Dehumidifying a Tack Room?

[King's Ransom]

I have a very small, poorly-constructed "tack room" in my little barn. I don't use it in the summertime, but in the winter it is indispensable. It's insulated and it has electricity, so it becomes a combination tack / feed / warm my icy hands room. I am doing barn work today in prep for winter, and re-organizing this little space.

One of the big problems with the space is that it is very moist. I don't know why it gets wet, and I really can't fix it without undertaking a huge project. So, I was wondering if there is something I could put in there to reduce the moisture / stave off mildew? Once winter hits and I run the space heater, it's not a problem. But between now and then -- oh maybe one or two months -- moisture is a problem. I don't want to put an electric dehumidifier in there, and just wondered if there is a some sort of dessicant-based thing I could use?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[wstrngrl]

Why not use a regular dehumidifier? We have one in our tack room, as do pretty much all the barns I ride at.

[luvs2ride79]

I would try a dehumidifier. If you don't have room or enough outlets for one, then you could try putting a couple of pans of crystal cat litter down. It's silica crystals and will absorb some moisture. It worked well for me in a closet that tends to get mildew on one wall (no clue why/how).

[twofatponies]

I think a dehumidifier is your best bet. You can even just run it during the day when you are there or just at night, rather than 24/7, if you are worried about the bill. Remember you need to empty the pan...

The moisture is probably coming from the ground through the foundation?

[goodhors]

I had the wet beet pulp staying in the tack room so it was warm. Put LOTS of moisture into the air, even with the dehumidifier. All my tack got moldy and it was a pain to clean everything.

Feed also has a lot of moisture when it contains any molasses. Molasses draws water from the air, even from air that doesn't feel wet or humid. One of the reasons feed with molasses molds so easily. So feed stored in a tack room is going to pull moisture into the room.

I moved the beet pulp out, use hot water in it closer to feeding time, in a muck tub with a tight lid. This works very well for me. Keeps the beet pulp warm, for long times so horses get nice warm dinners, even in cold air of the winter barns.

Maybe you could run the heater to dry things out, a couple hours a day.

[deltawave]

We have an old dehumidifier in my tack room and it's made a BIG difference. It's kind of big and clunky but I keep it in the corner and it dumps the water right into the drain in the floor; no emptying the pan. A bonus (other than in the summertime) is that it creates a bit of heat, too. It has an automatic on/off feature that I can set depending on how dry I want it in there. Great item--we got ours at a garage sale eons ago.

I think my electric bill went from $5-10/month to around $15/month with this thing running hard during the humid summer months. It's worth it. In the winter I doubt I'll need it at all with the electric heater on (set to 40 degrees, just so the pipes don't freeze) in the tack room.

[Laurierace]

I would go for the dehumidifier if that is feasible, but if not there is a product called damp rid that works well. You might have to hang a few of them up to completely get the job done, but they do work surprisingly well. You can buy them just about anywhere in the cleaning supplies section. I buy them at Sams Club.

[Foxhound]

If for some reason you can't do a dehumidifier, get a couple of containers of "Damp Rid." They sell it at the grocery store, in the aisle with the household cleaners. I have one in my trailer dressing room, which is not watertight and tends to get damp when we have a lot of rain. These things do quite a good job of pulling moisture out of the air and keeping the tack room from smelling like mildew.
http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=173068

[King's Ransom]

DAMP RID! That's EXACTLY what I was looking for!

I don't have a dehumidifier, and don't want to spend the $$ to buy one, plug it in and run it ... if I don't absolutely have to. Especially since I don't use the room during the summer. I only have a problem during this transition time.

THANKS GUYS! That's PERFECT!

[deltawave]

The cost of Damp-Rid refills is probably more than the cost of running the dehumidifier--my hubby uses the Damp-Rid on the boat and goes through quite a lot of it each summer. A slight edge to the dehumidifier, I'd say, dollar for dollar. Not counting the initial purchase price--but they're not very expensive.

[King's Ransom]

Yes, if I were using the tack room year-round then I think a dehumidifier would be the way to go, especially during the summer as I would go through the Damp-Rid like ... errr ... water! :lol:

But I just need something for a couple of months until it gets cold. So, I think this is a good temporary solution. At least I hope so!

[texang73]

Living in Houston (THE humidity capital of the US)... I fully agree with getting a dehumidifer AND using the damp rid thingys... BUT, if you could get a window a/c-heater unit to help stabilize the temp that is the best thing (even at very low temps)... Well, at least in the summer it helps just to keep the tack room a smidge cooler than the outside temp... (and I 'd guess just a smidge warmer in the winter) .... don't know how well it would work in the winter...

Good luck, mold on tack isn't fun. May I recommend the occasional wipe down with vinegar water?

[King's Ransom]

Oooh, the vinegar-water wipe down. I have heard this before, but had forgotten. Another great idea.

Thanks.