Hi guys. My home recording studio is quite damp, so I have put a dehumidifier in there, it's a good one worth £300. But it's only got one setting.....well 2 if you count off. In my studio I have all computer recording kit but also 5 expensive guitars and basses. Is it ok to leave it on 24/7 will it take all the humidity out of the air and is that bad for the instruments ? I know fluctuating humidity isn't good but with this thing the only two consistent humidities I can do is damp or whatever it is with this thing on 24/7 ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Matthew

Hi Matthew!

I'm surprised you have so little control – even the modest dehumidifier that we use in my wife's garden studio has various settings, and of course it switches itself on and off when it detects that the humidity has risen above your chosen point.

If yours really is 'on all the time' or 'not on at all' then I suggest you leave it all 24/7 and see how you get on. If the worst comes to the worst you could put it on a mains timer if you feel that too much moisture is being extracted


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Maybe some instrument person, Zen for example could tell us what the optimum relative humidity is for guitars say?
Then you could buy a hygrometer and do the control by eyeball? Then too, you must be producing a lot of distilled water? If not you have a stuck "stat"

Dave.

Wouldn't it make more sense and be cheaper to just find out where the dampness is coming from and cure it at source?

Our American cousins are especially aware of humidity problems, a result of shipping guitars across a large country with a vast range of climates. Bob Taylor, of Taylor guitars, recommends using a digital hygrometer and looking for readings between 40% & 50% Relative Humidity.

However, the real problems with guitars comes from moving between environments with very different Relative Humidity. If a guitar stays in a constant environment it will stabilise over time, and once it is stable it can be set-up and remain in good order. If anything, it's better to be in slightly too damp conditions rather than too dry. Central heating and air conditioning are the enemies of guitars, the woods shrink as they dry out and potential problems include fret ends protruding, frets coming unseated, the neck developing a back bow, and the tops of acoustics flattening out and lowering the action drastically.

Moving guitars between very damp and very dry environments (think on stage under lights as well as central heating and air conditioning) is the worst option. The woods alternatively shrink and expand as the guitar tries to settle. The symptoms are bad enough, the action and set-up keeps changing, but it can cause serious structural problems including loose braces, fretboards detaching, neck joints breaking... you get the drift.

So, with all that in mind, the best advice is Bladders'... solve the damp problem at source rather than treating the symptoms.

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Thank you all for the advice, especially Zen for such an in depth reply....much appreciated. Although bladders advice is pretty good, I live in a 250 year old thatched cottage with 2foot thick stone walls and no proper damp course at all. We have had a few builders in and asked but......well let's just say you wouldn't want to pay it.

Matt

Fair comment Matt, although I have to admit that a 250 year old thatched cottage is one of the better 'problems' to come across

But yes, it's not going to be easy. Of course, it goes without saying, that I'm no expert in buildings old or new, but it might be worth quantifying matters before going forward. A digital hygrometer comes in at between £10-20 so a good first step might be getting one of those and keeping a record over time of the actual humidity.

My second thought is that I don't automatically associate 250 year old thatched cottages, with 2' thick walls, with damp. Is it possible that the problem is due to unsympathetic work done in the past restricting airflow? Or maybe changes to the water table locally that could be resolved with some drainage work outside? I'm just thinking out loud really Matt, it is possible that the builders you've asked have automatically assumed that you need a damp course installed and haven't looked further to establish the underlying cause. Perhaps the National Trust or someone similar could put you in touch with a reputable, and affordable, consultant who could give you some practical advice.

And it's worth checking Dave's advice... if it's really that damp your dehumidifier will be producing a lot of water. Best of luck

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Quote zenguitar:

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I don't automatically associate 250 year old thatched cottages, with 2' thick walls, with damp. Is it possible that the problem is due to unsympathetic work done in the past restricting airflow? Or maybe changes to the water table locally that could be resolved with some drainage work outside?

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+1

Once a week, on Sunday, the wife and I have a full-blown eggs and bacon hot breakfast with the Sunday papers, so I have had more hot breakfasts than dealings with damp buildings. But my score on damp buildings is not low - healthy double figures at least!

So the first thing you have to look for, is building alterations that have made your house damp. Has somebody done something stupid? Added an outhouse, extension or installed something modern that is preventing the building and its walls from breathing?

You and only you, have to find out what the real cause is and do something about it. You can commission the work yourself, no need to involve builders who immediately think in terms of £10,000 or more, simply because they equate thatched cottages with money!

For example, if it needs a drain putting all the way around the house, that is one day with a JVC CX1 and driver for about £350, drainage pipes for £100 and a load of gravel for £500 tops.

If the dampness is coming from an extension or similar, that extension has to either come down or be rebuilt or otherwise be separated from the main building.

You should not procrastinate on this, as the day will come, when the dampness (quite apart from being very unhealthy) will have gone too far and may even destroy the building. I once received a call from a builder, telling me that the timbers in a house extension were rotten as a result of dampness and that they needed to be replaced as soon as possible. I told him that we would put that on the schedule for early the next year.

I need not have worried - a few months later, the main beam gave way and the entire extension over two floor collapsed.

This thread on another forum might give you an idea of the costs of a chemical damp proof course. If it can be totally done from the outside the house, its not going to cost that much really. It only drilling holes, pumping the stuff in then plugging, a DIY job if you know what you are doing.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=259869

Also what ventlation have you got in this room. Do your windows have trickle vents for example. Having reasonable air change in a room can cut down on condensation.

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Madman_Greg

I just re-read what you wrote and you got an estimate for a damp course!

There is no such thing as an effective damp course that is put in after a building has been built, so don't waste your money!

Here are the main reasons (in my experience) for dampness -

1. About half of the cases I see come from stupid use of insulation materials. In particular, rockwool and glass fibre, but I have seen people also use Styrofoam. You can use fibre wools in the attic, but NEVER directly on the walls! Dampness is guaranteed! Styrofoam is the same and is also VERY dangerous, as it is deadly poisonous if it burns. You can use PU foam sheets such as Kingspan, but (as with fibre) only if the wall behind it is ventilated fully.

2. Leaking roofs and guttering. It only takes a drip every now and then to make a ceiling very damp indeed and that dampness can creep everywhere.

3. Leaking pipes. Very often the dampness comes from just a sewage or water pipe that is leaking in the wall or under the floor.

4. Standing water under the floor. I am dealing with exactly this problem right now. The foundations of the house are not properly drained in one part that was added on later and not built properly. The cure is to just dig a trench and drain the water away with pipes.

5. Lack of ventilation. Houses used to have open fireplaces and these got all the damp and cruddy air out. Nowadays, everything is airtight and that can lead to dampness even in modern builds, especially if ventilation bricks and ducts get blocked.

Hi Matt,

What is the relative humidity levels for instrument storage and display that the manufacturers suggest for each of your instruments. Contact them and find out. They will know, believe me.

After you determine what that level is maintaining it should be a non issue. If you want to absorb additional moisture and do not want to spend electricity, you can use activated carbon or charcoal in your room.

Cheers,
Mike

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www.acousticfields.com low frequency absorption solutions. Listen to the music without hearing the room!