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I am moving to the Arenal area in about a year and I have some lovely Ltd Ed art-prints, that are professionally framed, that I would like to bring down with me. I am concerned about what will happen to them in the humid conditions of Costa Rica. Will they Mold and Mildew? What types of things should I just not bother bringing. Our house will have good ventilation but still I know that books and paper takea beating. I would appreciaste any input.
Thanks
NitaAt 5,750 feet above sea level, I had severe mold problems in my house. Our beautiful hardwood floors rotted within 2 years after installation, mushrooms grew under my tennis shoes in the closet, all my video tapes got moldy, and I developed bad allergies. The Arenal area may not be as bad, but certainly precious pieces of art should be protected, from the elements, and from thieves. Thieves can be held off only by not leaving the house unattended EVER (which is why condos are the way to go). Mold can only be eliminated by a dehumidifier. You may have to bring it down with you because I never found a place in CR that sells them. Maybe that has changed by now – ask around.
Copier stands in offices in San Jose have a cabinet below for paper storage with a light bulb that’s never turned off. This keeps the paper dry so it doesn’t jam. A hot light shining on the art work would protect the front, but not the back.
Edited on Oct 09, 2006 06:33
Interesting . . . At about 4,200 feet, we have no mold problem whatsoever. We designed the house to have lots and lots of cross ventilation, and we never close the windows. Right now, our closet doors are open and the ceiling fan (which we do not need for temperature control) is on.
We have also invested in some ozone generators which will help suppress mildew. They were recommended by an old Costa Rica hand. The brand name is Biozone. You can buy them over the Internet, but they’re not cheap.
Dehumidifiers are usually available at PriceSmart and I’ve seen them at Importadora Monge in the MultiPlaza in Escazu. The problem is that they only work well in an enclosed space. If you keep your windows open, you’re trying to dehumidify all of Costa Rica (a losing fight).
From the little I’ve seen, wood floors are problematical. Were it me, I’d follow the local logic and use tile.
I lived just below Braulio Carrillo, not too far from Zurquí. That probably made the difference. The Atlantic and Pacific weather systems collide there, and although the temperature was absolutely perfect most of the time (for me), we did get quite a bit of rain and mist. I think Grecia is drier.
Thanks for the input, the area in Arenal where we are moving to is only at 1860 ft Seems Higher to me, so I am hoping that the humidity is lower than other areas. I will leave the artworks behind! Besides with so much beautiful scenery to look at who needs framed Art?
I brought some artwork down. I’d had to get a few pieces rematted, but most have held up. Mold can be a big problem, though for hanging art, I don’t have a solution.
Ceiling fans/airflow seem to help lessen the problem. In closed areas/closets I’ve used heater bars that I bought from Cemaco. You plug them in and they give off a little heat to combat the mold and humidity.
De-humidifiers work too, but generally I only use them in closed spaces.
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