We have a pool house, about 10x10, with a full bathroom, a refrigerator, kitchen sink. kitchen cabinets and dishwasher (dishwasher maybe used twice in 20 years). There is a crawl space (with a wooded hatch in main floor to get below) below that has frequently flooded. We control humidity below with a dehumidifier, and crawl space stays dry as long as humidifier is working (just replaced and upgraded). It is generally pretty humid in pool house so we keep windows open and fan running. Just noticed green algae or mold or mildew growing on cabinets. What is best to do about it. Obviously will wipe off, but how do we prevent? Should we buy another dehumidifier for main level?
Pool House Humidity
- Thread starter pgershon
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,027
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
A small window air conditioner will keep it at a set temp and also dehumidify it at the same time.. It does not need to be set at 70 degrees, it will be just fine running at 78 degrees.. Then you could turn the temp down some when your using the pool house.. 
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,028
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
When you say "control humidity below" are you referring to under the floor in the crawl space? You mention it floods. What it you fabricated a French drain of some sort around the structure so that water doesn't collect and get stagnant underneath?
The holy grail... I have been trying for 20+ years now. The pool house is at the bottom of a large hill and lots of water collects there. There is a stone patio between the pool house and the pool, pitched away from pool and towards pool house - in theory veering to the left of pool house but in reality water collects at the door. Structures (patio and probably pool house) have sunk a bit over the years, and the drain next to patio is now for all practical purposes above patio so not collecting water and sending to dry well. Water sits on ground next to concrete block wall below pool house and seeps into the concrete bricks (in the gaps) and eventually into pool house crawlspace (its about 3 feet high). Its worse behind pool house where the pool equipment sits on concrete block. Huge amounts of water puddle back there after storm below floor of pool house - I imagine this water seems into the foundation block. I am looking to install drainage at that point going into dry well but its a big project and labor is scare this year.
Forgot to mention - soil drainage in the area is awful. Its like clay until you get down to sand layer. So if you put in the effort and dig, you can get drainage. But if you dont, water pools and finds its way into pool house foundation.
The holy grail... I have been trying for 20+ years now. The pool house is at the bottom of a large hill and lots of water collects there. There is a stone patio between the pool house and the pool, pitched away from pool and towards pool house - in theory veering to the left of pool house but in reality water collects at the door. Structures (patio and probably pool house) have sunk a bit over the years, and the drain next to patio is now for all practical purposes above patio so not collecting water and sending to dry well. Water sits on ground next to concrete block wall below pool house and seeps into the concrete bricks (in the gaps) and eventually into pool house crawlspace (its about 3 feet high). Its worse behind pool house where the pool equipment sits on concrete block. Huge amounts of water puddle back there after storm below floor of pool house - I imagine this water seems into the foundation block. I am looking to install drainage at that point going into dry well but its a big project and labor is scare this year.
Forgot to mention - soil drainage in the area is awful. Its like clay until you get down to sand layer. So if you put in the effort and dig, you can get drainage. But if you dont, water pools and finds its way into pool house foundation.
Does this make more sense than a dehumidifier? Is is price comparable? Wife wont love window unit...A small window air conditioner will keep it at a set temp and also dehumidify it at the same time.. It does not need to be set at 70 degrees, it will be just fine running at 78 degrees.. Then you could turn the temp down some when your using the pool house..
The resolution isn't to control the captured humidity but rather if you attack the root problem then the residual humidity will be very little.
One of those split air conditioners like they use in Europe would work and look fine up high on the wall. Build a platform outside for the outside element to sit on so water doesn't flood it. I doubt your wife would mind that since it doesn't block off any windows.
Maddie
Maddie
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,027
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
I agree a split unit would be much better
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- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,028
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I have a ductless mini-split unit in our garage since it wasn't originally part of initial AC duct construction. They are very nice. Unlike the 2-3 window AC units we had in the past, they do cost a bit more but that's because they do a much better job of actually conditioning the air and not just blowing it around. But addressing the root cause, the stagnant water, would be ideal.
I just inserted a trench drain behind pool house where the equipment is. It actually kept the area pretty dry as hurricane Henri hit (although Long Island got nowhere near the rain predicted).
So the general layout of pool house is dirt/grass around 3 sides and a stone patio in the front. The outside walls are stucco, which is problematic because the builder should not have had the stucco touching the ground (especially with pooling water). Contractor "solved" by installing a french drain around the perimeter (the three sides without the patio). And they put concrete block wall on outside surrounding the french drain, essentially creating a moat effect (the concrete block was needed because the grade of the grass was above the grade of the stucco, and would otherwise have filled over the french drain and abutted the stucco). The french drain is below the stucco, so if water gets to the french drain it will not touch the stucco and the stucco walls are protected. The problem is that water is blocked by the concrete block from getting into the french drain, and instead it seeps in below the french drain and penetrates the concrete block foundation to the poolhouse (the pool house crawl space is about 3 feet below the french drain).
