Storing Comics in the Basement699
 COLLECTOR
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Wolverine private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Now I know this is not the most ideal spot to store them but I have to make my mancave upstairs into a room for my son as our newborn daughter will be taking over his room. They will stored in a stand up cabinet away from any possible water flood areas and will also be put 1 foot off the ground. There's isn't really any moisture down there so I'm not worried about that. Just curious if anybody else has suggestions on how to better protect them. I would put the short boxes inside Rubbermaid containers but couldn't find any to properly fit inside the unit. |
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 Collector
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markalyn private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm in that same boat as you are. I have a large collection in my basement. . . in the same room as the furnace and water heater. I have my collection in short boxes on racks a few inches off the ground. They're all in bags and boards with about 50% of those in Mylar and acid-free boards. I've thought about this quite a bit, but besides keeping an eye on the water heater and any ground water issues, I'm not sure there is a perfect solution. Waterproofing the short boxes is an idea I've not tried to tackle, but could work I guess. Bags for boxes maybe? I'm curious as to what others may add. |
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 COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Invest in a digital gauge that monitors temperature and humidity and keep it close to your comics. If your humidity is too high then invest in a dehumidifier. | ||
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 Collector
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Hero_Restoration private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The biggest issues of concern is flooding of course, but also the common environmental questions, especially since basements are not usually as dry as the rest of the house. DarthLego just beat me, you need to see what your temp and humidity are. You also should get one that shows history, like 12-24 hours, basements are more vulnerable to humidity fluctuations. Ideal is 40-50%, with acceptable approximate ranges of 30-65%. | ||
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 Collector
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rickdod3 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Would silicon packets to soak up any extra moisture inside the short/long boxes help at all? or cause any damage? | ||
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COLLECTOR
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Wolverine private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by rickdod3 I never thought of that. Could put a bunch inside the cabinet with the boxes. That could work. |
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Collector
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rickdod3 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Wolverine The only thing that concerns me is the silicon packets making the air "too dry" and causing the pages of the books to become brittle. I'm not an expert by any means...but that could be a possible issue in the future. |
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COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I can't see how Silica (not silicon which is in microchips) packets could hurt anything as far as making the air too dry. If humidity becomes high enough to actually be a problem though I doubt they will help much as the cardboard of the short box will become a bigger moisture sponge. Prevention is the best medicine. Does anyone know what the ideal temperature is for comics? |
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 I'll probably wake up constipated.
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Pre_Coder private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego About 68-70 degrees F is what I have mine stored at. |
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 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Wolverine If these are going into a cabinet, there are a bunch of options!! Just look under gun safe dehumidifiers. I think there are even sensors (humidity/temperature) that you can mount in the cabinet and then read the gauges outside the cabinet. |
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 COLLECTOR
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conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have about 15,000 books in mylar and boarded, in a basement room. It is a finished room. They have been there for 13 years, and I have found no problems. I do run a dehumidifier in the hallway just outside that room, constantly though. My "good" books are kept in my office on the main floor. In a very large fireproof safe. Which I have been told is not good for them But I have not found any problems with that either. No rusty staples, etc. I mean, when you have a lot of books. You have to keep them somewhere. Right? |
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COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I seen somewhere on the CGC board where it was mentioned they had a case of staples in slab mysteriously rusting. CGC's answer was that the fire proofing of the safes these books were kept in was causing a reaction that was rusting the stables. But I'm not taking CGC's word for nothing. | ||
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 Collector
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I am also in the same boat as Markalyn. Mine are in my Furnace room which is also my storage/hangout. I run the dehumidifier constanly. My books start about 2 feet off the floor and on heavy duty wooden shelves. I drape a plastic tarp over the top row and have it so it goes down over the front of the books.The tarp is because I do have bathrooms above not far away. I also built a sheetmetal box with a sheet metal cover that is siliconed on the seams. My better books go in there. I will have to take some photo and do a show in tell. You can also use a psychrometer that will give you the relative humidity. Fieldpiece makes a nice one that is silver and about the size of a cigar. It is about $50. I will send out the model # soon. | ||
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 Collector
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roarzola private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Mine are in the garage which unfortunately, gets hot during the summer. I would say the temperature could get as has high as the 90's. I have started pulling the books out and putting them in the house and getting rid of the ones I do not want to keep. I am just hoping for a cooler summer then last year. |
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 Collector
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MetalPSI private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego It's the humidity inside the safe that causes these reactions. If you do not put silica gel inside or open the safe regularly, in humid climates, this WILL happen. Not a myth, a fact. |
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 Collector
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The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by MetalPSI Absolutely correct. My grandfather had $20,000 in soggy bills because of this and tried to dry it in a microwave. He burned it to a crisp. He gathered up what was left and sent it to the treasury dept. After a thorough investigation, they sent him back $25,000. |
