Anyone know the ideal humidity in a safe

[Austin Charles]

I got my safe and set it in my reloading room in the basement.

I set it on a 2x4 frame and bolted it to the concrete floor.

I have a 24" Golden rod and a hygrometer in the safe and it has been keeping the temp. at 68 deg. and the humidity at 33%.

My question is what do you thik would be the ideal humidity for inside the safe to protect the guns from rust? I also have some important papers in there too.

My other question is being that the safe only has a fire rating of 1200 deg. for 32 min. Would they're be any harm in keeping the papers in another fire box inside the safe? Could that harm the papers? I know that papers can blister overtime when they are left in a safe that is not properly controlled.
I'm thinking that I would not be able to control the humidity inside the fire box.


Thanks Erik

 

[The Bushmaster]

And too dry could damage (crack) wood stocks and grips.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Well for cigars . . . . its 70-85%!

Two types of safes: document safes actually have insulation impregnated with water - that's how they extend their fire rating and that's why you shouldn't store guns in a "wet" document safe.

In general household conditions 20% is considered dry and 80% and up is considered wet. People feel discomfort below 20% (sinuses, eyes, contact lens wearers etc.)

For metal and synthetics, assuming no organic gasket materials or wood, I'd say the lower the better i.e. 0%

The wood issue is a good point though. We live in the mountains and the house in the winter gets REALLY dry without humidification (like down to 10% RH). We have found that poorly made wood furniture will crack, split and loosen, particularly when the humidity swings back to 100% in the summer. So the range may be part of it too.

However, my father in law, who makes custom furniture for a showroom in NYC (old world craftsman and all that) says that "good" furniture with properly treated wood and properly assembled should not have a problem.

He made us a dining room table that hasn't budged, moved or cracked in any way shape or form - so I guess he knows his business!

Bottom line, put the papers in a doc box inside the gun safe; with guns properly treated with rust preventative, the 33% should work fine.

And keeping the humidity up a bit might make it easier on your stocks when you pull them out on a dry winter day or a wet summer night.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Highland Ranger...Don't you have that backwards? WET winters day and DRY summers day....Not critical, just askin'...

 

[P95Carry]

I keep a silica gel pack in my safe and so far no color change. In winter (now) I have balanced flu heating - so it is reasonably dry air, but not bone dry - in summer A/C also keeps humidity under control. Thus far things have seemed OK over last 18 months. A number of C&R's are also out all time - no room in safe.... they keep just fine.

 

[LHB1]

Bushmaster,
I think Highland Ranger's statement is correct. We observe the same thing here in Houston. Problem is the air's ability to hold moisture goes UP with temperature. Thus, in the hot summer time, Houston humidity frequently runs 95-100%. But in the colder winter time (as now), the air cannot hold that much moisture and our humidity may range from 40-60%.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

 

[Highland Ranger]

Not backwards - at least not up here in the mountains. Winters really dry for the most part and summers are humid but not like DC or NYC humid . . . . we get our share of 100% days in the summer and 20% days in the winter . . . . its hell on wood and furniture.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Amazing what you can learn on here...I'm from the Great Northwest. Let me tell you the air up there when it gets to 100% humidity IT'S RAINING. L O L