Hi all,

New homeowner with a pole barn garage. My pole barn has no foundation, so the posts are driven in the ground and the floor of the garage is dirt. The back of the pole barn has flooring, but it is just wooden 2x4 planking (like a deck) built a few inches off the dirt ground. This back area is used as a pool house with a changing room, fridge, and cabinets. Also in the back of the barn is an office room which is more insulated and sealed with a door, and I have noticed through cracks in the wall panels that there is vapor barrier/insulation behind the wood walls. I'm not sure if it's insulated under the room floor or not.

There is no ventilation in the roof of the pole barn at all, either at the peak or on the eaves. But since there is no foundation, the bottom of the pole barn is open an inch or so to the elements all the way around, except at the insulated room. There is also a fair amount of leakage to the elements under the garage doors and by the pool house, where there is a sliding barn door to the pool which simply has 2 latches to hold it against the pool barn and semi-seal it.

I've noticed that some of wood near the bottom of the pole barn is black, probably from mold. I also see it above the garage doors. Even the insulated room smells a bit like cat pee (maybe that's what it is, or maybe it's the smell of mold, I don't know)

I don't think I can run a dehumidifier, because I feel like I'd just be dehumidifying the great outdoors due to all the leaks around the bottom of the building. Is there anything I can do for a building like this to keep moisture under control?

Thanks,

Bill

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