payydg said:

That’s a good point. I can’t actually remember but I think not. When I’m
Back in Aberdream I’ll take some photos and let you guys (and girls) know

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Donkeys years ago we used to stay at a hostel type place on the banks of Kielder reservoir. The ceilings of the rooms were white artex. The rooms were basic, but clean. The last year we went the white ceilings were covered in black mould. When you went outside you could see why. The gutters were piled high with pine needles, tall enough to be toughing the roof tiles that over hung in to the gutter. This was allowing dampness to bleed in under the roof materials to inside the building. The old caretaker had retired and a new couple had taken over. They were'n as meticulous with their cleaning! Likewise, if there's no gutter then the water will be running off the roof and down the walls.

payydg said:

Is it worth boarding it out with a membrane behind?

I don’t have the money to pay someone to do it all so after something I can do myself?

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we have an old dairy as part of the house it had tile on earth floor and damp walls and floor theres no damp course in there or the rest of the house ,but membrane and boarding has made it a dry warm utility room

Al2O3 said:

Donkeys years ago we used to stay at a hostel type place on the banks of Kielder reservoir. The ceilings of the rooms were white artex. The rooms were basic, but clean. The last year we went the white ceilings were covered in black mould. When you went outside you could see why. The gutters were piled high with pine needles, tall enough to be toughing the roof tiles that over hung in to the gutter. This was allowing dampness to bleed in under the roof materials to inside the building. The old caretaker had retired and a new couple had taken over. They were'n as meticulous with their cleaning! Likewise, if there's no gutter then the water will be running off the roof and down the walls.

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That’s a good point. I’m fairly sure there’s no gutter. That may have to be job no. 1

jamesmartin said:

we have an old dairy as part of the house it had tile on earth floor and damp walls and floor theres no damp course in there or the rest of the house ,but membrane and boarding has made it a dry warm utility room

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Oh really? What sort of membrane did you use? It’s not like I have to run a kitchen out of there just somewhere to keep my tools and escape to without getting a fungal lung infection.

payydg said:

Oh really? What sort of membrane did you use? It’s not like I have to run a kitchen out of there just somewhere to keep my tools and escape to without getting a fungal lung infection.

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blue plastic sheeting from the builders merchants and lats

Google Visqueen

I used a dehumidifier in a 20ft container that was my previous workshop and I was glad that I did. I'm told that the dessicant type are the ones to go for because they will keep working at low temperatures, but mine was the older type and was still completely effective.

Someone else mentioned ventilation. I boat a lot and damp is a problem. Ventilation is good if you can rely on it and ensure that moving air gets everywhere, but it can't get rid of humidity if it's in the air, and humidity and cold steel tools make condensation if the draught isn't strong enough. Using a dehumidifier takes the opposite approach. You must try and seal the building so that you can dry all of the air within it. If your building is draughty, it ain't going to work. My container had bent door from a break-in attempt which left about a 5mm gap. After a few days there was always at least a pint in the tank, no matter what the weather because I was drying out half of Surrey.

ps. If you do go down the dehumidifier route, use the tank for a while to see how much you're getting, and then plumb the drain to outside or down a sink if you have one.