Is Mylar really healthy for paper (comics) preservation? even some archivist not! 3 3

[spooncomic]

By the way, I MYSELF be amazed and I put on doubt at first what that expert say, I use mylar sleeves because of course things looks great, but after talk more with him, things start to make sense in favor of use just paper to storage and avoid any kind of plastic.

Anyway I stop to replay until I show this to the archivist expert. Maybe I can learn something more of all this, because I my self wants continue use mylar sleeves, all looks great.

Edited July 15, 2017 by spooncomic

[SuperZar]

16 minutes ago, spooncomic said:

Read my previous replay, I respond the same thing to other member. To resume my previous response: "YES! I know that I had a humidity problem but thanks to that, I notice that Mylar Sleeves can HOLD more the humidity and spores inside

The Mylar can also help keep the humidity OUT.   It all evens out in the wash. 

[VegasJeff]

Spooncomic where were you storing your comics? 

I would also be concerned about potential health issues if mold spores are that big of an issue.

[spooncomic]

1 hour ago, VegasJeff said:

Spooncomic where were you storing your comics? 

I would also be concerned about potential health issues if mold spores are that big of an issue.

Thanks for ask!

A recap of my methods to storage:

In the past (Humidity Days) I just use BCW boxes but I stupidity put those boxes in the floor, around 2 years and I don't have any humidifier in the room, Comics are inside eGerber mylar + backings Gerber's. I not live in USA so the humidity is high around 70% 80% here. So yes sadly after 2 years I open the boxes and voila! mold around, spores of mold inside the gerber mylar etc, again I bet if I just not use any plastic the problem was be less.

Again I'm not saying that mylar will cause the humidity but HOLDs more the humidity due is plastic. Make sense to me. Humidity is evil... can pass a sealed flap or anything!

 

NOW! I do this:

(of course I sent to trash all sleeves, those have a lot mold)

1. I buy a dehumidifier for the room, I use it around 2 per 3 hours per day and humidity goes to 40% in less than 30min.

2. I buy new BCW boxes

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/cat/comic-book-storage/comic-box/comic-book-short-storage-box

but! I do some test, I add a humidity meter inside the boxes EVEN with SILICA GEL and the humidity is the same Inside the box as a Outside, so the box of course not make any difference, the silica helps! but don't down the humidity to 45% to 55%.

so! how can really down the humidity and keep it constant? here's the thing:

3. I buy plastic boxes from Gasket Box from sterilite to storage the cardboard boxes! (yes and box inside other box, is not an overkill and I explain why):

http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=802&ProductCategory=305&section=1

(The 32 Quart Gasket Box offers a gasketed seal to safeguard items from both air and moisture) they claims that but bla bla... but here's the real thing to really down and prevent the humidity:

I add 200 gram of silica gel inside the plastic box.

and add a humidity meter inside, and VOILA!!!! the humidity goes down to 45% to 55% (even you can play with that, depends of the quantity of silica, down or up).

yes! with that plastic boxes + silica the humidity down, with JUST cardboard boxes the humidity DON'T down.

also the boxes are not any more in the floor, I have a rack.

HERE'S A REAL pics of the "double" box thing with silica etc:

by the way, take care of the amount of silical, if you add to much, humidity can down too much and dry the paper! I think 45% to 55% is perfect for paper.

NOW! I just think if sleeve everything again with mylar or make my own sleeves with preservation paper, due the archivist tell me, actually the say me something like this:

"longterm, you should avoid any plastic contact not only with the vinyl but contact with any paper (comics) and cardboard as well, As long as the collectables are protected from accidental splashes of water etc. If you have good boxes you should get rid of the mylar, poly etc... they look great! yes! but they are really bad products for paper"

I feel that now I even I use mylar or not, I never get humidity again, as you see I'm controlling everything with a meter, silica, boxes etc.

thanks.

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by spooncomic

[lizards2]

I think I would find a different hobby if I lived in an environment like that.  

[Logan510]

4 hours ago, lizards2 said:

I think I would find a different hobby if I lived in an environment like that.  

Amen.

[Paddy_McShillihan]

15 hours ago, spooncomic said:

Thanks for ask!

A recap of my methods to storage:

In the past (Humidity Days) I just use BCW boxes but I stupidity put those boxes in the floor, around 2 years and I don't have any humidifier in the room, Comics are inside eGerber mylar + backings Gerber's. I not live in USA so the humidity is high around 70% 80% here. So yes sadly after 2 years I open the boxes and voila! mold around, spores of mold inside the gerber mylar etc, again I bet if I just not use any plastic the problem was be less.

Again I'm not saying that mylar will cause the humidity but HOLDs more the humidity due is plastic. Make sense to me. Humidity is evil... can pass a sealed flap or anything!

 

NOW! I do this:

(of course I sent to trash all sleeves, those have a lot mold)

1. I buy a dehumidifier for the room, I use it around 2 per 3 hours per day and humidity goes to 40% in less than 30min.

2. I buy new BCW boxes

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/cat/comic-book-storage/comic-box/comic-book-short-storage-box

but! I do some test, I add a humidity meter inside the boxes EVEN with SILICA GEL and the humidity is the same Inside the box as a Outside, so the box of course not make any difference, the silica helps! but don't down the humidity to 45% to 55%.

so! how can really down the humidity and keep it constant? here's the thing:

3. I buy plastic boxes from Gasket Box from sterilite to storage the cardboard boxes! (yes and box inside other box, is not an overkill and I explain why):

http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=802&ProductCategory=305&section=1

(The 32 Quart Gasket Box offers a gasketed seal to safeguard items from both air and moisture) they claims that but bla bla... but here's the real thing to really down and prevent the humidity:

I add 200 gram of silica gel inside the plastic box.

and add a humidity meter inside, and VOILA!!!! the humidity goes down to 45% to 55% (even you can play with that, depends of the quantity of silica, down or up).

yes! with that plastic boxes + silica the humidity down, with JUST cardboard boxes the humidity DON'T down.

also the boxes are not any more in the floor, I have a rack.

HERE'S A REAL pics of the "double" box thing with silica etc:

by the way, take care of the amount of silical, if you add to much, humidity can down too much and dry the paper! I think 45% to 55% is perfect for paper.

NOW! I just think if sleeve everything again with mylar or make my own sleeves with preservation paper, due the archivist tell me, actually the say me something like this:

"longterm, you should avoid any plastic contact not only with the vinyl but contact with any paper (comics) and cardboard as well, As long as the collectables are protected from accidental splashes of water etc. If you have good boxes you should get rid of the mylar, poly etc... they look great! yes! but they are really bad products for paper"

I feel that now I even I use mylar or not, I never get humidity again, as you see I'm controlling everything with a meter, silica, boxes etc.

thanks.

 

This looks like a Hospital not a collectors room .... 

[lizards2]

1 hour ago, Paddy_McShillihan said:

This looks like a Hospital not a collectors room .... 

Keeping the victims alive.., barely.

[oakman29]

46 minutes ago, Paddy_McShillihan said:

This looks like a Hospital not a collectors room .... 

Right! I cant imagine what a pain in the azz that is. 

[lizards2]

20 minutes ago, oakman29 said:

Right! I cant imagine what a pain in the azz that is. 

Almost as bad as living in SoCal?  

[oakman29]

To the OP Arent you creating more moisture by not allowing your books to basically breath? I mean you have them in a Mylar,then box, then a plastic container? 

[VegasJeff]

Spooncomic I'm curious where this high humidity place is that you live. What city/country are you in?

I grew up in ultra-humid Central Florida where it would reach 100% humidity and rain every day in the summer. I currently live in Las Vegas where it is ultra dry and it is usually around low 20% humidity. So I've seen both extremes and can offer a lot of insight in regards to preserving collectibles. 

I see you have done a lot to improve the situation which is really good. I think your biggest problem was keeping stuff on the floor. Many comics have been ruined by being stored directly on the floor. Getting the silica is a pro preservation technique for humid or closed environments. 

