I came across an extra digital hygrometer a year ago or so and not really having any place else to put it, I stuck it in the bottom section of my desktop humi. The cigar section actually has two parts, the lower main section, and a vented tray that fits over that. I've always kept a digital hygro mounted in the lid and it's always read pretty contant. Higher and lower with the seasons as you would expect, but consistent.
I noticed some months back that hygro in the lower part was reading a lot lower RH than the hygro mounted to the lid. I would switch them around and get the same thing, lower RH in the bottom part. I salt tested them and they read within a point of each other. I put them back in the humi, and got the same results. I tried changing humidification and that didn't help either.
Finally, in desperation, I decided to completely re-season the humidor, just as if it was new. That's when I discovered the floor of the cigar storage area was made from very thin wood. Everything else on the humi is made from much thicker walls with a nice finish, etc. The floor however was very thin and unprotected, and was basically the only thing between the cigar section and the drawer section. I figured this was my problem. I was losing moisture out of the bottom.
While I was thinking about how to seal the bottom in some fashion, my wife had a brilliant idea...shelf paper. It has minimal adhesive, no smell, and is water resistant. So I removed the drawers, turned the humidor over, and papered the bottom side of the wood floor, essentially sealing it from the outside where there was essentially no protection.
I've now re-seasoned the interior, given it a day to sort of even itself out and just loaded my cigars back in. I'll check it every other day or so to see if my readings stay more consistent with each other, but I think this is gonna work.
I guess I just needed a little time to noodle on it, and a smart wife.
