Storage Space

[Damkina]

I hope that this is the right category to put this enquiry.

Bottom line is, I have a small house with a damp cellar and in a quandary about what I can actually store where. If they are first put in sturdy bin liners and then in one of those "Really Useful Boxes" with the click down lids, can tins, jars and soaps/toiletries etc be stored in a damp cellar?

The cellar head is just as much a problem... It sometimes gets warm due to the boiler being there, although I know I can store extra clothing and some items that won't spoil.

Thanks
Damkina

[scoobie]

How damp does it get? Is there and mould? How about using those moisture absorbing sachets inside those boxes, or using a dehumidifier? Is there much airflow down there?

Sorry for so many questions when you wanted answers!

[smileyt]

I was thinking along those lines, Scoobie. Also, would vacuum sealing be an answer?

[itsybitsy]

Well it's not ideal, But, if you got some freestanding shelves on which to store your goods so that nothing is touching any damp surfaces that will help. Mylar any staples such as rice/flour/pasta etc and THEN put them into the white buckets with the airtight lids and they should be okay. Bottles of water should be fine I guess - but again - don't store them on the ground, you need a barrier between them and the floor. Obviously cardboard boxes, loo, kitchen roll - anything absorbant - is a no no.

I would be careful with clothing, quilts, sleeping bags, BOBS etc - as stuff could rot if it's stored somewhere damp for any long periods of time.

What about getting a dehumidifyer?

[scoobie]

That'd probably work too smiley...I was looking into them last week for compressing and waterproofing stuff for the BOB, but should be equally suitable for peventing moisture...anyone got any experience of vacuum sealers?

[Damkina]

Thanks everyone. It's not full of water and no mould, but the walls do have that cold feel to them and the air does feel damp. When we first moved in, we did naively store some things down there that were ruined after months of storage, so any card, paper or cloth is definitely a no no.

There isn't any air circulating through, so it isn't a place I stay for any length of time. I had thought about a dehumidifier and is something i will be trying, but was also wondering what could be stored in the condition it is in now... Just in case.

I have already bought some free standing shelves. The black hard plastic ones for garages and tools. They seem pretty sturdy so I've started storing my meagre collection of water bottles on them. Myler bags and buckets are also on my to do list later this year, but I'm back to square one with the storage problem.

Just for experiments sake while I still have the time, what would be the ideal item(s) out of prepping stash to bag, box and leave down there?

[diamond lil]

Wine ?

[itsybitsy]

Some glass jars of stuff and maybe some tins?

[Damkina]

Wine ?

Oh, there's plenty of that already .

[Dropbear]

Vacuum sealing bags are pretty useful but some can be quite flimsy, used some to store some blankets in the loft and about a year later found one that had broke it's seal and swelled back up whereas another was tight as a brick and watertight after a year, good if you use them properly I suppose.