The only thing I might be leary of is the closed air tight plastic box. One one hand, they are good to protect stuff from bugs, dust, mold spores, etc. But on the other hand, they could cause an issue because of condensation in a humid environment. If your house is climate controlled and stays relatively cool I don't think it will be an issue. However, I think it will become an issue if you ever move this box into say a storage bin or somewhere that is not climate controlled. The silica will help in regards to that but I don't know what the limits of Silica are. Something to think about. 

I've never had an issue myself from humidity with comics being stored in poly bags. I still own Action Comics#600 which I bought as a kid nearly 30 years ago in Florida. It was one of the first comics that I bought in a comic store. It was kept in a poly bag with backing board for the first 5 years or so. Then I switched out the poly bags to mylar. So that comic is currently sitting in the same mylar I put it in 25 years ago. The mylar is still crystal clear and the comic still looks really good. 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by VegasJeff
can't type

[oakman29]

1 minute ago, lizards2 said:

Almost as bad as living in SoCal?  

You deal with all the BS in SoCal because there are so many beautiful women.

[Jayman]

1 hour ago, Paddy_McShillihan said:

1. I buy a dehumidifier for the room, I use it around 2 per 3 hours per day and humidity goes to 40% in less than 30min.

This sounds troubling to me. I've always heard fluctuating humidity is very bad for the paper quality of books. Constant humidity, even when not at the most desirable, is a much better option.

[bc]

31 minutes ago, VegasJeff said:

Spooncomic I'm curious where this high humidity place is that you live. What city/country are you in?

 

From the look of the complexity of his setup, I'm going with Atlantis.

-bc

[comicwiz]

There's been an age-old debate on whether Mylar sleeves with opening at the top and those with closing flaps allow comics to breath. I've had collectors state they prefer closing flaps, and believe sleeves with openings at the top will make the comics interior pages on the top edge discolour. Have never seen this happen with any of the books I've owned.

Best test I've ever performed between poly and mylar is to bag/board comics and put them out in the sun. The only ones that showed sweating/beading were the poly bags. 

Edited July 16, 2017 by comicwiz

[lizards2]

38 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

There's been an age-old debate on whether Mylar sleeves with opening at the top and those with closing flaps allow comics to breath. I've had collectors state they prefer closing flaps, and believe sleeves with openings at the top will make the comics interior pages on the top edge discolour. Have never seen this happen with any of the books I've owned.

Best test I've ever performed between poly and mylar is to bag/board comics and put them out in the sun. The only ones that showed sweating/beading were the poly bags. 

I had marvel magazines stored in poly bags in a pretty ideal environment, over15-20 years and the top edge of the interior pages got a slight shadow.  I posted this before, and it turned into a carp show challenging the environment of storage and the anecdotal evidence.  Not interested in doing that again.  

Anyway, after that happened I became even more anti-snug, got rid of all those, and got all the mag bag tops closed.  It was just about a hundred mags this happened to, as the rest of my mags and comics I always carefully tucked in the flaps.  I have no clue why I left those particular mags tops open- lazy I guess.

[greggy]

2 minutes ago, lizards2 said:

I had marvel magazines stored in poly bags in a pretty ideal environment, over15-20 years and the top edge of the interior pages got a slight shadow.  I posted this before, and it turned into a carp show challenging the environment of storage and the anecdotal evidence.  Not interested in doing that again.  

Anyway, after that happened I became even more anti-snug, got rid of all those, and got all the mag bag tops closed.  It was just about a hundred mags this happened to, as the rest of my mags and comics I always carefully tucked in the flaps.  I have no clue why I left those particular mags tops open- lazy I guess.

More like dumb

[lizards2]

20 minutes ago, greggy said:

More like dumb

I cannot argue with that! 

[Paddy_McShillihan]

1 hour ago, bc said:

From the look of the complexity of his setup, I'm going with Atlantis.

-bc

Nuclear war bunker ...?