Gun room design (non climate controlled)

Snal~

Snal~

I Run A Tight Shipwreck (Tragic Boating Accident)
Charter Life Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2016
Messages
3,765
Location
WNC/Laurens County, SC
Rating - 100%
18   0   0
Would it be reasonable to have a gun room, basically a secure room with several gun safes, with no climate control, but allowance for a goldenrod or other form or humidity protection in each safe?
Say a concrete block or steel reinforced room, within the confines or a dry barn/shop building. Dry, but subject to high/low seasonal temps. The only climate control might be a space heater and stand alone AC for use only when occupied while "tinkering". A 24hr room dehydrator (in addition to the goldenrods) would be an option as well.
 
I really doubt that it would go well in the Carolinas. Maybe if you only store modern guns with protective finishes like Glocks and ARs, but if you put a blued gun in that environment it's going to be very frustrating trying to keep the rust off.
 
We kept guns in a cabinet bolted to a wall in a storage building for years with just a golden rod. Kept everything wiped down with oil and never had an issue. My dad was religious about getting them out once a month or so and wiping them down. When he passed away I moved them from the building and split them between his big safe and mine
 
RFMan said:
You had me at "gun room"...
Click to expand...

And, LOST ME at, “non climate controlled” . . . !!!!! 😮

OP, look into the “AprilAire” line - the AprilAire 1850 is what TarHeel Basements replaced the SaniDri in our basement and sub-basement with. The AprilAire 1850‘s TarHeel Basements installed in our spaces have CERAMIC COATED COILS - NO RUSTING or scaling OF COILS means LONG LIFE. To boot, not only are they WHISPER quiet they are MKND BLOWING EFFECTIVE … and efficient.

Any gal who went on more than two dates with always learned, “The guns and ammo will be - and will Stay - cool and dry BEFORE ANYONE ELSE in the house!!!!!

A Whole-Home Dehumidifier from Aprilaire

An Aprilaire whole-home dehumidifier extracts the right amount of moisture from your home to help prevent health problems caused by high humidity.
www.aprilaire.com


1850: https://www.aprilaire.com/docs/defa...el-1830-1850-1850w-owners-manual.pdf?sfvrsn=4
 
Last edited:
Snal~ said:
Would it be reasonable to have a gun room, basically a secure room with several gun safes, with no climate control, but allowance for a goldenrod or other form or humidity protection in each safe?
Say a concrete block or steel reinforced room, within the confines or a dry barn/shop building. Dry, but subject to high/low seasonal temps. The only climate control might be a space heater and stand alone AC for use only when occupied while "tinkering". A 24hr room dehydrator (in addition to the goldenrods) would be an option as well.
Click to expand...
This is EXACTLY what I have. With golden rod I have absolutely no issues with rust. From 1890s guns to today's ars
 
A 40-60 watt light bulb inside the safe will take care of any moisture. I have Many guns that are out in the open and never get touched but to shoot or for somebody to look at. There are 2 56 inch ceiling fans that have not been turned off in 15 years except when the power goes off. No rust Ever.

My Gun Room is a 40x14 Graceland building with 3 thicknesses of 5/8 T One Eleven with lotsa insulation. Metal roof and the bottom of the building sits on skids directly on the ground. No rust Ever.

I surmised that the heat and cool shifts take place so slowly that it isn't a problem PLUS the key is the ceiling fans keeping the air Moving at all times.

In the last few years I had a 2 Ton Mitsubishi split unit installed. It is Amazing.
 
I have a 30X20 metal gun room with mediocre insulation with a plywood ceiling in a larger metal building that sits on a concrete pad and have a 2.5-ton unit that keeps it under 85 in the summer and over 55 in the winter. I have a small portable dehumidifier set at 50% that runs as needed (not that often unless its a rainy day) Nothing ever rusts except for old carbon steel reloading dies..LOL I use ren wax on things kept in long-term storage and they never rust. Things inside the safe with goldenrod never rust. I previously had the safe in a fully climate-controlled walk-out basement that stayed 75 degrees on average with no dehumidifier. Things would rust there because of lack of dehumidification. My monthly electric bill in this "shop" was around $55 prior to the AC unit. Now its about $75 and I use the building 1000X as much.
 
