# Storing #10 cans in damp basement - advice on my strategy



## Rosy in NH (Jun 5, 2008)

I'm wondering if anyone else has done this and/or has thoughts about a strategy I have been using to store my #10 can food preps in a damp basement where the #10 cans would be prone to rust after a while. 

The background story: I live in a typical New England 100+ year old house with a granite and brick foundation and basement/cellar with a dirt floor. The dirt floor especially makes the cellar very damp and humid. We keep the basement relatively clean and we don't store much there. We have a pretty good system of sump pumps set up to drain water that seeps in after MAJOR rain storms. In 2005 our region and neighborhood suffered a 100 year flooding event which flooded our basement with approximately 2-3 feet of water. We don't usually get that kind of flooding and since then we have taken steps to better handle a flooding situation should it happen again.

I have been learning about, ordering and collecting food preps including cases of #10 cans for the past six months or so. Given the relatively extreme New Hampshire summer and winter temperatures I feel the best place for me to store food preps is in the basement because temperatures in the basement range between 50-70 degrees (F) year round. The dry attic would be too hot in the summer and the barn freezes in the winter. However, the problem with the basement is that it is very humid/damp especially in the summer. We formerly stored used cans of paint (i.e #10 cans) in the cellar and noticed how they rusted after a couple of years. 

So with this knowledge, I came up with a strategy that I have been using to store my cases of #10 cans. *Following is what I would like your thoughts/advice (and better experience) about:

I place each cardboard box case in a clear Hefty trash bag 1.1 mils thick making sure to tie it closed tight with twine (twice). What do you think? * Do you think this will keep out the dampness and prevent the cans from rusting?

P.S. The storage area floor is spread with a tarp and the cases are on pallets above the tarp. Feel free to comment on this strategy as well. I know that if another 100+ year flood threatens that I would have to move the food preps out of the basement to a safe dry place (2nd story of barn would work temporarily).

Thanks in advance.


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

Provided you place the cans in the bags, in dry conditions, before putting them in the basement, it should be O.K. You could also wipe the cans with some parrafin, particularly around the seams.


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## Madame (Jan 1, 2003)

Can you put a dehumidifier down there?


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

Hi Guys,
The dehumidifier would not work! to much, water in the soil, then if you didn't pump it out constantly it would just go back into the dirt floor.
I'd be wax coating them with some beeswax (very sticky compared to parifin) by boilng a large kettle of water (outside in all but the coldest weather) with a skin of melted parrafin and bees wax an 1/2- 1/4 thick on the top then dip and wipe can all over. plastic might do for a second layer but even then I'd be checking regularly.
What about raising the bottom to above the high water mark of the 100 year flood, using pallets if nothing else then using above, in those big plastic storage tubs you can get at wally world seal the weap holes around the handle area on a lot of them on a nice dry day. Or even co2 purge them with a nice chunk of dry ice.
It would drive me a bit mad to count on something in that precarious a position for emergency stores. I would never store firearms or ammo in that situation ( if I could help it)
Just my 2 pensce worth.
Dutch


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I live in a coastal/ marine enviroment with 90% or more humidity year round, and outside temps average 60 degrees in the summer/ 40 degrees in the winter. So, here is how I store long term items to protect against mositure. I use the plastic bags inside an airtight container such as tuppereware, 5 gallon buckets with gamma seals/ lids, or 40 mm or larger military surplus ammo cans. Sometimes with C02 - dry ice added to inhibit oxidation (rust) on the metal containers. Of course I rotate my items, that have a limited shelf life, of less than 3 years. I also put a hand crank can opener inside each large container - how are you gonna open those #10 cans?? I find them at the thrift stores for around 2 for a dollar or less. No rust on the metal cans so far using this method, after 25 years of living along the coast. That and the 40mm ammo cans are virtually indestructable from normal use.

For ammunition, I store it in at least 4 layers of waterproofing - the last being a 40mm mil-surplus ammo can. Ther 40 mm ammo cans dimensions are 19 1/2" long, 14 3/4" high, and 9 1/2" wide. One can fit 1 - .50 caliber and 4 or 5 - .30 caliber ammo cans inside (or any combination of them) one with some additional space for ancillary items like knives, compass, etc... I also place a dessicant inside them to remove any moisture.


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

For your canned foods, if they are in plastic bags on shelves, and not subject to being knocked around, that coating of parrafin/beeswax would be sufficient.
For other items such as rice, sugar, salt, flour, etc., I use 70 litre screw-top barrels that have an 'O' ring seal. (Got them from a company that imports capers, olives, and pickled onions,etc.) I was originally going to just bulk fill them, but for ease of handling I decided to just place the goods in smaller packages first.
If you can find the disributer or manufacturer of those pickled goods that come in glass jars, you might be able to get a supply of the barrels.


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## fretti (Jun 30, 2007)

How about spraying them with clear Rustoleum (in a can)?


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Rosy,

I doubt that your summer temps are really a worry. We have a similar climate and the summer highs are generally for 3-4 hours. Am I right? With this in mind I'd store all your dry goods on the first floor or second if possible. This is what we had to do. If I stored dry goods in the basement they would mold in weeks. Think of the possibilities...... A nice "buffet table" with a solid foundation and fabulous fabric cover that matches the decor then to complete the look add a decorative runner. 

