Americans-tell me about your humidity problems

[Brucebubs]

I live on the coast in Australia.
I've never experienced any guitar humidity related problems in my life.
I read about them all the time on the AGF.
I imagine there are hot, dry areas in the States that can dry out a guitar and warm , humid areas where guitars can soak up moisture but I'm very much in the dark with most of the threads relating to things like winter heating.
Can you give me a broad view of the humidity problems in the US, thanks.

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I live on the coast in Australia.
I've never experienced any guitar humidity related problems in my life.
I read about them all the time on the AGF.
I imagine there are hot, dry areas in the States that can dry out a guitar and warm , humid areas where guitars can soak up moisture but I'm very much in the dark with most of the threads relating to things like winter heating.
Can you give me a broad view of the humidity problems in the US, thanks.

So, here in Maryland, the winters require indoor furnace heating which dries-out most moisture in the air. Without humidifiers, relative humidity will go down to about 10-15%. This causes your skin to dry-out and flake, your lips will get deep cracks and bleed. Static electricity builds-up very easily because there's no moisture for localalized pools of electrons to naturally equalize. Everything you touch will generate a static electric shock that sparks visibly in low light.

Guitars, artwork, pianos -and everything in your house dries out. Sometimes detrimentally...


In the summer, it's warm enough that we require air conditioning -which also dries the humidity out of the air but most of the time, this brings the relative humidity to a normal and comfortable level of about 40%. If you don't have AC in this area, you need to be able to handle very high humidity (about 75%) and very high temperatures. When I was a kid, we didn't have AC. I'm spoiled on it now.


So there you have it.

What's it like living in your area?


Ray

[chitz]

I live on the Florida's Gulf Coast. Humidity is high a lot of the time (65-85%) makes my guitars sound dull.

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by chitz

I live on the Florida's Gulf Coast. Humidity is high a lot of the time (65-85%) makes my guitars sound dull.

I noticed that too here in Idaho so far his years it hasn't gone under 60%
but after I've played for a while it seems to open up...

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by RayCJ

So, here in Maryland, the winters require indoor furnace heating which dries-out most moisture in the air. Without humidifiers, relative humidity will go down to about 10-15%. This causes your skin to dry-out and flake, your lips will get deep cracks and bleed. Static electricity builds-up very easily because there's no moisture for localalized pools of electrons to naturally equalize. Everything you touch will generate a static electric shock that sparks visibly in low light.

Guitars, artwork, pianos -and everything in your house dries out. Sometimes detrimentally...


In the summer, it's warm enough that we require air conditioning -which also dries the humidity out of the air but most of the time, this brings the relative humidity to a normal and comfortable level of about 40%. If you don't have AC in this area, you need to be able to handle very high humidity (about 75%) and very high temperatures. When I was a kid, we didn't have AC. I'm spoiled on it now.


So there you have it.

What's it like living in your area?


Ray

Great explanation Ray.
I guess Australia is kinda an upside down version of the States. Our North is referred to as the 'Top End' and experiences similar high humidity problems as your southern states but conditions in the rest of Australia don't really require full-time furnace heating for the winter and AC for the summer, of course all houses have heating and cooling but not as 'heavy-duty' as you guys. I lived in Paris for 2 years so I fully understand the winter conditions that require a furnace system.
I've never measured humidity where I live but the sea is at the end of my street, I can hear the waves at night when I go to bed, so I believe this keeps humidity very constant.

[Ramesses]

Last night around 10pm I checked the outdoor humidity and it was 16%. The reason I checked it is because my guitar room hygrometer said 16% and it was about 10 degrees hotter in the room than outside. Its a cheap hygrometer, I tested it once and it was like 6% high at 65% or wherever you calibrate them too. So I guess it was somewhere between 10-16% in the room. I don't know if the adjustment is linear or not.

I keep all my guitars humidified in their cases when not being played. The only real reason I have a hygrometer is during monsoon season sometimes the humidy can get into the 70's for a sustained period of time(a week or two). I then pull the sponges to keep the guitars from bellying up too much.

[harmonics101]

You are so fortunate, I am so fortunate All you have to do is travel 300 miles inland and you'd be in the exact same situation us Inlander Pacific Northwesters feel. I risk the summer, but boy my guitar sounds great.

People on the west coast, or probably some coasts, not all, are naturally protected.

