[Harkrader]

Heavy rains recently flooded our basement, and however the water got in, it told its friends. Comparatively modest rain has continued to get in, creating an almost chronically wet floor. We have a dehumidifier and two fans going but the air is dank.

I have a "Goldenrod" and some "Super VCI plugs" in the safe. These are marginal to begin with, but I haven't had this problem before.
I doubt either one can deal with the air exchange that takes place when opening the door.

I'm half tempted to spray everything with LPS2. Just kidding. Maybe.

Perhaps a couple pounds of absorbent packs?
It's not that I have a large collection, but I don't know of anyone nearby who could take what I have for a while. One is a Class III weapon and can't go anyway.
-Harkrader

 

[MtnSpur]

I'm sorry to hear of your rain issue though I wish we had the same problem, the rain not the flooding. Aside from the goldenrod and the VCI plugs your best bet is to insure that all your firearm are coated in oil, in this case perhaps more so than normal due to the moisture. Eezox not only serves as a cleaner and protectant but once it dries it effectively blocks moisture better than most gun products though MC3000 or the Moisture Vapor barrier for long term storage bags would most likely be your best bet. Basements can be, depending on locale, a firearm's worst enemy due to the trapped moisture. Hope this helps a bit without having to build an Ark

 

[Chaffee]

If it were me, I'd get everything out of the safe and upstairs. Disassemble and dry/clean well and leave them upstairs till you get the basement under control. I have some experience with wet basements and I know it's no fun. That moist air can cause mold that will grow on anything. When you get the basement dry, and before putting your guns back in, I'd put a bunch of absorbent packs in the safe along with your plug in ones and let them work for a while with the door shut. Or you could let a fan blow in on the open safe for several days. I did this once when one of my safes got rained on when I was bringing it home. The carpet got wet inside and I just let a box fan blow in there for about a week before I put anything in it. But the safe was upstairs, so I was blowing dry air, I don't know if that'd work for you downstairs.


If you can't or don't want to leave the guns out of the safe for any length of time, then oil them generously and hope for the best. And mabey buy another dehumidifier or two.

 

[dfariswheel]

Best answer is to seal the guns in VCPI bags.
This will totally prevent rust for at least 10 years, and is what the military use to store guns.

You can buy sheets of "Gun Wrap" VCPI paper and special plastic bags or vacuum pack bags with the VCPI already in them from Brownell's.
This will work a LOT better than slathering them with grease or depending on dehumidifier chemicals. Since the gun is sealed in it's own rust preventing environment, each gun has it's own individual protection that won't fail.

NOTE: DO NOT use ordinary plastic bags of any sort. They all pass moisture. The special bags are made of a "hard" plastic that won't pass moisture of allow the VCPI vapor to escape.

GUNWRAP? PAPER | Brownells

TRIPLE TOUGH? PREMIUM STORAGE BAGS | Brownells

VACUUM SEAL STORAGE BAGS | Brownells

 

[dogface6]

Not knowing the size of your safe, I offer this - find a pallet made of one of the composites, and re-mount your safe atop it, thereby giving you some airspace underneath it, and by adding another dehumidifier, and more dessicant, you can keep things drier.

Good Luck.

 

[Mike Faires]

I heard somewhere years ago that WD-40 will in fact attract moisture, therefore it should not be used on firearms and can neither confirm or deny the validity of the statement. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[Harkrader]

I like the idea of the VCPI bags, dfariswheel. I do have the safe on a mount about 4 inches off the floor as dogface6 recommends, so, got that covered. I'm not in danger of water entering the safe. And, as much as they are a pain to use, I'll get some large desiccant bags and just change them daily or so as I bag the guns. I don't feel I can leave the guns out anywhere, even though house robberies are very rare, here. Just too irresponsible because we can't always be home. I do know about not using regular plastic bags, though I didn't realize it was because they are porous.
Thanks, everybody. Now I've got a plan!
-Harkrader

 

[Harkrader]

Defariswheel:
It's not clear to me from the Brownells website that the "Gunwrap" paper is treated wth VCPI. Do you know?
-Harkrader

 

[capstan]

Make sure all your roof downspouts are directed away from the house and make sure they are not clogged.
If you have a footing drain that can daylight,make sure it is daylighted,and unclogged.
make sure the ground slopes away from your house on all sides.
It could be that no one put in a footing drain.
If your basement is not a walk out basement then depending upon the topography, a footing drain may not be able to be daylighted.If that's the case,sounds like you need a sump and sump pump in your basement.
You could consider an inside perimeter drain system that goes to a sump with a sump pump in your basement.
I run a dehumidifier in my basement during the summer and that keeps the humidity down .
I also prefer the basement for a safe because if there is a fire,the safe would just fall through the floor and smash everything that is inside and would possibly cause more damage than the fire itself. Also in the basement, temps should not be as high especially if the safe is up against the foundation wall.

 

[dfariswheel]

The Gun Wrap paper is treated with the VCPI chemical.
The paper gives off VCPI fumes that drives out moisture and surrounds the metal with the vapor.
As long as the bag is sealed the metal won't rust.

It says not good around aluminum but that's bare aluminum, not anodized aluminum as used on guns.

I recommend wiping the metal with a light coat of a good rust preventing product like CLP Breakfree to neutralize fingerprints then wrap with several sheets of the paper, put in the bag, squeeze out most of the air then seal tightly.

 

[Chicago]

Well...the last couple days here have had me looking for Noah and green alligators and long neck geese. 6 inches of rain will find any weakness in foundations. It found a couple in my basement. Harkrader is your basement finished/carpeted ? Are there foundation cracks ? Is water coming up through the floor ? I have had to do some crack repairs here . My safe is not in the basement though. i am using products from This supplier. Read about some of the products they have for various water problems. Of course now that I have done repairs it probably wont rain again this summer ! Concrete Sealers | Basement Repair Products | RadonSeal

 

[oberon]

Haul the ordnance to a dry , secure location and go thruogh 'em.
Then haul your safe to a dry, secure location and go through it. I use a 1kg. silica cannister. in a 24 gun safe.
Then see if you can do anything about the wet condition in the basement.
I have my safe on an upper deck. The basement (bilge) is damp a lot of the time and outright wet certain times of the year.