Storage and temperatures

[Stick]

Right folks, here's one for you...

I'm making very slow but nonetheless steady progress to setting up my man cave in one half of our garage. It's a standalone, built from a single course of brick, with a double up and over doors. It's unheated and at the moment and has no electric supply. After 1 year it's remained bone dry inside with no damp.

What I'd eventually like to do is move all my baccy and pipes from my house to the garage for storage / display. But here's the rub. It gets cold out there in the winter. Outside temps can drop to minus 10 degs C so the garage interior will be not far off that. My concerns are that these temps might damage the pipes and maybe in some way negatively affect the baccy. Specifically, being that one is plastic and the other wood, will the materials' differing contraction rates cause the mortise or tenon to fracture?

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Cheers,

Stick.

 

[Lonecoyote]

Hello Stick,
    All of my 48+ years of smoking a pipe and many different types of blends, there is one very special thing I've noticed: BOTH pipes and tobacco's don't like drastic change to temperature. There are some articles you'll find online that tells you " it's okay to freeze your tobacco "! That's total BS, don't believe everything you read on the Internet. I surely don't. 

  If you can maintain a certain humidity and temperature level in an area in your garage everything will be fine. But, can that be obtainable? Your tobacco's and pipes will NOT fair well in extremely hot or cold weather. If that were the case most pipe smokers would store their pipes and tobacco's in the garage here in the States, but of course they don't. However, I do know two people that set up an area in their garage as " a place for comfort and enjoyment, a smoking lounge ". An enclosed room was built in the garage with a separate single door to the outside for entering or exiting. Also a combo AC/heater was installed thru a proper wall sleeve. Is this something you had in mind too also eventually accomplish? 
  If not I would set up a lounge for you to relax and enjoy as many pipes as you like, but keep your pipes and tobacco's in a controlled environment.  
Good luck and please post some pictures when your Man Cave is complete. 


KEEP ON PUFFING!!!

 

[monbla256]

My gawd man, do you wear a parka and mittens when in your garage when it's 14 deg f ? Sounds like you need to invest in some insulation and interior wall work as well as some form of heat in that garage to make it worth using in the way you want. :twisted: ( you did say it gets to -10 deg c =14 deg f out there ?) :twisted:

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Yah, no, try to avoid fluctuating temperature swings of more than a few degrees over the course of the year. Pipes, tobacco, wine, books and old men don't appreciate change, eh?

 

[Lonecoyote]

old men don't appreciate change, eh?

Thanks OW, greatly appreciated... :lol!: :lol!: 



KEEP ON PUFFING!!!

 

[Lonecoyote]

old men don't appreciate change, eh?

Thanks OW, greatly appreciated... :lol!: :lol!: 


FORUMOTION IS REALLY MESSED UP TODAY. IT SENT THIS TWICE AND I CAN NOT DELETE IT!!! Oh I love the French. As much as they like us Americans!!


KEEP ON PUFFING!!!

 

[Stick]

Mm, good points gents, thanks for your thoughts. I must admit I was more focused on the briar than the baccy but completely take your points about temperature ranges and the effect on tobacco.

So... decision made and LC hits the nail on the head; the garage becomes a smoking lounge with storage staying in the house.

:cheers:

 

[Brewdude]

Mm, good points gents, thanks for your thoughts.  I must admit I was more focused on the briar than the baccy but completely take your points about temperature ranges and the effect on tobacco.

So... decision made and LC hits the nail on the head; the garage becomes a smoking lounge with storage staying in the house.

:cheers:

Right you are Squire, that's yer best option an' no mistake. Tek it from our LC, he knows his tom tit!

:albino:


Cheers,

RR

 

[ontariopiper]

Whil Ideally, you'd build an insulated wall and install some heating in the lounge side of your garage, Stick, I'm betting it would be possible to create a more stable baccy storage solution if you can run some basic electricity out there.

Something like a cabinet lined with foam insulation (or an old refrigerator? ) and kept warm with an old-fashioned incandescent light bulb installed in the bottom. A simple thermostat could be rigged to cut power to the lamp when the cabinet reached a certain temp (or to avoid over-heating the contents. A 100W bulb puts out a lot of heat - sort of the same principle as baking a cake in a kid's Easy-Bake Oven. (Mmmmm, cake!) :lol!:

As a guy who is relegated to the garage in the winter months himself, I'm always looking for solutions like this to life's little problems. Last year I hung an insulated tarpaulin around my workbench/winter smoking lounge area and installed an electric shop heater inside. Ten minutes after turning the heater on, I'm in my shirt sleeves enjoying a bowl in comfort despite some seriously chilly outdoor temps. This year I may sneak a few sheets of foamboard insulation over the tarp, then add plywood next year.  Should be a proper room in a few years without the wife catching on!

 

[AJ]

Lonecoyote's advice is spot on. It's the most economical way to address your problem and your pipes and tobacco will be at their best at all times if kept in a stable temperature/humidity controlled environment.

AJ

 

[alandadp]

Can I suggest another option Stick?
You follow the route taken by my Uncle with his garden shed:
It was double skinned with insulation between them - to stop frost getting at bulbs and seedlings.
Secondary double glazing - as above
It had electrical and water supply - for the electric mower and the hose-pipe
A substantial gas heater - for potting-up during cold weather.
How he justified the TV, radio, fridge, and comfy chair  I'm not sure  

Adam

 

[AJ]

Can I suggest another option Stick?
You follow the route taken by my Uncle with his garden shed:
It was double skinned with insulation between them - to stop frost getting at bulbs and seedlings.
Secondary double glazing - as above
It had electrical and water supply - for the electric mower and the hose-pipe
A substantial gas heater - for potting-up during cold weather.
How he justified the TV, radio, fridge, and comfy chair  I'm not sure  

Adam

Adam I sure like the way your Uncle does things. The man sees an opportunity and runs with it. :cheers: :cheers:

AJ

 

[KevinM]

Tobacco likes to be stored in a stable, dark, cool environment. It likes the same ambient temps that I do. My pipes share a room with my computer and books. They seem to like it well enough.

 

[Stick]

Adam, sounds like the perfect man cave... I'd like to meet your uncle too.

Modifications to the garage are off my radar at the moment. At best it'll recieve an electricity supply so I'm going with the concept of storage inside and man cave outside. Decor will be my bikes, boards, wetsuits and climbing kit which will provoke much reflection and planning.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!