Keeping things dry

jrf

Bronze
Jan 9, 2005
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I have found that books, notes, papers, clothing and such is hard to keep dry.
Always seems to be a bit humid - not completely dry.

How do you deal with this? I know that you could run the A/C most of the time which right now it is actually too cold for that.
Any suggestions?
 

margaret

Bronze
Aug 9, 2006
1,222
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48
Maybe a ceiling fan would help, cooling in the summer and forcing warn air down in the winter, circulating air causing evaporation.

Other than that don't keep your closet jam packed with clothes, air can't circulate around them. Get rid of clothes you haven't worn for a year.

Papers and notes: Buy a scanner and an external hard drive and scan all your stuff and store it in digital format. Sort through your books and give some of them away to book hungry ex-pats. Or make a list of books you have and sell them on Ebay to expats. :)

Paiint your closets and rooms with proper mould and mildew-resistant paint. As a last resort, put weather stripping on your bedroom door and keep it closed, running a dehumidifier with a humidistat in your bedroom.
 

Ringo

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Mar 6, 2003
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Check your roof and around the house drainage. Cement will absorb water and add moisture to a room. I had a place with a leak at the edge of the roof and found a wet wall. Sealed roof, and large part of the problem solved.

Keeping windows open, if possible, helps. Fans running, even on low, appears to help. Check your AC and see if it has a dehumidifier mode or on fan only?

I have not had to get rid of all my papers, books and cloths.

Regards, Ringo
 

MommC

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Mar 2, 2002
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dr1.com
They are next to useless.....

What about those little silica sachets?

unless you dry them in the oven daily.....

Keep windows open during daylight (close around 6PM), run your ceiling fans,
place books loosely in an open bookcase in a sunny spot, place papers in a cedar lined drawer and line your closets with cedar. A low watt light left on in the closet helps if you don't have cedar lined closets- provides just enough heat to keep closet dry.

Buy a dehumidifier if you can find one.....;)
 
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fightfish

New member
Jan 11, 2008
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You can make a dehumidifier out of a lenght of pvc, a light bulb and a fan. I used to use this contraption to dehumidify my boat. Put the lightbulb inside the tube, install the fan inside the tube, and turn it on. The dry air from the light bulb should help dry out a room.
 

Caren M.

New member
Jan 27, 2006
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A product called "Damp-rid" works pretty well too. They make 2 types. One we hang in the closets. There are crystals in the top of a plastic bag. Moisture collects in a chamber at the bottom. We use the smaller packets for inside drawers. They last a few months depending on the humidity. We usually bring them from the states but I have seen them in the grocery store in Veron too. They can usually be found in stores like Home Depot.