I live in the danger zone, but I bet my guitar sounds better than yours

H

[Ralph124C41]

Last winter (not this one) the humidity was so low that one day I heard a "snap" just like an E string breaking on my guitar ... except I was in another room. Went to look at it and there was a heart-breaking thin crack from the bridge to the edge of the bottom. It was a solid-top Alvarez, so not a lot of money but a lot to me.

This year I run a small humidifer and I use a small Planet waves cheap unit in my guitar which I always keep in its case when not in use.

For years I had a Guild D-55 which I think had thicker solid spruce top.I'm just guessing because it wasn't a loud guitar but built like a truck. It had no problem with the humidity challenges.

[MrMartyr]

I live in San Antonio, where we keep solid wood guitars on stands all year long without having to worry about them cracking. As long as guitars are kept indoors, the humidity here is perfect.

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by harmonics101

You are so fortunate, I am so fortunate All you have to do is travel 300 miles inland and you'd be in the exact same situation us Inlander Pacific Northwesters feel. I risk the summer, but boy my guitar sounds great.

People on the west coast, or probably some coasts, not all, are naturally protected.

I live in the danger zone, but I bet my guitar sounds better than yours

H

I'm only 100 miles (actually a bit less) due west from the shore of the Atlantic. I visit the ocean many times a year and even at the shore, its cold enough in the winter to require constant furnace heating. No matter what kind of heat you employ (forced air, boiler radiator etc) it dries the indoor air out terribly. Lot's of people get nose-bleeding in the winter from the dryness.

I lived in Chicago for a long time. Very dry in the winter there too -but for a different reason. Typical winter temperatures are below freezing -so all the moisture in the air is frozen and the thus the humidity bottoms-out.


Ray

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I live on the coast in Australia.
I've never experienced any guitar humidity related problems in my life.
I read about them all the time on the AGF.
I imagine there are hot, dry areas in the States that can dry out a guitar and warm , humid areas where guitars can soak up moisture but I'm very much in the dark with most of the threads relating to things like winter heating.
Can you give me a broad view of the humidity problems in the US, thanks.

Move to the Nullarbor and get back to us...

[harmonics101]

Originally Posted by RayCJ

I'm only 100 miles (actually a bit less) due west from the shore of the Atlantic. I visit the ocean many times a year and even at the shore, its cold enough in the winter to require constant furnace heating. No matter what kind of heat you employ (forced air, boiler radiator etc) it dries the indoor air out terribly. Lot's of people get nose-bleeding in the winter from the dryness.

I lived in Chicago for a long time. Very dry in the winter there too -but for a different reason. Typical winter temperatures are below freezing -so all the moisture in the air is frozen and the thus the humidity bottoms-out.


Ray

The key for me is not to use system heating, which I don't. I have no Central anything. I open up my windows for cool, I turn on the fire place to warm. But the humidity is a tolerable 40% in winter and 20% in the summer,

H

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Move to the Nullarbor and get back to us...

I've driven it.
No one lives there.
There are no towns just a motel roughly half way.
It takes at least 2 days to drive across it.
Longest stretch of dead straight railway line on the planet I believe.

[fazool]

In the winter, the cold air outside loses its ability to hold moisture. The relative humidity outside is high but because the air is so cold the actual amount of moisture in it is low. So, when that air comes inside and gets heated up, its relative humidity plummets - a small amount of moisture in warmer air. If you add in combustion heating sources that exchange air hungrily you end up with bone drying, lip chapping, skin bleeding, guitar cracking dryness indoors.

Without humidification, our home is under 20% RH in winter.

As a kid, every morning I would wake up with a dried bloody nose, chapped lips and cracked skin on my knuckles.

The dryness also allows the air to build up static charges without disspiating it (which happens through moisture) so every time you touch a metal object you get a painful shock, hair is frizzy and nothing behaves, along with electrical components getting damaged.


Never again - I filled my home with humidifiers and I am comfortable year round.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I've driven it.
No one lives there.
There are no towns just a motel roughly half way.
It takes at least 2 days to drive across it.
Longest stretch of dead straight railway line on the planet I believe.

I've driven it too, back in the late 70s, which is why I mentioned it. <G> You are not a long ways from nowhere. You are nowhere...

Eden? South coast of NSW somewhere, isn't it? Nice area there.

TW