Humidity and wall hanging

After posting my thread on my new wall hanger, I started to think about humidity. I'm not sure about our average humidity here in Raleigh NC but I am wondering if its ok to leaves these hanging and not in cases with humidifiers? Any input?

One way to know for sure is to buy a hygrometer (which measures humidity) and keep it near your ukuleles to see how humid it is where ther ukuleles are hanging.



Humidity varies by location/climate. However, humidity is also affected by the amount and type of heat you use in your residence when it gets cold, and the location of the heat source relative to your ukuleles, so you shouldn't simply rely on weather reports of what the humidity is outdoors.

I thought your wall hanger looked really nice, but I don't think I'd ever use one.

Besides the humidity issue (which will vary throughout the year), there's direct and ambient light that can affect the color/finish and the fact that anything left out can and will collect dust, especially around all the little delicate areas like tuning gears.

Sometimes you just need that uke out. You look at it, it's art. Best place is in a case with a humidifier. Just don't hang it next to a fire place, oven , next to your shower( too humid) outside, next to a BBQ or in your garage. Where else should one not hang a ukulele?

Uke Republic said:

Sometimes you just need that uke out. You look at it, it's art. Best place is in a case with a humidifier.

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I'm pretty sure the case I just bought has a hygrometer but not a humidifier. Not sure what good it's gonna do me....just realized that

Is that true Mike?

It is relatively easy to make a humidifier, or they are pretty cheap. MGM sells Dampits I believe, or the other brand of the same thing. They seem to work well. Check out Aldrine's video on how to make one with a Pez dispenser. Or, make it out of PVC pipe.

Is your uke solid wood or laminate?

Laminates would fare far better on the wall when it's
dry. I wouldn't hang my best ukes, but I hang my
Oscar Schmidt ou5---it's laminate, and it's ornate.

You might want to avoid exterior walls and above baseboard or other types of heating ducts. A/C too.

+1 on purchasing a hygrometer for the room, or a couple to scatter through the house.
+1 on keeping the instrument out of direct sun. Direct sun through windows, and landing on an instrument, will cause wood to fade over time. It does not have to be hot outside, or summer, for this to happen.
+1 on location choices

You can purchase portable wick/evaporator humidifiers (not ultrasonic or "cool mist" humidifiers) built by Vornado, Holmes, etc. and put them in the room with the uke. Some have digital controls so you can set the humidity to 45% or 50% and the unit will turn on and off as needed. Some folks have whole house humidifiers built into their HVAC ducts (April Aire, etc.)

Ultrasonic humidifiers used to cause white dust to settle on surfaces. The white dust is basically disolved solids in the water. The ultrasonic process breaks the water up enough that the particles essentially fall out. You don't have this problem with wick/evaporator humidifiers.

If you were to focus on the humidity in a single room, then you'd put a unit in that room and shut the door to that room. If you don't shut the door the humidifier will be conditioning air in adjoining spaces and will go through water much more quickly. To condition the whole house you just purchase more units and leave interior doors open.

We've used portable units scattered through the house for years. In the summer we use dehumidifiers. Between the humidifiers and dehumidifiers we are able to keep the house between 45-50%.

spots has it right as well

I keep all my guitars and ukes on the wall, better chance that they all get played...and they do! I use a Hygrometer to make sure the humidity is in the 45-55% range. I have a nice Bionaire humidifier that has a built in hygrometer that I can set to stay at the 50% range. it holds about 30 hours worth of water in it's tank. Which usually lasts a few days in the winter, much much longer in spring and I do not need it at all in the summer in my climate. You get a feel for what your instruments like. Mine actually like 50% the most. So that's where I keep it.

Good luck, keep them out, play them, that's what they are for!

phanzo said:

I'm pretty sure the case I just bought has a hygrometer but not a humidifier. Not sure what good it's gonna do me....just realized that

Is that true Mike?

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Hygrometer is built into your new awesome croc case. You sooo need that in a dry clime. You will need a humidifier as well. I likey planet waves.

Uke Republic said:

Hygrometer is built into your new awesome croc case. You sooo need that in a dry clime. You will need a humidifier as well. I likey planet waves.

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I think Arizona classifies as a "dry climate" I'm very interested to see what the humidity is in my apt. Can't be much, it rains like 15 days a year hear

I'll look into the Planet Waves one. Do you know if it is available at "local" shops? I'd like to avoid shipping charges if at all possible

I use Herco and Oasis humidifiers in my cases. And I have a hydrometer too. The Hercos are less expensive, and a little larger than the Oasis. The Oasis has a nice feature, where you can see when it needs refilling. Its flexible body kind of shrivels up when it dries out. Having a few of those reminds me to refill all the humidifiers at the same time. And the Oasis has a clip/ magnet system to attach to the inside of your case.

–Lori

I've also heard that it is mostly just the rapid change in humidity that is bad for the instruments. I could be wrong, but it seems like if you just gradually brought the humidity of the instrument down to that of what your room is, it would be ok.

Someone correct me?

phanzo said:

I'm pretty sure the case I just bought has a hygrometer but not a humidifier. Not sure what good it's gonna do me....just realized that

Is that true Mike?

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Dustin - I use Herco humidifiers, especially in the case of my at-work uke (because of the air conditioning that can make things a little dry). They cost me $3.50 each, and I was able to find them locally at a music store. They work just fine for me!