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COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Wow, I didn't even know the Treasury replaced destroyed bills like that. I have a plan way down the road when I'm able to set up a dedicated comic room to put a security rated door on the room so the entire room is the safe. |
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 Collector
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Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego Would you take Borock's word for it?  http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1140967&fpart=1 |
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 Collector
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molcott private msg quote post Address this user | |
| go to petsmart and in the reptile section get a cheap combo pack of stick on thermometer and hydrometer if temp is too high get a fan if moister is too high get a dehumidifyer | ||
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 Collector
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Oxbladder private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Another issue with basements is bugs, like silverfish. Silverfish love paper and they like the cooler temperatures of basements. | ||
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 Collector
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Odins_Raven private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have a small safe in my cool, unfinished basement that I store only my most valuable slabs in and from the moment they went in there, I filled the empty spaces with silica gel packets and have noticed no adverse effects but I will continue to monitor them closely. | ||
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Collector
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The Pychrometer that I had mentioned earlier is from Fieldplece model # PHR2. It will give you the Relative Humidity and temperature for monitoring your basement ambient conditions. | ||
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 Collector
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Arikhan private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I had to store mine in a basement for a couple of years and bought a dehumidifier as a precaution and I am glad I did. For the most part the moisture would fill the reservoir over a week or so, but some days during the rainy season I had to dump the bucket every day. It scares me to think about all that moisture around my books. | ||
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Collector
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MetalPSI private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I am thinking of storing mine in a sea can. Problem is that it gets down to -30 during the winter. Would this affect my books overly much? I wouldn't say it gets humid, actually quite the opposite. |
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Collector
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MetalPSI private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Oh, that's Celsius BTW. I'm Canadian. We are into metric voodoo up here. And racing beavers for sport. Both types, you perv  |
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 Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego The "fireproof" safe concern is based in both myth and truth. Some fireproof (fire resistant) safes are not good for paper collectibles, specifically those that have some form of liquid insulation designed to keep valuables below warranteed temperatures in the event of a fire based UL testing. Those with liquid insulation can sweat in a variety of environments, and that sweating can't be good as it raises the relative humidity inside the safe (some smaller, lower end Sentry safes employ this technique or did so in the past based on personal experience). Note: My distrust of this type of small safe decades ago forced me to remove books and sell the safe before any damage was done. The best fireproof/resistant safes don't use liquid, but rather employ a drywall type of material that doesn't sweat or steam until extreme external heat is applied. These safes are usually data grade (lowest UL tested temp.) which are the best for protecting paper as they maintain lower temperatures in the case of an actual fire. My best example would be Phoenix data grade safes, but there are probably others that would meet the necessary criteria. If one is looking into fireproof/resistant safes, there is no reason for paranoia as long as you do the research and employ logical safeguards such as monitoring temperature and humidity levels with appropriate gauges and using silica desiccant to keep the internal humidity levels of the safe at around 50% or lower. Room temperature (60 to 75 degrees) and balanced humidity (40 to 50%) should not be harmful for book storage. When humidity is too low there may be risks to paper drying out and too high may pose a risk to staplrs (rust). Some folks have expressed concerns about long term paper storage in fireproof/resistant safe have hypothesized that chemicals used in the construction of these safes may pose a threat to paper preservation, but without evidence to support this idea it will remain in the urban legends category. All of the views expressed above are my own, based on personal experience. There may be other viewpoints equally valid. Quote: Originally Posted by Oxbladder Edgar Church kept his collection in his basement. Collectors have to do their due diligence in making sure that their homes are pest free especially in areas where paper collectibles are stored in boxes or on shelves. All manner of bugs like paper (silverfish termites, moths, mites, etc.) especially when combined with humidity. This is another area where encapsulation and safes add extra layers of security in protecting valuable comics. |
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COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @CatmanAmerica Great info! Quote: Originally Posted by MetalPSI Please convert to Fehrenheit for us pesky 'Mericans  |
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Collector
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MetalPSI private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Room temperature in Canada is around 27 degrees. Catman is working in Fehrenheit for your ease of reading. |
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I'll probably wake up constipated.
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Pre_Coder private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have a question concerning fireproof safes. I have no interest in acquiring one, and this may be a dumb question due to my lack of education on the matter, but I want to throw it out there anyway just for curiosity.... If these safes are fireproof, then are they also air tight? If so, then what about the off-gassing from the books inside? The gasses have nowhere to go and will just concentrate inside the safe with the books. Does a person just open the safe door once a week (or month) and let things air out,... or is this even an issue? |
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COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Fireproof safes are not air tight. |
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