Records not stored vertically for decades

@knock1

Yours is a valid concern. And if you don’t mind, I’ll respond with verified facts and sound logic.

The interiors of functional record storage compartments must be wide enough to accommodate album sets in larger than normal jackets and to ease removal for playback and replacement afterward. So most of them are at least 13" wide. When records are stored on a horizontal surface that wide, ½" of their edges can be misaligned with the record beneath it in a stack. This leaves that edge of the record devoid of pressure. The air temperatures very close to home heating sources can approach 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And a brief exposure to temperatures that high can deform the unsupported edge. Subsequent cooling sets the deformity, creating an edge warp. And repeated heating/cooling cycles increases the edge warp.

Unfortunately, few edge warps can be repaired.

Recordguardian, I was wondering whether there was any scientific basis for the 70 degree F cutoff point. That seems low , plus I would think humidity plus temperature together are the determinants. Therefore the temp cutoff would vary with ambient moisture. Furthermore while it seems inescapable logic to say that storage at an angle promotes warping, one also notices (during my own 50 years) that sometimes warps appear for no logical reason, even in LPs stored vertically in tight rows, and even free of charge in brand new LPs.

@lewm

The storage angle is immaterial as long as it comprises a flat surface that provides even pressure across the suraces of records stored therein. In fact, Diamond Record Gurdaiian’s failsafe technology stores recoreds on a flat surface rotated to a 45 degree angle so gravity forces the edges of records into alignment. Its up to our customers to ensure that the back edges of records are also aligned--an easy tqsk when one edge is already aligned with the edges of records below it in the stack.

The consensus recommendation by acknowledged experts is to store records vertically at dry temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees F. As long as those records are supported be even pressures across both surfaces, they won’t deform. But that creates its own problem. Imagine organzing your record collection in alphabetical order by the recording artist’s name. You decide to add all ten of Abbq’s albums to your collection of 500 records stored in eight compartments. You’ll be fced with a hree-way quandary: you must be willing to shift ten records at a time from one compartment to the next x 7, cross referencing your collection by date of acquisition, or leqve a gap in each storage compartment to accommodate new acquisitions. If you’ve ever tried to balance a jacketed record on its edge, you alreqdy know it will fall toward one of two supporting surfaces until it encounters the highest obstruction. That leaves portions of the record devoid of pressure. This isn’t a problem as long as the stored records are not exposed to temperatures above 70 degrees. But how many record collectors listen to their records while sitting or standing in temperatures that do not exceed 70 degrees?

New records can be subjected to extremely high temperatures during shipping, and any misalignment omong records in their corrogqted cardboard containers completes the formula for vinyl deformity. Diamond Record Guardian (DRG) recommends having your records shipped by air to minimize their time of exposuure to high temperatures. Even worse, there is no guarantee that other freight not aligned with the surfaces of your recordswon't be stacked on top of your records. The only portection from that eventuality is to have your records shipped in a rigic container, i.e. milk crates.

You can’t control how your local record store ships has its inbound stock shipped. But they won’t stay in business long if they refuse to replace or refund the price you paid for records that turn out to be warped.

To overcome any concerns about playing Vinyl Horizontally after storing it Vertically. The Link is to show a type of device to help address such a concern.

Well, I got to look at some of my records today and they look to be in surprisingly good shape.  There may be some warping but tough to really tell just by looking (unfortunately didn’t get to view them on a flat surface) , there was no visible mold, and even the albums toward the bottom in their original paper sleeves looked very clean with no visible signs of the paper being embedded into the grooves.  Obviously the proof will be in the playing, but I was encouraged by what I saw and was surprised it wasn’t worse given the extreme length of time it’s been.