LP Storage Recommendations

I love Ikea stuff. I currently have 1500 CDs in Billy Bookcases (with the old CD shelf inserts) going on 9 years and 3 moves and still going strong.

Expedit looks nice (even better if they came with the cardboard backing the Billy's come with). But the Besta dealie up there looks REAL nice.

Anyone else out there that can vouch for the Besta? Basically you just buy the door hardware extra, right? Also, how many records do the Expedit and Besta hold?

 

Dirk, I have the same problem as you do, I have 2500 LP's (I think ), I have no basement and I am out growing my shelves. I hope to do a built in storage unit some day, but for now this is what I use:

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73892

The are more exprensive than thie Ikea units, but I like their looks better than the Boltz. They have a rear stop for the LP's

 

My first Expedit case had been taken apart and moved twice by it's previous owner and once by me and became a bit unstable, even loaded down with vinyl. I would say taking them apart and putting them back together several times made it unstable. The unit's I have now are solid. I am probably going to secure them to the wall like I do my bookcases. I have not noticed any sag as far as the shelves go. For the money and the amount of vinyl they hold, the Expedit is a great buy.

 

I have an Ikea 2x4 that works fine. I HAD a 5x5 that collapsed under the weight of my albums. Luckily nothing lost, but it's still a huge mess. Check the weight ratings on 'em. A full "cube" of albums is way more then they're rated for.

The smaller units seem to work better, but I use 'em with extreme caution now.

 

What my friend Harold did was brace the Expedit 5x5 with the addition of corner 90 degree angle steel braces that bolt into each of the outer corners. That made them quite study and able to hold full cubes of LPs.

 

Hi Lee -

I might just try that on the one that didn't collapse. I can't imagine the magazine and comics on that one wiegh much less then albums.

I have to admit I'm kinda thinking of more of a "record store" type solution these days. I like flipping thru my albums.

 

Did you see the racks that David Schwartz (PMC7027) posted?

http://www.lpbin.com/

 

Exactly the ones that got me thinking that way.

 

Actually you have more of a "problem" than I do, about twice as many LP's
I have eyed those MD racks for awhile, and may go with a set for my next storage choice. The LP's are looking tacky at this point stacked against the wall.

 

Those LP bins look great. A couple of questions:

Is it bad to not have your albums standing straight-up vertical for long term storage?

Does anyone know how the cherry looks in person? It is clearly a veneer but some veneers looks great and others look cheap.

 

I have always heard that having LPs vertical is the best position for long-term care.

 

No, it's not bad having them stored vertically. In fact, it's the only way to store them without increasing the chance they will be damaged. This is universally accepted by record collectors

 

Here is my Ikea Expedit and Benno racks set up. Now I need to sort through some stacks of vinyl from upstairs and file them away.

 

What's the humidity like in California? I guess that would be a determining factor. I store my albums in the basement as well, but it's finished as well. I also keep a dehumidifier on during the summer to keep any moist air away.
I've had no issues.

BYW, the Ikea furniture mentioned looks great. I'll be moving myself in less than a year and will need some alternate storage solutions.

 

Humidity in Southern California is very low overall, but has increased a bit in the summer in the last 20 years or so. It's also not bad in Northern California.

 

Here is the Expidite I have in my office. The only thing I'd worry about using one in SoCal (as has already been mentioned) would be the stability during an earthquake. Once loaded with LP's, they quite possibly could fall over, especially if they are loaded in a top heavy manner, i.e. more albums on the top than the bottom.

 

This is what I want to get.

 

I have a dehumidifier and air filter in my basement and I would have no problem storing lps in the basement.

 

Be sure to pick a humidistat. I too use a dehumidifier when it's warm here in Michigan. The humidistat helps me determine the level to set the dehumidifier. I like to maintain a level between 50-60% relative humidity. Wide fluctutions are not "healthy" for your records.

 

I've got my hi-fi and some 3,000 plus records in the basement. One thing I purchased for my Ikea Expedit is feet to raise the storage rack off the floor to protect the rack from any potential seepage if such should ever occur. The Expedit also comes with hardware to attach the rack to the wall which makes it quite a bit more stable. I've had this one in place for a few years now and it's worked out just fine.

 

Do they make feet specific to the Expedit or did you use something else?

 

I purchased the feet from IKEA, something like this is similar to what I purchased.

 

Thanks for the info.