shop humidity

[peter havriluk]

I run a pair of dehumidifiers in my basement year round but they don't turn on during the winter. Right now the basement is sitting at 50% humidity and I think that level is routine. Is this a 'buildable' moisture level? Otherwise I wait till summer's over to join bracing to tops/backs.

Thanks for advice/comments.

[John Parchem]

I would be OK building at 50%. What are using to measure relative humidity? Many of the all but very expensive calibrated gauges are not very accurate. From the question I am guessing that the humidifiers are running 100% of the time and go only bring the humidity down to 50%.

[peter havriluk]

Good guess on the dehumidifiers. When I built the house lo those years ago, the first thing I did in the basement was to paint the walls with waterproof Portland-cement paint. Maybe I get some benefit from that. And I'm using (no flames please) the inexpensive clock/thermometer/hygrometer digital devices. I'm comparing the results of three from different vendors, but for all I know the logic inside is the same in all three. I can't think of how I could get hold of a calibrated means to verify relative humidity.

[ken cierp]

We have a bunch of the digital humidistats they are pretty darn accurate +/- a few % nothing wrong with that. Personally I think folks obsess over this issue a little too much. If the finished project is headed out to the desert yeah, its a good idea to at least do the glue ups and assembly operations in lowest RF conditions possible.

In the hobby builder's shop --- 50% will not get you in trouble.

[peter havriluk]

I just did a sealed-in-a-bag-with-salt-and-water-in-a-bottlecap test, and the inexpensive digital thermometer/humidstat/clock device settled down at 76 percent humidity, the test standard being 75 percent. Sounds to me like that one belongs in the guitar shop.