Can Books and Textiles Help in Controlling the Indoor Relative Humidity

Books and textiles can contribute to the moisture buffering capacity of a room, reducing absolute changes in relative humidity (RH). In this paper, the moisture buffering capacity of a magazine-type paper, a newspaper-type paper, and a cotton fabric are measured. A two-scale model is developed to describe the moisture buffering capacity of books. Using a room balance model with moisture buffering, the effect of books and textiles on the RH fluctuations in a room is analyzed and it is found that, for a large number of books, the indoor RH stabilizes (e.g., offices, library room). Textiles, having a limited thickness, only affect the peaks in moisture production. It is shown that the influence of books and textiles may not be ignored when designing the control system for the indoor RH.