Dessicant for wet barn

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Hi! Hope someone can help me out. I have a cement walled and floored room in my barn that I keep my saddles and tack in. It is very damp and a lot of my stuff is getting mildewed. It is the only place I have that can be locked so I have to keep them there. My question is, does anyone know of a dessicant powder etc that I can use to pull some of the moisture out of the room? Any other ideas on how to keep the mildew at bay? THANKS

-- teresa (teresam@ascent.net), September 14, 2000

Answers

They make some kind of paint for basements that blocks water. It's been years, and I forget the name, but I'm sure someone at your local hardware store would know. Really helped in my basement. Sue

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), September 14, 2000.

Is there any way at all to ventilate the room? Could you put in a duct up through the ceiling and out the roof with one of those rotary fans on the top that are turned by the wind? Because what you really need to do is get some air moving in there. As for a dessicant, you might try an open box of powdered milk, or the stuff that is put in house plants to make the soil hold more water. But I don't think either is up to the size problem you have. Try to figure out a way to ventilate the room.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 14, 2000.

I got from HomeDepot a product that uses beads to suck water into a container. I put it in my basement and it really works. You have to pour the water out and sometimes refill the beads. All natural, too. It is called Moisture Absorber. Original name,huh? Anyway, I'm not sure if it will be strong enough for the saddle.

I was once told that once you have mold on the leather, it will keep coming back unless you kill it with vinegar. I always did it just to be safe.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), September 14, 2000.


If you have electricity to the horse barn you could put in a dehumidifier with direct venting of the water to the outside.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 15, 2000.

Barn lime sprinkled on the floor might help some.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), September 17, 2000.


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