Now if you don't have the room in the house then I'd consider putting them in the barn. It will be much better longer term. The thing to remember is those few high heat days are more than offset by the cold north wind of winter. But if you have wet goods in the cans then you gotta keep them warm but not too warm. So the basement might be the best but you really only have the choice of coating with wax or painting with a rust proof paint. If you paint you really don't want that in your food. So it will be a problem. Plastic will allow the moisture in and aid in corrosion. Sealing #10 cans in a plastic bucket or Tupperware is also problematic due to the cost. It may be better to get grains and supplies in plastic pails. But even then I wouldn't store them in a "wet" environment. It's just too risky. A little mold even if it can't be seen, smelled, or tasted. Can cause health issues. Also, look into the cause of the witch trials..... a CHTF event isn't a good time to find out if the storage method worked.


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## JGex (Dec 27, 2005)

Dutch 106 said:


> Hi Guys,
> The dehumidifier would not work! to much, water in the soil, then if you didn't pump it out constantly it would just go back into the dirt floor.
> I'd be wax coating them with some beeswax (very sticky compared to parifin) by boilng a large kettle of water (outside in all but the coldest weather) with a skin of melted parrafin and bees wax an 1/2- 1/4 thick on the top then dip and wipe can all over. plastic might do for a second layer but even then I'd be checking regularly.
> What about raising the bottom to above the high water mark of the 100 year flood, using pallets if nothing else then using above, in those big plastic storage tubs you can get at wally world seal the weap holes around the handle area on a lot of them on a nice dry day. Or even co2 purge them with a nice chunk of dry ice.
> ...


Baloney. I live in an Earth-bermed house and the dehumidifier is quite efficient for us.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

JGex said:


> Baloney. I live in an Earth-bermed house and the dehumidifier is quite efficient for us.


Earth around and earth floor aren't the same. :cowboy:


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## Tweetybird (Oct 15, 2005)

When I was a kid and we lived aboard ao boat, I remember when we took long trips, we would store canned goods in the bildges, but first we had to prep the cans to store them.

We would remove the paper labels and mark the contents with a permanent marker, then would either dip them in parafin or varnish the can. The can was stored neatly in the bildges of the boat, so all we had to do was lift the boards in the cabin sole and could reach the cans in the bildges.

You could use this same technique to store them in your stone basement, but be sure they are up off the floor on pallets, and I would use the plastic tubs that are available at Wallyworld. Do not put plastic or a parp on the pallets as that would only hold the water if it were to get wet.

I have actually stored my preps in an upstairs room that was once a bedroom,thus avaiding the cellar problem.

Good luck!


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

I don't know if this will help you or not, but this is what I do during the summer here in NY. Our root cellar has a dirt floor also, though I have never had the problem of water in it. During the summer it can get humid, so I open the cellar window at night. 

Our pantry is the inside entrance to the root cellar, so during the day (in summer) I open the door to the cellar which cools off our pantry, close it at night. 

I also have a few pallets on the floor in the root cellar and store my stuff on top of them so they are not sitting directly on the dirt floor. When I used cardboard boxes down there, they got very damp. So I switched to the Rubbermaid type of containers and store canning jars, canned goods and paper products in them. Seem to be ok so far. 

katlupe


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## WayneR (Mar 26, 2007)

Coat them with boiled linseed oil. Will take several days to dry but is a natural material and will protect metal and wood so treated.


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## Rosy in NH (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks for all your posts. I have been taking time to reflect and reassess based on your posts. I guess my original strategy of storing/protecting cases from moisture in plastic trash bags isn't a very good long term solution (nor even a medium term solution). I thank you for your input. That's what makes this forum so valuable.

We have far too many #10 cans (hundreds) to reasonably expect to parafin (or other) coat them but I can see the value in it if that was the only option. We have tried a dehumidifier in the cellar in past years but it's pretty much useless for our environment. After discussing with my home partner we have decided that we COULD make room in 2nd floor of barn for food preps if the consensus is that temperature extremes of summer and winter in NH in an unheated but weatherproof and dry barn are better than a very moist/humid dirt floor cellar (thanks stanb999). 

So, that's my next question. To those of you who have experience and/or knowledge of New England type climate, damp basements and food storage, do you agree with stanb999 that if I don't have room in the house (ideal location I agree) then the dry, weatherproof, unheated barn (where food preps would freeze in the winter) would be preferable to the dirt floor, damp but temperature steady 50-70 degree basement? If I don't get many replies here I will re-post as a separate thread later.

Again, thanks for your knowledge and experience. I really do appreciate it!

Rosy


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## idontno (Sep 19, 2002)

What about mold growing in the damp basement.I think that would be a bigger problem than rusting cans...... idontno


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

JGex said:


> Baloney. I live in an Earth-bermed house and the dehumidifier is quite efficient for us.


Hi Guys,
A little touchy ain't you? 

I personally think you are vigorusly comparing apples and oranges!
Cheers,
Dutch


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