A garage is a concrete box with poor air exchange — so in spring and autumn condensation forms on the cold walls.
A garage is one of the spaces where mould appears most often, and the reason is the construction rather than the cleanliness. Concrete and masonry are heavy materials with high thermal inertia: they cool slowly and warm up slowly. Walls and floor stay cold long after the outside air has warmed.
That difference is exactly what causes the problem. When warm, humid outside air flows into the space and meets a wall colder than the dew point, moisture condenses on it. In spring and autumn, when the temperature swings sharply during the day, that happens almost daily. The result is damp walls, grey patches, a stale smell and mould on everything standing against the wall.
| Sign | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Dew on the walls on a warm, humid day | Condensation on a cold surface |
| Mould on cardboard boxes and textiles | Permanently high humidity in the space |
| A stale smell that does not go | No air exchange |
| Only one spot on the wall is damp | A leak or a defect, not condensation |
| Damp floor edges | Moisture from the ground through the slab |
| Rust on tools and metal | Prolonged high humidity |
The third factor, often missed, is what is stored in the garage. Cardboard boxes, timber shelving, textiles, old furniture, tyres, garden furniture cushions and the like are porous and absorb moisture from the air. They act as a moisture store: even once the space has dried out, they go on releasing moisture back into the air for a long time and keep the smell going. They also usually stand tight against the wall, where the air does not move at all — and that is where mould appears first.
There are a few things worth trying before any treatment:
Seasonality in garages is very pronounced. The greatest risk is not mid-winter, when everything is uniformly cold, but in the transitional periods: March and April, when it is already ten degrees outside but the walls have not yet warmed, and October, when warm, humid air meets an already cooled structure.
Those are the months when people most often notice that stored things are damp and patches have appeared on the walls. If you are planning treatment, it makes most sense after that period, once the space has dried out — not in the middle of it, while condensation is forming daily.
To be clear from the start: we treat the garage premises — walls, ceiling, floor, shelving and the surfaces in the space itself. We do not treat vehicle interiors; that is not a service we offer. If your question is about a smell or mould in the car, we cannot help you, and it is better said straight away than after a call-out.
In the space we typically treat:
There is one practical limit on treating stored items, and we state it up front. Cardboard that is already deeply mouldy, and textiles that have been wet for a long time, are usually not worth treating — throwing them out is cheaper and more sensible. Treatment makes sense for what is valuable or irreplaceable. What to save and what to discard is your decision; we tell you what can realistically be treated and what cannot.
Treatment does not stop condensation: if the air exchange and the thermal regime stay the same, the mould will come back.
So at the inspection we always say what ought to be addressed in the ventilation or the insulation — even when it means our work was only half a solution. More on how this works: mould removal.
Another boundary it is only fair to name: we do not insulate, lay damp-proofing, install ventilation or do other building works. At the inspection we can tell you what is happening to the space and why, but the structural fix itself is a builder's job. If you are told that treatment alone will keep damp from coming back, that is not true in any space where the cause is left unchanged.
Another question people often ask: does mould in the attic affect the living space? In practice the effect is indirect and depends on how well the floor structure seals. If the attic hatch does not seal, or there are unsealed service penetrations through the floor, air from the attic gets down — and that is how the characteristic smell shows up, noticeably stronger upstairs than below. So on attic work we always look at the hatch and the penetrations too, not just the roof structure.
We look at the walls, ceiling, floor and corners. We measure moisture and assess the air exchange.
We establish whether it is condensation, a leak or moisture from the ground.
We pull shelving and stored items away from the walls and clear access to the problem areas.
Where needed, we remove the layer of mould and dirt before treatment.
We treat the surfaces of the space, observing the product's contact time.
We set out what needs addressing in the ventilation or the insulation so the problem does not recur.
If a garage has a persistent damp or chemical smell that has soaked into the concrete and the stored items, surface treatment alone may not remove it. In cases like that we also use ozone treatment — it acts on the air and on porous surfaces. More on the causes of smells: odour removal.
If the garage is at basement level in a block of flats or in a garage co-operative, there is one further factor. Walls are often shared with neighbouring units, and damp or a smell may come from next door rather than from your own space. Treating your unit will clear what is already in it, but it will not affect a cause behind the wall. We say so honestly, so that you are not left with unfounded expectations of a lasting result.
A garage is often only one zone in a larger property. If it is part of a house, it makes sense to look at the basement and the attic in the same visit — damp problems in a building are rarely isolated. Other property types: all property types.
For a small garage — from €55. Larger areas are priced by the square metre: up to 100 m² — €1.20/m², 100–300 m² — €0.90/m², 300–1000 m² — €0.70/m². Ozone treatment €1.20/m², minimum €60. Travel within Riga is included.
No. We treat the garage premises — walls, ceiling, floor, shelving and stored items. Treating vehicle interiors is not a service we offer.
Treatment removes what is there now. If the cause of the condensation stays — cold walls and no air exchange — the problem will recur. At the inspection we set out what ought to be addressed structurally.
Not all of them. We pull them away from the walls so we can reach the surfaces. What to remove and what to cover is agreed before the work — open food and sensitive materials are taken out.
Describe the situation — we will tell you whether treatment is needed at all, and which one.
Fill in the form — we will call you on the number you provide, ask a few clarifying questions and propose a solution.
Thank you! We will contact you on the phone number you provided shortly.