Insulate it if you can the quick temp swings are the biggest problem and like others mentioned a good wipe down and air flow help.
 
BASIL said:
If you're going to spend the money for a walk in, make it an addition to your home.
Then connect duct work to it, then it will serve as a storm shelter as well. Same money, more useful.
Click to expand...

This will be at a different location, not where our house is, but where the majority of our long term SHTF supplies will be. Within walking distance, but not on the same property.
Trying to avoid the need to sell 2/3 of my inventory due to the fact that I don't have the room in our retirement home.
 
Well, you've come to the right place! We here at The Internet are chock full of design/build instructions. In fact, we can - and probably will - lay out the whole course of the rest of your life! And do it for free! You would be a fool not to take advantage of this offer. :D

Right. Moving right along... If continuous electric power isn't part of the plan and you can't condition or at least dehumidify the interior air, then it will (obviously) be a lot more difficult to prevent rust (as well as mold/mildew, etc.). Oh- you said goldenrod, so maybe 120vA/C is part of the plan...

Most of this is common sense, but I think it helps to make lists.

Waterproofing the outside, especially any part below grade (slab as well as walls) is step 1. Shaded and insulated roof will slow down the temperature swings. Windows, if any, and doors should be well-sealed and insulated. Dehumidifier with auto shut-off at set humidity will be your best friend. Plug-in dehumidifiers and rechargeable (easy-bake gel packets) can help.

Then monitor the heck out of it for at least a year! As the building materials cure/settle in, and as the contents adjust to the space, you should keep a close eye on how the stuff inside reacts, and adjust your humidity controls and rust inhibition protocols accordingly. A big fan and an airing out during dry months is a good idea.

It will be more work to keep ahead of moisture problems, but not so much that it's not "worth it," assuming you like to spend time with those things in your concrete cooler.
 
Snal~ said:
This will be at a different location, not where our house is, but where the majority of our long term SHTF supplies will be. Within walking distance, but not on the same property.
Trying to avoid the need to sell 2/3 of my inventory due to the fact that I don't have the room in our retirement home.
Click to expand...


Sounds like your retirement home isn't big enough.
 
I have had a safe in closet in a non climate controlled garage at a separate location for over 20 years. This wasn't part of a SHTF plan but more a necessity as my assignments required me to relocate often and moving a safe all of the time is a pain. In any case, the few collectible quality firearms I had with nice finishes were in there along with some Glock and AR type stuff, my ammo stash, and some papers. I only have a goldenrod in the safe. I have had no problems in regards to moisture, rust, or insects with the contents even though there may have been periods or time over a year where I didn't re-oil the guns. I think the keys for me were: The room/building was dry and never leaked water, the safe was placed on non moisture absorbing synthetic blocks to eliminate contact with the concrete, and everything was oiled fairly well before being placed in there...most stored in their factory boxes. The bottom of the safe, where it had been slid on the concrete to get it in place, was the only spot where some minor surface rust was present. It all removed with WD-40 and probably could have been avoided by being more careful with the paint and using rollers better in the first place.

If you had asked about a basement without climate control I'd say definitely no, but I personally had no issues with the "dry but subject to seasonal weather" garage. It is feasible if it is your only option but climate control is always better, except for the cost.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
A 40-60 watt light bulb inside the safe will take care of any moisture.
Click to expand...
This, a golden rod is just a small heater. Only advantage it has is that it doesn’t burn out as often as a light bulb. Of course you could put in two, one with a photo sensor so it only comes on when the first burns out.

Used this to keep sprinkler system from freezing in unexpected cold snaps and to keep the block from freezing on the Dodge Brothers sedan for one winter.
 
The largest goldenrod uses less energy than a 40 watt bulb. I have been using a smaller one since 96...if it ever burns out Golden Rod has a lifetime warranty. I would have gone through over 200 light bulbs and used over double the electricity if I used light bulbs.
 
Murtaugh said:
The largest goldenrod uses less energy than a 40 watt bulb. I have been using a smaller one since 96...if it ever burns out Golden Rod has a lifetime warranty. I would have gone through over 200 light bulbs and used over double the electricity if I used light bulbs.
Click to expand...
Without the benefit of the guns being able to see each other. 🤓
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom