Recommendations for Hangar Moisture/Humidity Problems

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jan 1, 2010
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Norfolk, VA
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Fearless Tower
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KORF
Haven't flown the Baron since before Christmas, so I stopped by the hangar this week to pull the the GPS data card and found something a bit concerning: white powdery corrosion forming on the leading edges of all prop blades. Looked and felt almost like frost, but clearly wasn't. I've seen this once or twice before when the plane has gone a month between flights, but this was the worst I've seen since bringing the plane to Norfolk last May. What was even more concerning is that I am starting to see similar spots of corrosion showing up on the cylinder baffles and engine cases.

We've had a pretty decent amout of rain here in Virginia and ORF is only a couple miles from the ocean. Also, the T-hangars at ORF aren't the greatest. They look alright from the outside, but inside there is a square concrete slab big enough for the gear to sit on. The rest of the hangar floor is gravel, so I suspect that as the ground outside gets saturated with water, the moisture comes up through the ground inside the hangar. Pretty crappy design in my opinion.

So, I am trying to figure out the best option. I could move out and get a hangar at PVG for about $50 more a month, but I much prefer ORF due to the 15 minute drive vs. 40-45 minutes to PVG and also the runway length and ATC services here at ORF.

Other options are paying someone to fill in the rest of the hangar floor with concrete. Apparently some other tennants here have done just that, although I am not sure how the drainage would be effected. I could also request to move to space in one of the corporate hangars, but I kind of like having the personal space of a T-hangar.

Anyone else experienced challenges like this? Would a garage/basement style dehumidifier help? In the meantime, looks like I have an excuse to fly more.
 
One thing you really need to watch on Barons are the skins on the elevator, which are made of magnesium. You can usually see some filliform corrosion starting to show through the paint, but this can really be a weak spot, especially in an environment prone to promoting corrosion.
 
Concrete all by itself will let moisture come up. Digging up the gravel and putting a layer of polyurethane down may (may) help - you want it under your concrete as well if you do pour.

But, is the water coming up or coming in? In my hangar, it runs in under the door and my ride ends up sitting in puddle in the middle of the concrete.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
But, is the water coming up or coming in? In my hangar, it runs in under the door and my ride ends up sitting in puddle in the middle of the concrete.
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Dunno. I assume the ground is getting saturated from the outside. On the exterior side, there is a section of asphalt that runs from the concrete portion and connects with the ramp between hangar rows. On either side of that asphalt is grass (basically on the opposite side of the gravel areas is grass). The grass areas do get soaked with standing water when it rains, but I have not seen the standing water show up on the inside).

I've never seen any puddling on the concrete by the doors or coming up from the gravel. I have seen water drip occasionally from condensing on the rafters in the overhead. That is the only physical wateri have seen inside.
 
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Industrial size ceiling fans.
 
My old hangar at FDK was a similar setup. Gravel floor with a blacktop center section to parke the plane on. I laid a double layer of tarpaper over the gravel sections, then covered the entire floor with a couple layers of old carpet remnants. Looked like a middle eastern carpet bazaar, but worked pretty well.
 
I put a few moisture canisters (Damp Rid) around the hanger. Also use Corrosion X on exposed metal surfaces. Think that stuff lasts up to two years.
 
Fearless Tower said:
It's a '78, so it came with factory corrosion proofing. But that doesn't help the engine cases and prop tips.
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Factory corrosion proofing isn't ideal especially after time and oxidation take their toll. Engine cases and prop tips are the least of your worry and can easily be recoated with a spray can of paint. What you need to worry about is your magnesium skins mostly.
 
Dig up the gravel and the existing concrete. Lay heavy plastic down and bring it up the sides about 5 inches. Pour new concrete over it all being sure it is above the outside grade level. Thirty days or more after the concrete is poured seal ot with a concrete sealer and that should solve the problem.
 
In a un-insulated metal box in a humid climate, a lot of your water comes from condensation of the air that breathes through it with sun induced temperature changes. You can have the concrete perfectly sealed and the water dripping off the rafters will still keep the place high in humidity. The prop blades you can protect against that kind of corrosion by wiping them down with a oily rag, the whitish deposit on the cylinder fins is meaningless. What is more concerning is the amount of humidity and corrosion in compartments and crevices you can't see. I would consider the corporate hangar if it is a reasonable option.
 
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