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How to seal an old garage to keep dust out?

Hello! Might anyone have any tips on sealing an old timber-framed Colorbond garage with concrete floor from filling with up with dust, leaves, spiders and mess? It has a rubber strip under the tilt door, expanding foam where the walls meet the roof, but it I just can’t keep the mess out. I’d really love to line it with plywood if I can seal it somehow. Thank you to anyone with advice 🙂

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MitchellMc

Hi @AngelaJ,

The shiny side should be facing the majority of moisture buildup. Unless you are going to have heating inside this shed, I would suggest the majority of moisture will be from the outside penetrating in. I would fix the shiny side facing outwards to the steel walls. That way any moisture from the outside runs down it and is prevented from getting to the framework.

Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.

Mitchell

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Jason

Hi @AngelaJ

Many thanks for joining in the discussion and a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We have clever and creative members sharing helpful information, advice and project inspiration on the site every day.

It might be helpful to share some photos of your garage so that members can see what you are working with.

Let me also tag some helpful members who might like to kick off the discussion with their thoughts about how they would approach this project: @TheSaltyreefer, @Tara86, @Rodney, @Kiwifr33, @Seaton, @Brad

Thanks again,

Jason

MitchellMc

Hi @AngelaJ,

It's great to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

You could certainly line the whole interior with plywood and I'd suggest Wall art joiners 2400mm Snow White Sheet Panel Joiners for a simple sealing solution. You can fix 42 x 19mm pine batons around the garage which would be screwed into the existing structure, this will allow something for the plywood to be attached to.

Another option might be to consider using foil insulation and joining it together with Ametalin 72mm x 50m Reinforced Insulation And Ducting Tape to seal out dust, leaves and critters. If you do this correctly it will provide a completely sealed environment.

As Jason mentioned if you could provide some images of your garage and the points at which you feel it is not sealed adequately we could possibly offer some further solutions.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or had any questions.

Mitchell

AngelaJ

Thanks so much for your tips! I’ll check these items and and try to get some photos over the weekend 👍🏻

AngelaJ

I've taken a few photos, it seems the concrete floor is still a good seal and the foam under the roof is doing its job, but the gap around the side door is obviously a problem! The big tilt door has a rubber seal which works ok. A lot of the mess comes from spiders and bugs, which I try to keep in check with the occasional insect bomb.

MitchellMc

Hi @AngelaJ,

Many thanks for the additional images, that certainly helps illustrate the issue.

For the gap around the side door, I would suggest using some Hatch Seal Foam 6x18mmx10m Black to seal the space. This product has a sticky back and can be stuck to the inside edge of the door frame. When the door closes it will sandwich the foam in the gap creating a great seal. I would advise cleaning the surface which you are sticking the foam on with Isopropyl alcohol. This will make sure there are no contaminants and that you get a great bond.

The insect bombs work well to kill all the bugs in the area. They are not great at preventing insects as they only protect for three months. I would suggest using Richgro 3L Indoor Outdoor Surface Spray to compliment the insect bombs. This product protects for nine months and you should focus on spraying it over all the nooks and entrance points. Make sure you spray a saturated layer over all the possible entrance points and the perimeter of the garage.

Mitchell

AngelaJ

Thanks so much Mitchell, I will give these a go. Thanks for responding so quickly!

AngelaJ

One more question please! If I may.

Should the foil insulation be fitted shiny side inwards (toward interior of shed) and against the steel walls, or attached to the frame (against the plywood lining) ?

MitchellMc

Hi @AngelaJ,

Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.

Mitchell

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