protecting books and papers in storage

[john westmore_______]

I want to store some papers and some books in the house roof space and also the garden shed. Being in the U.K. both places can get a bit damp.

So I thought I would wrap well in a plastic bag to keep out the damp, and then put aluminium cooking foil around them (i'm told this would stop any mice chewing into it).

Are these these the best things to do? Thanks for any advice.

[RicodJour]

Use one of those vacuum clothes storage bags. Throw in some silica gel desiccant bags for good measure. Then do whatever you need to do to keep the critters away.

R

[Palindrome]

I use bags meant for storage, of the type where you suck out the air with a vacuum cleaner. Works a treat. Easy to open, take something out and reseal in a jiffy.

I doubt that cooking foil works, having seen some of the things they will chew their way through, if it suits them.

-- Sue

[Bert Hyman]

[e-mail] (john westmore_______) wrote in news:g52oah$oco$ [e-mail]:

Many plastics contain chemicals which are destructive of papers over the long term, and mice chew through walls.

Your local or regional historical society will likely have all sorts of information and resources for preserving your documents.

For example, the Minnesota Historical Society has a number of papers on the subject, available here:

[Phisherman]

I would not store any books worth keeping outside a conditioned space. Moisture and insect damage could be extreme. A cotton rag soaked in a copper sulphate solution and dried can be used to wipe several thousand books to ward off mildew/mold.

[aemeijers]

Agreed, books and papers should be in conditioned space. But understanding that sometimes you simply have no choice- go to the military surplus shop or hunting supply store, and find some of the big metal ammo cans with the gasketed lids. There are also decent plastic imitations, but they are usually more expensive than the real thing. Make sure to inspect the gaskets for cracks and drying, and lube with vaseline as indicated. I have stored stuff in those for several years at times, when my only choices were the dustbin or a friend's barn. Attics will cook it even in an airtight container, so you want ground floor storage if possible. If you are capable of doing heavy lifting, the plastic shipping containers for electronic equipment, again with latches and gasketed lids, also work well. Surplus shops often have them in various sizes. The military has gotten very good at storing expensive fragile stuff under crappy conditions, so the containers they use are a good place to start.

-- aem sends...

[Tim Smith]

Another place that might be useful is your local comic book store. Comic collectors are greatly interested in preserving their collections, and a good comic store should have bags available that won't contain chemicals that will damage paper.