo places that need it. See what that does. I had never heard of StayDry or Damp Rid until you and Kathy mentioned it. I appreciated it!