Deadlord36 wrote:I have awakened in the dead of the night during rainstorms convinced that my den was flooding and rushed in to check it. It is virtually impossible, but the nightmares are so real I end up awake for hours.
jkason wrote:Hmmm..Seems like I should wrap everything in mylar and move the bookcase from under the pipes in the basement....
KingOfPain wrote:Several years ago I had all of my comic book boxes stacked up in the garage. I was planning on putting them on pallets but just hadnt done it yet. We had a large thunderstorm come through and it dumped about 6 inches of rain on us in about 2 hours time. Needless to say, our garage flooded and three long boxes and numerous half size boxes were destroyed. Luckily all of my comics were bagged and boarded so I didnt lose anything.But a fire would be difficult to handle. I cant imaging much being salvageable even if the fire didnt burn it simply because of the smoke damage. What would be the most difficult choice would be deciding which to save: My copy of Amazing Spider-Man #3 or my cats. All you cat haters just shut yer cake holes.
Deadlord36 wrote:The cats are expendable. They are reprinted daily. Besides, smoked cat is a delicacy in some countries. I'd cook mine up in a heartbeat if the wife would let me. But I have to be content with shaving them whenever they chew up something. BTW, a shaved cat is one of the funniest sights on earth.
KingOfPain wrote:The problem with fires is the smoke damage. The stench gets into everything, and particularly cloth or paper products pick it up and hold it (as I well know, I just bought a lot of D&D stuff with the odor of cigarettes that will not go away no matter what I do). Smoke from a fire is far worse, and will pretty much never leave the item. That's usually why if you've ever had a fire, it's time to buy a new wardrobe and new furniture even if the fire was somewhere else in the house. Mike B.
dbartman wrote:KingOfPain wrote:The problem with fires is the smoke damage. The stench gets into everything, and particularly cloth or paper products pick it up and hold it (as I well know, I just bought a lot of D&D stuff with the odor of cigarettes that will not go away no matter what I do). Smoke from a fire is far worse, and will pretty much never leave the item. That's usually why if you've ever had a fire, it's time to buy a new wardrobe and new furniture even if the fire was somewhere else in the house. Mike B.Actually there are a few things you can do to eliminate/reduce odors such as mustiness and cigarettes (assuming that the item hasn't been layered in tar). The easiest is to place the item into a sealed container for a while with an odor absorbing agent such as baking soda, cat litter, or charcoal. Other methods that can be more expensive are freeze-drying (usually done through a service) and ozone bombardment. Have an ozone generator? Place your item in front of it for a while and your odor should be reduced significantly, if not all together.
Pack books tightly on end in small boxes. If musty smelling, sprinkle talcum powder between the pages and wrap the book before packing. Leave stored for a couple of months to eliminate the smell.
grodog wrote:My mother-in-law passed along the following recommendation, though I haven't had time to try it out myself yet, on the smoky copies of RttToH, Alma Mater, or Fineous Treasury that I've accumulated in the past months:Pack books tightly on end in small boxes. If musty smelling, sprinkle talcum powder between the pages and wrap the book before packing. Leave stored for a couple of months to eliminate the smell. If you try it out, Mike, let us know how it works out please