Konmari and so on related:How to store books? Damp conditions?

[Pen]

I have books that for various reasons I am not ready to part with, but need some way to store. For example, say I already made the mistake of pre-buying curriculum that we are not now using, and don't have good space for on our shelves.

 

Is there some way to box it up, maybe in plastic boxes and with gel beads or baking soda or something to absorb moisture and put the boxes in the basement without the books going bad? It is too damp here to generally dehumidify the space.

[KungFuPanda]

Have you tried a dehumidifier? I have a submerged basement in a wet climate and I was really surprised at the difference a dehumidifier made. I'm now considering storing things down there that I never have before.

[Pen]

I think there are too many cracks to outside world that I cannot seal totally and that I'd be trying to dehumidify the world, not just the basement.

[meena]

I would try to make room on the main floor of the house for the books by moving other items to the basement that wouldn't be affected by moisture as much (furniture, linens, ceramics, etc). Also consider nontraditional storage areas for books, such as under beds, in the top of closets, in a storage ottoman in a living area. Books pick up smells and deteriorate too easily to be in a damp environment even with preventative measures, and there's no way to clean or mitigate damage done.

[Pen]

Thank you!

[PollyOR]

We live in a very damp house in the PNW which I believe has a concrete slab foundation.  Under the bed or near the floor is off limits for books.  I've learned the hard way that books get ruined by mold/mildew unless they are at least a couple feet off the floor.  They also do better on shelves where there is better airflow.  Surprisingly I've found that my school books have fared better in Rubbermaid containers out in the garage.  I don't put anything in with them to keep out moisture and they aren't wrapped.

 

We have a small dehumidifier that I've been running near the bookcases in my bedroom.  It helps, but I'm pretty sure running a dehumdifier is why my electric bill has gone up. 

 

We used to live in a house with a daylight basement.  Part of it was unfinished and we made the mistake of using it for storage.  Pretty much ruined everything.  And if it wasn't ruined, it smelled moldy.

 

Good luck with figuring out how to safely store your books.  It can be a real challenge in a damp area and in an older home.

 

[Pen]

We live in a very damp house in the PNW which I believe has a concrete slab foundation.  Under the bed or near the floor is off limits for books.  I've learned the hard way that books get ruined by mold/mildew unless they are at least a couple feet off the floor.  They also do better on shelves where there is better airflow.  Surprisingly I've found that my school books have fared better in Rubbermaid containers out in the garage.  I don't put anything in with them to keep out moisture and they aren't wrapped.

 

We have a small dehumidifier that I've been running near the bookcases in my bedroom.  It helps, but I'm pretty sure running a dehumdifier is why my electric bill has gone up. 

 

We used to live in a house with a daylight basement.  Part of it was unfinished and we made the mistake of using it for storage.  Pretty much ruined everything.  And if it wasn't ruined, it smelled moldy.

 

Good luck with figuring out how to safely store your books.  It can be a real challenge in a damp area and in an older home.

 

We are also in PNW, and older home, so all of this applies.

 

The idea of books in a Rubbermaid in garage is interesting. Can you give more specifics, like are they raised off ground? Anything you can think of that might be why this worked better?

 

I have such a hard time with books. Sigh.

[Pen]

Do you think the couple feet off floor rule would apply to a second story that is only minimally heated also?

[PollyOR]

My daughter also lives in the area in an older home.  Her house has a crawl space so it is off the ground, but it seems much less humid than ours.  My guess is she has fewer problems because they have central air while we have electric baseboard heating.  Also, she has carpet and we have bare floors.   We've also had more trouble with bookcases when they are against the outer walls.   

 

I have more than one Rubbermaid container out in the garage.  There doesn't seem to be any difference between the books stored in containers on the concrete floor and the containers on shelves (3-5 ft. off the floor).  The ones I use are Roughnecks.  They aren't airtight so I'm stumped as to why the books do better.  

