Expert: James Yee - 2/8/2011

Question
I live in an old house and have converted one of the old bedrooms into an office.   There is a very small closet 3 feet deep x 5 feet wide, 8 foot ceilings.   there is still the original plaster walls and I would like to turn this into a walk in humidor.   If I put plastic vapor barriors on the walls and ceilings what should I use as wood on the walls and ceilings.   How important is it to have it air tight?  Can I just use an oak door that I have put glass in as the door.   Does it need to be a special wood also?  I also need to know what the best kind of humidifier would be.   I plan on being able to store some cuban and other special cigars.   what other issues might I run into?

Answer
Hi Jim,

For the walls, it’s best that you use kiln-dried Spanish cedar panels.  Spanish cedar is commonly used in humidors because it does not rot and the natural oils deter bugs.   The soft, natural scent of the wood will also compliment the scent of your cigars very nicely.  It’s important that you use kiln-dried wood as air-dried wood will eventually warp and bow inside your humidor.  Your humidor should also not be 100% airtight as your cigars will need to breathe.  (If the cigars can’t breathe, they will swell and split from the excess humidity.)   It’s perfectly fine to use the glass/oak door.  If the closet receives a lot of natural sunlight, be sure to add blinds as the sunlight will bleach your cigars and increase the temperature of the walk-in humidor.  Artificial lighting is also important… Do not use incandescent, halogen or any other types of lightbulbs that emit a lot of heat.  Use soft LED or Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs as they operate at a much cooler temperature and won’t compromise the temperature of your walk-in humidor.  

For a humidification unit, Vigilant makes excellent units for walk-in humidors.  Their website is www.vigilantinc.com.

I hope this helps!  If you have any more questions,  please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James