Humidity Control for a Humid Uke Cabinet

nosniv

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After researching all the humidifier options and even going so far to get all the supplies to create my own humidifiers using the water pellets:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?39854-Video-Instructions-for-Making-DIY-Case-Humidifiers-from-Empty-Glitter-Tubes&highlight=humidifier
I discover that my cabinet is running on the humid side at a 70% humidity level.

I haven't weather stripped or or sealed it yet so this is the basic humidity of the basement where the cabinet stands.
So questions to the experts - If my cabinet is sitting around 70% after sealed should I consider dehumidifying options to get it to the 50-60% range? If 70% isn't too high is there a point where I should start taking dehumidifying actions? I understand I should also be concerned with humidity fluctuations, Is there a max fluctuation range I should be concerned with eg. 50-70 ok but 45-80 too much?

I'm up in northern california and the cabinet is in a basement so the temperature is pretty moderate and I thought the humidity was also but was surprised by the 70% reading. I'll be monitoring the humidity regularly now to get a better idea what I'm dealing with down there.




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First of all, be sure you have a hygometer that reads the levels correctly. Having done that, keep the humidity levels as close to 45% as you can. That's all you need to do. If you have to de-humidify, then do that. Repeat after me, 45%!
 
Basements in some climates can be very humid - water in the soil gradually works through even concrete basement walls. If it's consistently running 70 percent you might want to get an automatic dehumdifier that can be set to shut off around 45-55 percent. That much humidity is not just bad for instruments...it can be a paradise for various molds.

John
 
Water seepage isn't an issue for us. We live in a 1930's era home and there has been no seepage or flooding as far as we can tell based on stains/water marks on the concrete and stories we've been told. I do plan on getting a couple good hygrometers and monitoring them regularly and will take your advice plus look at better venting if it is running consistently in the 70's as this could be a greater issue for the space with the mold.
I'm still surprised at the 70% reading since we are in a dry area in drought conditions with exterior humidity running in the mid 20-30% and the basement is not tightly sealed off, there is only a single entry but no door closing the space off.
 
If the basement is cooler than the rest of the house, the relative humidity will be higher even though the moisture content is the same. That said, I agree with others that point out the need to confirm any readings you get and that running a dehumidifier is a good idea.
 
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