How hot of an environment can vinyl stay in?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by TimB, Feb 10, 2016.

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  1. TimB

    TimB Pop, Rock and Blues for me! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colorado
    just curious, we are going to be renting a storage shed and it is not a climate controlled one. Not wanting to risk any damage, I was wondering where the max temperature vinyl be in with out warping. I remember hearing about people who stored records in the he attic and they got warped.
     
  2. EdogawaRampo

    EdogawaRampo Senior Member

    Hard to say, but I would think a storage shed would be much better than an attic -- the attic collects all the heat from the house.
     
  3. ibekeen

    ibekeen Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    The key word in your post was "we". Put your spouse in the shed and keep the records in the house where they belong. :angel:
     
  4. Vinyl is pretty resilient up to a point if stored vertically, of equal or greater concern are the LP jackets (and inserts, posters, pics, etc.) which are very susceptible to humidity and bugs, etc.
     
    GTOJUDGE, lightbulb, johnny q and 3 others like this.
  5. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    Non-scientific/Non-expert observation: Usually it's sunlight on the records that makes them warp. If you have albums stored in boxes where they are packed snug, but not too tight you're probably ok to a point. For a few days or a few weeks I'd be less worried, it also depends if we're talking November-March, or April-October. If there is
    any way to avoid this, please do. If not, pull out the few dozen or so that you'd be devastated to lose. Also. once the albums are boxed, try to get them propped up off the floor to avoid potential water damage. It may well turn out ok, but take EVERY precaution you can.
     
  6. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    I would store it close to the ground , low enough to not be where heat gathers but high enough to stay dry.

    But honestly, the heat will not be your worst enemy.
    Mice love album covers for the purpose of making nesting material.
    Storage totes might help, but I have seen mice eat through the lid of a metal jar to get to grass seed inside of it.
    I had a bucket of grass seed once, stored, a heavy 5 gallon construction bucket. I went to use it and found a very round hole in the top, almost as if it had been drilled. The seed had all been hulled, all that was left was the chaff. Those mice must have had one hell of a party in that bucket.
    Mice also piss on everything they walk across. Even if they don't eat the covers, they can make a smell so bad you won't want to keep them.
     
  7. sons of nothing

    sons of nothing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    I wouldn't do it. When I was at Zia in Arizona, they had a sign warning people about shipping records during the summer, that they will assume no responsibility for warped records. Plus, it can get damp in a shed.
     
    melstapler, GTOJUDGE and starduster like this.
  8. miklew

    miklew Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I buy rare records from Brazil and Africa all the time and they are not warped. What do people do who live in South America, Africa, the Carribean etc do with their records? I have been to these places and I did not experience any air conditioning in any record shop or home that I bought records from. Direct heat and sunshine are the enemy. Most people treat records like their first child. After a while you realize that they are a lot more resilient than you think and when the second one comes along they can eat all the dirt that they want :laugh:
     
    Useaname, L.P. and SquaRoots like this.
  9. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    Some thoughts - actual circumstances depends on various factors:

    What type of storage shed?
    What are the roof and walls made of? (Aluminum, wood, plywood, etc)
    Obviously, some material retain/reflect heat more.

    How are the average temperatures and humidity stats where the shed is?
    Is the area shaded?

    How sturdy are the locks? Is there public access? If so, the quality of the locks should be considered...

    Caution: some sheds have cracks/ openings, or chicken wire air holes for vents. Ideal for spiders and creepy crawlies. But bad for paper good collectables, such as LP covers.
     
  10. ODShowtime

    ODShowtime jaded faded

    Location:
    Tampa
    Man I stopped for lunch after going to the Tempe shop once and I was afraid my lps would get warped in the car!
     
    Erik B. and sons of nothing like this.
  11. I accidentally left a banana in my car in Las Vegas and it exploded!
     
  12. Attics do not collect heat from the house in hot weather. They collect heat from the sun. Heat always flows from the hotter areas to the cooler areas unless refrigeration is involved. Most building codes require a minimum of R-38 attic insulation in new construction to prevent attic heat from getting into the house. Attics also have ventilation requirements to dissipate heat. I don't know if there are ventilation requirements for storage sheds.
     
  13. Donfrance

    Donfrance As honest as a politician.

    I would store them in a friends house or perhaps at a family member. Not in some place where "everybody" and everything can access them.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  14. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    BAND NAME IDEA ALERT!

    "Exploded Banana"
    "Hot Banana"
    "Banana Bomb"
     
  15. Kristeva

    Kristeva Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I think it's more about how you store them than the heat issue. Stand them upright in proper vinyl boxes/cases and keep them out of direct sunlight and they should be fine. Here in the UK (south east) my loft gets really hot in the summer and my old vinyl spent many years stored away up there and were absolutely fine. Obviously it gets a lot hotter in certain parts of America so I can't comment on that.
     
    lightbulb likes this.
  16. Kristeva

    Kristeva Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Yes, I was going to comment on this too. It seriously needs to be a bit more than just a common garden shed otherwise insects and mice will find a way in and eventually everything paper-based will be disintegrated.
     
    GTOJUDGE and lightbulb like this.
  17. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    I immediately thought of the first Velvet Underground LP, and The Exploding Plastic Inevitable events that Warhol organized.

    Further proof that I am truly music damaged...
     
    Lost In The Flood and starduster like this.
  18. OnTheRoad

    OnTheRoad Not of this world

    The trunk of a car will certainly bake them. No tellin' what the temperature got to (120F+ maybe) but I had some warp back in '73 on our cross country trip from Cali to Texas. Oh...we went the HOT route too and it was June ! :D


    :(
     
  19. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    Or, in the case of VU, ATTEMPTED music damaged.
     
    lightbulb likes this.
  20. Gavinyl

    Gavinyl Remembering Member

    You'll be alright mate !
     
  21. sons of nothing

    sons of nothing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois

    Chicagoland tends to hit 30 Celsius and hotter during the summer. Arizona will hit 46!
     
  22. fluffskul

    fluffskul Would rather be at a concert

    Location:
    albany, ny
    OP, I'm confused. I've never heard of anyone renting a shed. By "storage shed" do you mean storage units, as in what they bid on in storage wars, or do you literally mean a "shed," where one would normally house lawn tools.

    If its a storage unit, I think you will be fine. Though, being perfectly honest I have a storage unit and don't store vinyl it. CDs yes. But my vinyl that's not on display is in a crawl space in the house. I've gone into my unit in the dead of summer and its no hotter than my garage. (But again I don't store vinyl in my garage in the summer either). But again I think I am probably being overly cautious.

    But if its an actual shed, I would sell your collection before doing that. Insects, rodents, humidity, a tree falling on it, and I'm not positive but I suspect fumes from gasoline or pool chemicals you may also store in the shed wouldn't be great for the jackets or records.
     
    Michael and lightbulb like this.
  23. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    storage in the basement OFF the floor is better than an attic...
    if the basement is finished it would be fine...
     
    fluffskul likes this.
  24. Kristeva

    Kristeva Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    that's a different ball game, lol.
     
  25. Khaki F

    Khaki F Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kenosha, WI. USA
    Anything over 90°F and I'd really start to worry. There are little battery operated digital thermometers you can buy at hardware stores for cheap to track the temp.
     
    zebop likes this.
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