What is too humid for storage

[lauffray]

About a month ago I moved to a new place and setup my darkroom in the basement (where previously I lived on the third floor). I put all my negatives, paper and prints in one place.
Today I noticed the laundry we hung downstairs hadn't dried in a few days and now I'm worried it may be too humid for my paper and negatives downstairs.

All my unexposed paper is in their plastic bags inside the boxes, all my negatives are in plastic sleeves in closed boxes. How can I tell if it's too humid for them or if my storage is enough to protect them from humidity?

 

[MattKing]

That sounds too humid for storage.
A dehumidifier is a good idea - and if you install one in your basement, you may find that you will want to spend time there too!

 

[eddie]

My basement darkroom has the same issue. I have a dehumidifier running all summer. It sucks out about 1.5- 2 gallons of water from the air each day. I do turn it off while I'm working in there, as it is a bit noisy. I store my paper ( and powdered chemicals) in another part of the basement which doesn't get as humid, but I added a dehumidifier to that room before summer. You can get a decent dehumidifier for around $200.00. That's less than the value of even a small stash of paper. Additionally, if it's a severe problem, moisture can adversely affect electronic components.
A bonus I've noticed is my air conditioner doesn't seem to cycle on as much to maintain temperature.

 

[Sirius Glass]

That sounds too humid for storage.
A dehumidifier is a good idea - and if you install one in your basement, you may find that you will want to spend time there too!

Yes, do it now. It is well worth it.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

A darkroom dehumidifier will make life more comfortable for you. However it is not a good idea to store film and paper in the darkroom. The fumes from various chemicals can cause harm. Store supplies apartment and take only what you need to the darkroom. You didn't mention the ambient temperature of the darkroom but this can also be a factor. Does it get cold there in the winter? This can be a problem with solutions crystallizing.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

About a month ago I moved to a new place and setup my darkroom in the basement (where previously I lived on the third floor). I put all my negatives, paper and prints in one place.
Today I noticed the laundry we hung downstairs hadn't dried in a few days and now I'm worried it may be too humid for my paper and negatives downstairs.

All my unexposed paper is in their plastic bags inside the boxes, all my negatives are in plastic sleeves in closed boxes. How can I tell if it's too humid for them or if my storage is enough to protect them from humidity?

a basement is typically too humid for storage; besides,I wouldn't store negatives and unexposed photographic material in a darkroom anyway; some toners may fog these materials.Store negatives in your living area in the dark.

 

[lauffray]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The basement is cooler than the apartment, I don't know what it's like in the winter yet. I moved the negatives and paper upstairs to my office

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The basement is cooler than the apartment, I don't know what it's like in the winter yet. I moved the negatives and paper upstairs to my office

being cooler in the summer is what creates the humidity (condensation) In the winter the basement will be warmer than the rest of he house and it will be fine. Your negs will be happier upstairs.