Darkroom, equipment and humidity

Hi guys,

I recently moved to a nice period terraces house with an unfinished basement perfect for my next darkroom. So far I monitored the humidity and temperature for a week (a rainy week here in Manchester...sigh..) and I have an average of 20 degree (thanks to the central heating) and a humidity between 70% and 75%. In your opinion this conditions in a medium-long term will cause any damage to:

1- The enlarger mechanics and electronics (Lens I will store it in another room).
2- The negatives.
3- The paper boxes (mostly FB).

I am considering installing an extraction fan to suck out humid air form the basement and replace it with more dry air form the house. Sounds like a good idea? The basement doesn't have windows, only a small ventilation brick.

Thank you for any input!
Cheers,
Ferru

I would use a dehumidifier in the winter, and a AC during the summer to control the humidity. You can monitor the humidity and adjust accordingly. jmho

I like the humidity to be around 50% for the alt work I do, silver gelatin could be a bit lower..

humidity for alternative printing is one of the single most important factors. IMHO

I have similar humidity conditions as you Ferru. I live in Essex and my darkroom is in a wooden cabin at the end of the garden with no water or heating, just electric, so can get humid, hot, cold or very cold.

My first biggish investment was a humidifier from Argos I think, for about £150. It was well worth the money as it dried out the cabin in no time and I could really feel the difference and it also didn't feel so cold as well. The cardboard boxes of paper actually felt drier and I'm sure in the long run, using it on and off will keep things like mould and dampness at bay in the papers and the metals and electrics. I think that this would be a much easier way to solve your problem than what you said.

Good luck with your new darkroom build.

Terry S

FerruB said:

Hi guys,

I recently moved to a nice period terraces house with an unfinished basement perfect for my next darkroom. So far I monitored the humidity and temperature for a week (a rainy week here in Manchester...sigh..) and I have an average of 20 degree (thanks to the central heating) and a humidity between 70% and 75%. In your opinion this conditions in a medium-long term will cause any damage to:

1- The enlarger mechanics and electronics (Lens I will store it in another room).
2- The negatives.
3- The paper boxes (mostly FB).

I am considering installing an extraction fan to suck out humid air form the basement and replace it with more dry air form the house. Sounds like a good idea? The basement doesn't have windows, only a small ventilation brick.

Thank you for any input!
Cheers,
Ferru

Click to expand...

75% is not too bad. One of the major factors is whether open trays of fluid remain following printing sessions. The moisture evaporating from these will raise the humidity and contaminate the air with chemical fumes. Better to either cover the trays or empty them.

1. depends on how well made the enlarger is. Most are made to live in humid environments, exposed metal parts are either painted or plated to resist corrosion. I wouldn't worry about the electronics.

2. Negatives deserve careful storage in fairly constant temperature and humidity, I don't store negatives in the darkroom.

3. Paper boxes are pretty safe, they are usually double layer with a plastic bag inside.

Good Luck

The odds are, all the above will be ruined sooner or later. You need air circulation and some way to reduce the humidity. First, store film and paper somewhere else; then, if you have to have the enlarger in the sink room, at least remove the lenses and any instruments to a dry location when not in use. Otherwise, expect mold, mildew, condensation, battery corrosion, rust etc.

FerruB said:

Hi guys,

I recently moved to a nice period terraces house with an unfinished basement perfect for my next darkroom. So far I monitored the humidity and temperature for a week (a rainy week here in Manchester...sigh..) and I have an average of 20 degree (thanks to the central heating) and a humidity between 70% and 75%. In your opinion this conditions in a medium-long term will cause any damage to:

1- The enlarger mechanics and electronics (Lens I will store it in another room).
2- The negatives.
3- The paper boxes (mostly FB).

I am considering installing an extraction fan to suck out humid air form the basement and replace it with more dry air form the house. Sounds like a good idea? The basement doesn't have windows, only a small ventilation brick.

Thank you for any input!
Cheers,
Ferru

Click to expand...

the temperature is perfect; the humidity is a bit high but it will drop during winter months;I'd move the negs into he living room area; your darkroom equipment will be fine but an exhaustion fan won't hurt.

I live in a house built in 1900 in the South of the UK (which is drier than Manchester). I monitor the humidity in the house and at the moment it is 65% RH and 16 C in my living room. This is fairly typical but in the Winter it would be colder and the humidity higher. I have quite a large cellar and I did consider making this into a darkroom but it is cold (unheated) and damp (being below ground). I did not think it was a reasonable use of energy to heat the cellar or to try to dehumidify it so I made my darkroom elsewhere in the house. I also felt the cellar was too poorly ventilated and I didn't want to upset my wine stores. You might be able to get away with it but I wouldn't want to store paper, negatives or lenses (you mentioned that) in a damp basement. I would not like to have your energy bills if you choose to heat, ventilate and dehumidify a basement.

+1 on posts 2 & 3.

Thanks for your opinions and experiences guys.
70-75 seems high but it actually feels not too bad at 20 degrees. Out of curiosity, how many of you measure regularly the humidity in their darkroom?

I agree that the negatives are probably better stored somewhere else, I will store them in the studio three floors above (gasp). Papers however I think I will leave them in the basement, maybe in a relative dryer corner. Anyway I have the good habit to put away the chemicals after every session and leave the trays empty. So I hope to get to 65% with an extraction fan and avoid to use a dehumidifier.

The enlarger is a DeVere 504, definitely well made, but not invulnerable

Cheers

FerruB said:

Thanks for your opinions and experiences guys.
70-75 seems high but it actually feels not too bad at 20 degrees. Out of curiosity, how many of you measure regularly the humidity in their darkroom?

I agree that the negatives are probably better stored somewhere else, I will store them in the studio three floors above (gasp). Papers however I think I will leave them in the basement, maybe in a relative dryer corner. Anyway I have the good habit to put away the chemicals after every session and leave the trays empty. So I hope to get to 65% with an extraction fan and avoid to use a dehumidifier.

The enlarger is a DeVere 504, definitely well made, but not invulnerable

Cheers

Click to expand...

If this is your only option better to have a darkroom that is not ideal than no darkroom at all! Mine is not ideal and a lot of other people are in the same situation. Mine is cramped, poorly ventilated and has no water. I have to take prints in a bucket of water to the bathroom to wash them and the regular opening of the door is the "ventilation system". The cramped space does force me to be tidy which is not my nature. Best of luck with your new setup.