Can old 8mm/16mm film and slides be safely stored in a hot attic?
Asked 2/13/2013
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I have a large collection of family 8mm and 16mm films and slides from the 1960s and 1970s. Some are in metal tins and some are in cardboard boxes. We’re in northeast Florida, and while they’ve been stored indoors so far, we may need to move them. The only space available is a very hot attic with high humidity. We can’t digitize them right away. How much will heat and humidity accelerate damage, and is there anything I can do to protect the film and slides if attic storage is the only option?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The answer will be highly dependent on the specifics of the situation, such as how much heat and humidity, and over what period of time. It's unlikely that anyone will be able to provide an accurate answer for your situation because you very likely haven't recorded the temperature and humidity levels over the storage period, but "incredibly hot" can't be good. So, we have to revert to generalities: you really should keep film (even if it has been developed) in a cool, dark, dry place as much as possible. Doing otherwise will lead to adverse results.
It sounds like renting a climate controlled storage locker might be a good (if expensive) option.
Even without high temperature and humidity, many of the substrates used for film can degrade over time. This is a huge problem for big movie studios, museums, historical societies, and other institutions that have large stores of photographs and movies -- the film is slowly falling apart despite being stored under good conditions.
Note that some film substrates such as celluloid are quite flammable.
Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4262
13y ago
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Heat and humidity will speed up deterioration, sometimes dramatically. Exact damage depends on the actual temperature, humidity, and how long the materials stay there, but an attic that gets “incredibly hot” is not a good place for old film or slides.
General best practice is to store film in a cool, dark, dry, stable environment. High heat and moisture can accelerate fading, warping, mold, and breakdown of older film bases and mounts. Cardboard boxes also tend to offer less protection in humid conditions.
If possible, avoid attic storage entirely. A climate-controlled indoor space is much safer, and a climate-controlled storage unit may be worth considering if you can’t keep them in the house.
If you have no alternative, the best you can do is minimize exposure to heat and humidity as much as possible, keep them dry and dark, and plan to transfer the most important items first when you can. But realistically, attic storage in Florida conditions is likely to shorten their usable life.
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