About a year ago I found myself in a position to purchase what I would describe as my “ forever “ home. An almost new house with all the standard modern amenities, but what about my collection? Could I build a suitable space in the cavernous basement of my new house? I would have to account for humidity, temperature, moisture of any sort, and light. Sitting down with my builder I laid out a plan to do just that , a fully conditioned space, humidity control, and most importantly moisture management! The results were better than anticipated, a dedicated globe library that occupies approximately a 14 x27 foot space complete with custom lighting, crown molding, and a wide bank of cabinets for storage and display.
During my journey from architectural drawings to completion I learned a few things about building underground. First metal framing is preferred, if things ever did get wet metal will not rot, mold or decay. Secondly the very best way to heat is radiant floor heating, I do have it in select areas but I wanted forced air for its ability to dehumidify, which is very important. Finally egress is not only code it’s just good sense , I selected egress windows that are coated to filter out UV light , the enemy of all things antique!
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