The best solution would have been to lower the grade surrounding the pool house so the extra concrete block was not needed, but that would be a Herculean effort now (and the original contractor/builder is long gone after 20 years). So I now have 2 trench drains and one dry well on the three sides and am working to get new contractor to pitch the ground on each side to its respective drain. In the meantime, my new dehumidifier in the crawl space is keeping it very dry.
But I have an issue on the side with the stone patio. It is pitched for water to run off into the trench drain on one of the sides, but the water runs along the stucco to get there (see photo). I had to repair the stucco last year and I am unhappy with myself for not solving the problem then. You can already see green on the stucco forming at the bottom. I really dont know how to deal with this junction. There is wood abuting the patio under the glass doors, but the stucco goes virtually to the bottom on the remainder of this side of the house. There is maybe a 1/2 inch gap between the stucco and the foundation (the stucco does not quite touch the ground).
My question is what is the best way to protect the front side of my pool house from the water runoff on the patio? I am considering cutting the stone and putting in a french drain with crushed stones on top at the entrance. We had a channel drain there once until renovating 10 years ago, but it was ineffective in controlling the flow of water and a contractor removed it when we redid the stone and pitched the water to the side as a new "solution".
Photos below are (1) the front where the stone and stucco essentially abut (2) one of the sides with the French drain "moat" and (3) the trench drain in the rear where water used to pool around the pool equipment.
So the general layout of pool house is dirt/grass around 3 sides and a stone patio in the front. The outside walls are stucco, which is problematic because the builder should not have had the stucco touching the ground (especially with pooling water). Contractor "solved" by installing a french drain around the perimeter (the three sides without the patio). And they put concrete block wall on outside surrounding the french drain, essentially creating a moat effect (the concrete block was needed because the grade of the grass was above the grade of the stucco, and would otherwise have filled over the french drain and abutted the stucco). The french drain is below the stucco, so if water gets to the french drain it will not touch the stucco and the stucco walls are protected. The problem is that water is blocked by the concrete block from getting into the french drain, and instead it seeps in below the french drain and penetrates the concrete block foundation to the poolhouse (the pool house crawl space is about 3 feet below the french drain).
The best solution would have been to lower the grade surrounding the pool house so the extra concrete block was not needed, but that would be a Herculean effort now (and the original contractor/builder is long gone after 20 years). So I now have 2 trench drains and one dry well on the three sides and am working to get new contractor to pitch the ground on each side to its respective drain. In the meantime, my new dehumidifier in the crawl space is keeping it very dry.
But I have an issue on the side with the stone patio. It is pitched for water to run off into the trench drain on one of the sides, but the water runs along the stucco to get there (see photo). I had to repair the stucco last year and I am unhappy with myself for not solving the problem then. You can already see green on the stucco forming at the bottom. I really dont know how to deal with this junction. There is wood abuting the patio under the glass doors, but the stucco goes virtually to the bottom on the remainder of this side of the house. There is maybe a 1/2 inch gap between the stucco and the foundation (the stucco does not quite touch the ground).
My question is what is the best way to protect the front side of my pool house from the water runoff on the patio? I am considering cutting the stone and putting in a french drain with crushed stones on top at the entrance. We had a channel drain there once until renovating 10 years ago, but it was ineffective in controlling the flow of water and a contractor removed it when we redid the stone and pitched the water to the side as a new "solution".
Photos below are (1) the front where the stone and stucco essentially abut (2) one of the sides with the French drain "moat" and (3) the trench drain in the rear where water used to pool around the pool equipment.
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coolviper777
Active member
You mentioned that you had a surface level channel drain on the front of the pool house before, but it was not effective.
IMHO, a properly sized and installed front channel drain would solve your problems, and better (and likely cheaper) than a french drain (which will get clogged up eventually). But it needs to be wide enough, so that when water is running towards it, it goes into it, and not over it. And it would probably need to go along the entire front (or whatever part of the front the water tends to seep into).
From my experience with water around my house, I have found that I was always better off controlling/draining the surface runoff first, at the surface, and not wait till it penetrates the ground at the foundation.
IMHO, a properly sized and installed front channel drain would solve your problems, and better (and likely cheaper) than a french drain (which will get clogged up eventually). But it needs to be wide enough, so that when water is running towards it, it goes into it, and not over it. And it would probably need to go along the entire front (or whatever part of the front the water tends to seep into).
From my experience with water around my house, I have found that I was always better off controlling/draining the surface runoff first, at the surface, and not wait till it penetrates the ground at the foundation.
Thanks. I think you are correct. It means cutting the stones in front so a drain can be installed. And I believe it should go the whole distance to be effective.
I am still waiting for a big storm to observe in daylight hours to get the best sense of water flow.
I am still waiting for a big storm to observe in daylight hours to get the best sense of water flow.
I agree with CoolViper. I'd make it a wide faced drain (4") placed the entire length of the stone patio and into the system that you have around the pool house. They make them in a tan/brown color also so it would blend in nicely.
Maddie
Maddie