 

 

Here's what I found online:

A cool (room temperature or below), relatively dry (about 35% relative humidity), clean, and stable environment (avoid attics, basements, and other locations with high risk of leaks and environmental extremes)

 

Our house stays at about 50% humidity during the winter.  35%?  I wish!

 

When books must be packed away for storage, do not wrap them in common household plastics (plastic kitchen wrap, garbage or cleaner bags) because these emit harmful gases as they degrade. Storage boxes made from alkaline corrugated cardboard designed for the purpose are available from conservation suppliers. Avoid storing boxes of books in attics, garages, or basements, where temperature and humidity fluctuations are great, where pests may be a problem, and where leaks or floods are common. Always allow at least four inches of space between the boxes and the walls, ceilings, and floors.

Many book materials are attractive to pests. Rats and mice, silverfish, and a host of smaller insects are common troublemakers. Watch carefully for signs of their presence. Vigilant housekeeping discourages them. If there is an infestation, consult a conservator.

 

I understand the struggle.  Sadly, I have more books than "safe" spots in my house, so I've been giving them away.  I try not to worry about curriculum if I know it isn't something I'm keeping long term.

[Pen]

35% hahahaha!

[Sahamamama]

The house we live in now (NJ) is dryer than our last house, but when we lived there, there was no way we could store anything (especially books) in the basement, garage, or on a shelf against an outside wall. The temperature fluctuations were too great, and caused the plaster walls to "sweat." We had some nasty encounters with pink mold growing in a closet (well, not really a closet, just a space on the way up into the attic, but we had put a clothes rod in there). Anyway, mold destroyed, lesson learned. Yuck.

 

We discovered that what made a huge difference was airflow -- so in the attic, we had a fan going all the time. In the (tiny) "closets" -- there were exactly two of those -- we had to utilize less of the already insufficient space, by never having anything up against the walls. Pain in the neck. Where do you even put a coat in a house like that? No coat closet, of course. When we moved, we threw out almost everything that had been in the basement, if we hadn't tossed it by then. It was just not worth keeping, it was so musty.

 

In this house, a dehumidifier in the basement has made that a dry and pleasant place. We also have a fan running (all the time), to circulate the air. I store nearly all our homeschool books and materials (past and future) in small plastic bins on a wooden shelf that is not against an outside wall. But here, we have a poured concrete foundation, whereas in the old house, it was unsealed cinder block. I wonder if that makes a difference? We only ever have to spray Lysol about twice a year, in the storage closets, to keep that musty smell away. We take out all the craft stuff and toys, open the closets, spray, and leave the house for the day. It's going on three years now, and I do think the dehumidifier-fan combination has been what keeps the basement viable for books (and everything else).

 

A dehumidifier probably would help in your basement, even though there are doors and ventilation gaps, but I get what you're saying about dehumidifying the world, LOL. I notice that in the summer (hot, humid), if the girls keep the basement door open, all the humid air from the main level rolls down into the basement, and this makes it hard for the dehumidifier to keep up. We bought the kind of DH with a pump, so you don't have to empty the bucket, but the pump broke (just after the warranty expired, don't you know?). So now we have to empty that bucket. In the summer, I might empty it three times a day. It's worth it to me, to keep the basement workable space, but in the PNW.... maybe not?

 

I wonder, if you have a DH + a fan, would that be enough? A shelf away from outside walls, up off the floor, and then you could use small plastic bins for the books? I use small bins because they are so much easier to lift, lug, move, and work with than large bins. I have the clear ones, and they are easier to label, too. I just write the contents of the bin on an index card, and slide it in between the contents and the outside of the bin. Instant label.

 

I wonder if you could find a local, friendly librarian who would have some ideas about storing books in your climate? Most librarians love books, and someone might be happy to help you "save a book." :) HTH.

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Sahamamama

[Sahamamama]

One more thought, related somewhat to the Konmari principle:

 

In our homeschool room, we only keep exactly what we are currently using at the moment.

