Any issues (humidity)with storing collectibles in brute totes

[avigo]

Hi guys. I have some militaria I currently just have stored in cardboard boxes that I want to move to some kind of heavy duty bin. I really like the Brute commercial rubbermaid 20 gallon bins.

The lids seem to fit very tight.

Is there any reason to worry about humidity or anything else if I'm storing items in there?

 

The items would vary from paper to metal to leather etc.

 

Thanks!

[manayunkman]

They worked for me in a very humid basement that had occasional flooding.

[avigo]

They worked for me in a very humid basement that had occasional flooding.

 

Does it keep the humidity out?

I have a pretty climate controlled (and humidity) controlled space that these would be in. I just know that in safes and other places humidity can be an issue inside. Just curious if that was the case with the brute totes or if they "breathed" enough

[manayunkman]

I used 18 gal Rubbermaid with separate lids.

 

Never had a problem in 12 years with 2 floods and basement leaked every rain storm.

 

I was storing paper, metal, cloth worth money.

[avigo]

So can air get into these seemingly air tight rubbermaid containers? I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. I just wanted to make sure the lower humidity air where I am storing them can get into the bins.

 

Or would it be better if they are air tight?

Haha. That's why I'm asking the pros

[unclegrumpy]

One thing you need to consider is how much humidity is in what you have before you put it the plastic tubs. That can vary depending on the time of year, and can be deceiving. Where you store the sealed tubs matter as well. If they are somewhere where they get hot in the summer, you can have mold issues because they don't breath...especially with items that were not stored well in the past and might have spores just waiting for the right moment to activate.

 

If you were going the full museum route, you would want acid free boxes stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.

 

However, that is not practical for most of us. I think most people use a combination of things depending on what they are storing and where it will be stored. I have both some rubbermaid tubs that seal and some flip top plastic storage boxes, plus an assortment of cardboard boxes. One issue with the bigger rubbermaid tubs, is over time, if you put too much weight in and stack them, the sides of the bottom tubs can collapse.

 

In my experience, if you are storing things inside your house, some air circulation is a good thing, unless your items are in a damp place. Lastly, just about anything you store needs to be looked at occasionally. If you use plastic tubs that seal, you should plan to air the items out, picking days that are clear and dry. That might just be opening the lid for a while, or it might be taking everything out for an airing.

 

There is not an exact answer to your question. I think storage is an ongoing issue that is always evolving, but you will eventually hit on a combination that best suits your conditions and needs.

[avigo]

Thanks for the answer!

These would be stored in a climate controlled space. I try to keep the humidity at 50% or less.

 

I live on a first floor and I fear flooding, so I'd like something plastic just incase I got a few inches of water.

I also wanted plastic since I have slight problem with mice.

 

That being said, to help air flow, would it make sense to buy cheap bins and drill a few holes in the lids? Would that be better than cardboard boxes?

 

I do see too many options for bins with out pretty tight seals on the lids.

 

Thanks!

[unclegrumpy]

What are you planning of putting into boxes?

 

How much weight will it all add up to in each box?

 

Are planning on stacking them, or putting them on shelves?

 

Are the items really valuable?

 

Are dealing you with groupings or specific items that need to stay corralled together?

 

That all asked...I think you should consider looking at some flip top boxes. Below are the heavy duty ones Home Depot sells. Most of the clear plastic cheaper ones break pretty easily. Sometimes you can find even heavier duty ones used on places like Craig's List. These are a pretty good size for most things, and are what a lot of people use. Riker frames fit in them perfectly, and they are about the right size...they can hold a lot, but not to the point that they are too heavy or awkward to heft around.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-12-Gal-Heavy-Duty-Flip-Top-Storage-Tote-in-Grey-236475/303213577

[avigo]

What are you planning of putting into boxes?

 

How much weight will it all add up to in each box?

 

Are planning on stacking them, or putting them on shelves?

 

Are the items really valuable?

 

Are dealing you with groupings or specific items that need to stay corralled together?

 

That all asked...I think you should consider looking at some flip top boxes. Below are the heavy duty ones Home Depot sells. Most of the clear plastic cheaper ones break pretty easily. Sometimes you can find even heavier duty ones used on places like Craig's List. These are a pretty good size for most things, and are what a lot of people use. Riker frames fit in them perfectly, and they are about the right size...they can hold a lot, but not to the point that they are too heavy or awkward to heft around.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-12-Gal-Heavy-Duty-Flip-Top-Storage-Tote-in-Grey-236475/303213577

 

Thanks! I think I mentioned some of this in my original post, but the boxes will hold a wide assortment of things. Mainly wood leather and paper. Some metal things as well.

I will not be stacking them. They will sit side by side on the floor.

 

The items are valuable enough that I am really thinking through this whole process. Valuable to me at least.

 

Things don't necessarily need to be together. No real groupings.

 

 

Do the flip boxes provide air flow?

 

Thanks for all the input!

[Heptonic48]

I remember I had two m1 helmets with mint covers and one day I saw little spots on the rim.That was already a bad sign for what I new had happend.I found the rim became rusty and the cover absorbed the rust so now it has a big ring where the rim was getting rust.I learned the hard way how important it is to consider where and how you store your collectables.

 

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