Central Minnesota Humidity

[JayBee1404]

61% is slightly on the high side, but nothing to panic about if it’s a temporary climatic glitch that’s likely to settle back in a few days or a week or so.

Mine are all in the mid-60s right at this moment but, like you, we’re in the middle of a very humid, rainy period right now. If things don’t settle back by next weekend, I’ll be microwaving the desiccant packs and putting them in the cases.

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TBH, I don’t worry much about high RH, it’s low RH (<40%) that is more likely to damage a guitar (don’t ask how I know this!).

[rllink]

I live in Iowa, the same climate as Minnesota more or less. I have a finished room in the basement separated from the unfinished laundry room by a set of flimsy metal bifold doors. I run a humidifier in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer, not necessarily for the health of my guitars but more for the health of the bare walls in the laundry room. The guitars just benefit from it. If the humidity gets too high the unfinished walls start growing hair. I don't know what is going on under the sheetrock in the finished room, but I don't want to find out the hard way.

Not to add to the angst and just a general observation on my part not directed toward the OP in particular, the humidity in those two adjacent rooms is not consistent in every part of them. The humidity is higher on the west and north outer walls than it is on the interior walls and is different on one end of the finished room than the other. The center of the room varies as well. There is quite a bit difference between the finished room and the laundry a lot of times, even when the doors are open, which they are most of the time and even when we haven't done laundry for several days. My guitars, two acoustics, a hollowbody electric, and my wife's bass reside in one of those guitar racks on one of the outer walls. Not for the humidity but because that is where the rack fits. I checked it over a weekend earlier this spring when it was raining a lot just out of curiosity after reading a half dozen humidity related threads here on AGF and a few other guitar forums that I'm on.

I guess, depending how fast a particular guitar absorbs moisture or how quicky it evaporates, it almost depends where one places the guitar and how long it stays there. I would suggest if one is really concerned they would buy at least a dozen hygrometers and place them at various locations in every room to keep track of it. Just something else to think about.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

Just wondering if there is anyone else out there combatting humidity in central MN. I have a dehumidifier, and still struggling to keep levels under 60% in my house. I am worried about my guitar, and I have also noticed that its wonderful sound is not so wonderful when really humid. This is the first year I've had a really nice guitar that I worry about in this way. What should I expect for the late fall and winter? Will high humidity continue to be a problem, or will it become dry and problematic on the other side. Can someone please bring me up to speed? And thanks in advance.
Leesa

I’m in a southwest suburb of Minneapolis, and the humidity in my house has averaged 60%+ over the last two or three weeks. It’s been cooler outside, and rather damp, so opening the windows makes things worse, and it’s not been warm enough for the a/c to run much and help reduce the humidity. Yesterday and today, it’s been significantly hotter, so the a/c has been running, and the humidity is gradually creeping back down again.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much for your guitar right now - it’s when it gets colder and drier that you need to be rather more proactive.

[Bluenose]

I live just in Canada across the border from Minnesota and the humidity has been unusually high here. I have a guitar with a torrified top which seems to handle high humidity better than the others as far keeping its tone.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

I’m in a southwest suburb of Minneapolis, and the humidity in my house has averaged 60%+ over the last two or three weeks. It’s been cooler outside, and rather damp, so opening the windows makes things worse, and it’s not been warm enough for the a/c to run much and help reduce the humidity. Yesterday and today, it’s been significantly hotter, so the a/c has been running, and the humidity is gradually creeping back down again.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much for your guitar right now - it’s when it gets colder and drier that you need to be rather more proactive.

Thanks David

[beninma]

I think the main thing is this is a transient thing with the weather, you probably don't need to worry too much.

We are going through the same thing here where I live in New England.

Basically:

Summer - high humidity, use air condition and/or dehumidifier
Fall - need neither air conditioning or heat, humidity in the house goes up a little. A room dehumidifier can help with this period
Winter - low humidity, need the guitar case + humidipaks + humidifier on the furnace or in the room
Spring - again have a transient period where the heat is not really running but you don't need A/C, again you have to rely on the case + a room dehumidifier

I have a dehumidifier in the room I keep my guitars in, and it's plumbed in with a line so I never have to worry about it stopping because it's full, that goes a long way to controlling high humidity. Otherwise they just fill up and if you're not there to empty it then the humidity in the room starts going up.

In any case you don't need perfection here because this is a transient thing, it might effect your guitar for a little while but it's not years and years of the same thing where it will eventually do major damage.

All this stuff is actually beneficial for your house and health too. The more stable you keep the humidity year round the less cracking you get in drywall from the house expanding/contracting, hardwood floors & cabinets won't dry out or warp, etc.. and it's good for health/allergies too.

[The Watchman]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

I have lived here for years. The humidity is on my radar now, where it hasn't been before. My Ac has a dehumidifier attached. But right now, it isn't really warm enough for air, and running it just to humidify the house is expensive. But it has been rain forest humid in MN the last few weeks. Are you in MN? Today is gonna be very warm, so I'll put on the air, which will help

I think you have the terms backwards. A humidifier - adding humidity -, is done in winter when the furnace (heat) is running and doesnt run when AC is on. Heat dries out the air. Usually attached to the HVAC unit's plenum. A dehumidifier (usually freestanding) takes humidity out of the air, usually in summer. An air conditioner takes out humidity on its own, but in damp areas like a basement, it can still be too humid.

My Missouri house can get close to 10% RH in winter, when the furnace is running full blast, even with a humidifier. In the summer with max AC, it can be 30-40% RH in the living area, and >60% in the basement, even with the dehumidifiers running. Thats the midwest for you.

[B. Adams]

I'm in southeastern South Dakota, so not too far from you. It seems like the humidity is always super low in our house, with running the furnace in the winter or AC in the summer. The dehumidifier in the basement runs constantly during the summer, but the moisture down there doesn't seem to work its way upstairs. At least not that I can tell.

That said, I keep my guitars in their cases year round, at least the wooden guitars. My Calton cases are much better at maintaining humidity than my factory cases, using humidipaks in all of them. Even then, I slacked off a bit on one of my 614's last winter, and while the humidipaks are crunchy, the RH in the case is still fine.

In any event, as was stated by others, the slightly higher humidity you're experiencing right now won't last, so it's nothing to worry about. Worst case you might have to adjust your truss rod a tiny bit, but there's a good chance you won't even notice.

If high humidity becomes a serious problem you could use some desiccant in the case to bring it down. As long as you keep an eye on it and don't let it dip too low it should work fine.

[rllink]

As long as we have a Minnesota contingent here, are any of you planning on attending the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association fall festival at the Crowned Plaza Minneapolis the weekend of November 10th?

Just so it doesn't look like I'm drifting the thread, that hotel always seems dry for the fall festival. Do you all worry about the humidity for a weekend event in Minneapolis like that? I don't give it much thought for just three days.

[FrankHudson]

The ones in my studio space in their cases here in Minnesota are all reading a tad over 60% RH right now. Some of them still have their Boveda packs from last winter, a few don't. No different trend or readings between those two situations as far as how high the RH goes.

I know the Boveda/Humidipaks can absorb humidity, because I recharge mine in a closed container with a container of water in the middle, but they don't seem to really soak up 60% range humidity inside of cases.

I don't worry about circa 60% RH myself. And yes, there's a cure: winter in Minnesota will take care of it.