Cost effective Humidity control

[John Cooper]

All,

I am in need of some help - I have just bought a small glass diplay case from IKEA as posted here buy a few members. The case itself is mostly glass and is not completely sealed (open around the door area)

I have been watching the humidity for a week now through normal days and a few raininy days. The Guage I am using show the following:

HUMIDITY

MIN - 43%
MAX - 73%

After reading a few posts by Craig G et al. I want to try to keep this below 60% for the metal items but not too low as I do have a few leather items. So far I have place a few desiccant canisters inside the case but I am not sure if this is going to really control the humity. which is currently @ 57% in the top of the case near the two canisters.

What I am in need of is some cost effect methods to better control the humidity levels within my envirroment without buying a huge and expensive de-humidifer from HomeDepot...

Thanks for your help.

[lambstew]

Hi John

All,

I am in need of some help - I have just bought a small glass diplay case from IKEA as posted here buy a few members. The case itself is mostly glass and is not completely sealed (open around the door area)

I have been watching the humidity for a week now through normal days and a few raininy days. The Guage I am using show the following:

HUMIDITY

MIN - 43%
MAX - 73%

After reading a few posts by Craig G et al. I want to try to keep this below 60% for the metal items but not too low as I do have a few leather items. So far I have place a few desiccant canisters inside the case but I am not sure if this is going to really control the humity. which is currently @ 57% in the top of the case near the two canisters.

What I am in need of is some cost effect methods to better control the humidity levels within my envirroment without buying a huge and expensive de-humidifer from HomeDepot...

Thanks for your help.

I'm afraid there really is no way around buying at least a small de-humidifier for the room where you have your things set up. You can close doors & windows and put out all the desiccant cannisters out you want, but if the surrounding environment has a high humidity level then you need to take some real steps.

I've been through this very scenario and have been collecting for 25 years. I've seen a friend's metal items get worse and the leather pieces start mould farms because he had no de-humidifier to control the hot/damp periods.. Ideal humidity levels for metal is approximately between 32-40%. I used to have a collection of A-2 leather flying jackets that I would worry about all the time so I would compromise at around 42-45% humidity. The folks at the Smithsonian recommend leather be stored at 50% relative humidity. In the end I got rid of them because they were in my opinion more trouble than they were worth.

Anyhow, do yourself a favour and invest in a small room de-humidifier. High humidity/heat levels is a collection KILLER. You really can't do enough to protect your investment. In general, your entire collection needs to be stored in an overall stable environment where heat and humidity both are kept in check. All the stuff I have in frames has anti UV glass and the Ikea track lighting I have uses bulbs which are not ultra violet damaging.

Anyhow, just my 2cents worth.

Regards,

Konrad

[John Cooper]

Thanks for the post - I have do a bit of searching and found a few small units that may work. In you experience what size did you buy and how wwell did it work?

[lambstew]

Thanks for the post - I have do a bit of searching and found a few small units that may work. In you experience what size did you buy and how wwell did it work?

My place has an air exchanger and central air so I keep the whole joint to spec. You'd have to trudge down to yur local Depot and just check and see what they have that is small.

[Craigob]

my room is in the basement, its a fully finished area with carpets wall units and proper walls, thing is in the summer its bad down here, i ended up getting a couple of these

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-9514731-9095856?asin=B0002HE3OK&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0002HE3O K|Mini_Dehumidifier&ref=tgt_adv_XSC10001

they are small but i have 3 running in the summer and they do ok, not great but they suck a lot of water up.

[John Cooper]

Can you tell me what were your humdity levels before you used them and what they were after?

my room is in the basement, its a fully finished area with carpets wall units and proper walls, thing is in the summer its bad down here, i ended up getting a couple of these

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-9514731-9095856?asin=B0002HE3OK&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0002HE3O K|Mini_Dehumidifier&ref=tgt_adv_XSC10001

they are small but i have 3 running in the summer and they do ok, not great but they suck a lot of water up.