 

All the completed work (except lapbooks and projects the girls make) is stored in the basement. So when they finish a CLE unit, the book goes into storage that same day, and I print out a "Certificate of Achievement" for them to hang on their bedroom wall. ;)

 

All the future materials are stored there, too. I can't stand having future materials hanging over my head all year.

 

Every so often, I go through and "edit" the homeschool room -- that is, I pull out anything that is not directly related to our current work, and either put in on the general browsing bookshelf or store it away. This combats my tendency to have everything available, "just in case." I have found that I'm much happier with less, and the girls get more free time. If I remove the items we aren't using, then I remove the guilt for not using them. :)

Edited February 5, 2016 by Sahamamama

[Pen]

The house we live in now (NJ) is dryer than our last house, but when we lived there, there was no way we could store anything (especially books) in the basement, garage, or on a shelf against an outside wall. The temperature fluctuations were too great, and caused the plaster walls to "sweat." We had some nasty encounters with pink mold growing in a closet (well, not really a closet, just a space on the way up into the attic, but we had put a clothes rod in there). Anyway, mold destroyed, lesson learned. Yuck.

 

We discovered that what made a huge difference was airflow -- so in the attic, we had a fan going all the time. In the (tiny) "closets" -- there were exactly two of those -- we had to utilize less of the already insufficient space, by never having anything up against the walls. Pain in the neck. Where do you even put a coat in a house like that? No coat closet, of course. When we moved, we threw out almost everything that had been in the basement, if we hadn't tossed it by then. It was just not worth keeping, it was so musty.

 

In this house, a dehumidifier in the basement has made that a dry and pleasant place. We also have a fan running (all the time), to circulate the air. I store nearly all our homeschool books and materials (past and future) in small plastic bins on a wooden shelf that is not against an outside wall. But here, we have a poured concrete foundation, whereas in the old house, it was unsealed cinder block. I wonder if that makes a difference? We only ever have to spray Lysol about twice a year, in the storage closets, to keep that musty smell away. We take out all the craft stuff and toys, open the closets, spray, and leave the house for the day. It's going on three years now, and I do think the dehumidifier-fan combination has been what keeps the basement viable for books (and everything else).

 

A dehumidifier probably would help in your basement, even though there are doors and ventilation gaps, but I get what you're saying about dehumidifying the world, LOL. I notice that in the summer (hot, humid), if the girls keep the basement door open, all the humid air from the main level rolls down into the basement, and this makes it hard for the dehumidifier to keep up. We bought the kind of DH with a pump, so you don't have to empty the bucket, but the pump broke (just after the warranty expired, don't you know?). So now we have to empty that bucket. In the summer, I might empty it three times a day. It's worth it to me, to keep the basement workable space, but in the PNW.... maybe not?

 

I wonder, if you have a DH + a fan, would that be enough? A shelf away from outside walls, up off the floor, and then you could use small plastic bins for the books? I use small bins because they are so much easier to lift, lug, move, and work with than large bins. I have the clear ones, and they are easier to label, too. I just write the contents of the bin on an index card, and slide it in between the contents and the outside of the bin. Instant label.

 

I wonder if you could find a local, friendly librarian who would have some ideas about storing books in your climate? Most librarians love books, and someone might be happy to help you "save a book." :) HTH.

 

 

 

It took me a second read to figure out that DH above was dehumidifier, not dear husband in "DH with a pump."   LOL

 

Yes, these ideas help too. I like the idea of asking librarians since that would be same climate.

 

We have our damp season in fall, winter, spring.  Summers tend to be dry.

 

I am considering putting a small plastic bin with not too valuable books in several different places (garage, basement, out of the way closet)  with a large pack of silica gel and make a test with a limited sample to see what happens.

[Pen]

I talked with a couple of librarians. One of them told me that they use kitty litter if a book gets damp or smelly.  I'm going to add cat litter to my experiment.  Ialso learned that too dry is also possible, not just too wet.

[Pen]

According to British standards it seems like 40-50% humidity is okay. And that seems actually achievable.