3
Why does nobody talk about the humidity in a garage shop?
I was chatting with a finisher from Portland last week who said he lost a whole walnut table to checking because his garage hit 80% humidity overnight. He told me, 'Your finish is only as good as the air it dries in.' I've never even checked my shop's humidity before, so what's the best way to start monitoring it without spending a ton?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
martin.riley9d ago
My uncle in Florida had the same thing happen with a set of maple cabinets he built. The doors swelled shut in the summer and he had to rehang every single one. That Portland story is a perfect example of how we ignore the basics. We'll spend hours picking the right wood or finish, but forget the air in the room is part of the process too. I grabbed a basic hygrometer for about fifteen bucks after reading a similar post last year. It just sits on my bench and now I know not to apply oil finishes when the needle jumps past 65%.
1
murphy.tessa9d ago
Ever try a cheap digital hygrometer from Amazon? I just stuck one on my garage wall and it gave me a good baseline to work from.
0
jamie_adams9d ago
Wait, your garage? That's where you put it? Martin Riley's story about the cabinets is exactly why I keep mine in the actual shop. The garage door opens all the time, the car comes in wet. The reading would be all over the place. I need to know the air where the wood sits, not by the lawnmower.
8