Storage concerns

I’m about to pull the trigger on some storage / office space, and getting some last-minute jitters. I’ve been working from home for about 20 years, but need more space to expand the business (currently have about 13,000 items in my inventory, mostly vinyl, and looking to try and get that up to 20,000 within a year or so). So I have the option to move into a container office…it will be a metal shell, but beyond that not sure on exact construction. Two main concerns -

1) will my records cope ok with any extremes of temperature? Hopefully it will at least be lined, if not insulated.

2) will the floor be strong enough for several tons of vinyl etc

Any experience or advice welcome!

Real_Sir_Real
will my records cope ok with any extremes of temperature?

No, records do not cope well with any extremes in temperature. If by container you mean a shipping container, I would say that's probably a poor place to store records. I don't know how well you can insulate a big airless metal box to not get super hot/cold.

Real_Sir_Real
will the floor be strong enough

Without knowing what you plan to make the floor from, no-one can reliably estimate this for you.

Real_Sir_Real
will my records cope ok with any extremes of temperature?

Not even CDs will unless the "extreme" is on the low side. Heat is always critical.

metal_circus
Real_Sir_Realwill my records cope ok with any extremes of temperature?

No, records do not cope well with any extremes in temperature. If by container you mean a shipping container, I would say that's probably a poor place to store records. I don't know how well you can insulate a big airless metal box to not get super hot/cold.

Real_Sir_Realwill the floor be strong enough

Without knowing what you plan to make the floor from, no-one can reliably estimate this for you.

Maybe I should have given a bit more detail in the OP! The (what I presume was originally a shipping container] has already been converted. Hence, it has windows for example (that presumably open), so airflow will be possible. It has always been my understanding (and experience) that heat is only a real issue (with regard warping etc) if very extreme or direct. I live in the UK, so reality is that outside temperature will rarely breach 30 degrees.

As for floor, it’s a metal container, presumably originally used for shipping heavy loads, so regardless if any other flooring has been installed, my instinct is that it should be strong enough?

MOISTURE/CONDENSATION!!

Sealed metal box, sitting in the sun, even with inuslation, can still have serious temperature variations.

My old garage is free-standing (from the house), is "leaky", as far as airflow, not water. It is in direct sun all day, no shade. Going between just 40°F in the morning, to 60°F in the afternoon, if theres a decently high humidty inside... I end up with heavy condensation literally dripping/coating almost everything inside.

I would definately have a 24/7 climate/humidity control system in place, even in a nice, converted metal shipping container, if I were storing anything remotely susceptable to temp./humidity changes.

Blue_Stone
MOISTURE/CONDENSATION!!

Sealed metal box, sitting in the sun, even with inuslation, can still have serious temperature variations.

My old garage is free-standing (from the house), is "leaky", as far as airflow, not water. It is in direct sun all day, no shade. Going between just 40°F in the morning, to 60°F in the afternoon, if theres a decently high humidty inside... I end up with heavy condensation literally dripping/coating almost everything inside.

I would definately have a 24/7 climate/humidity control system in place, even in a nice, converted metal shipping container, if I were storing anything remotely susceptable to temp./humidity changes.

Thanks, I had considered that, and would use a dehumidifier if that looked like it might be a problem - but as with a van or truck, if the inside is lined with wood, condensation shouldn't be a problem. Food for thought, still :-)

If it used to be an international shipping container & it has no corrosion issues it will take the weight.

panoptikon
If it used to be an international shipping container & it has no corrosion issues it will take the weight.

Thanks, just been to see it and yeah, that's certainly what it looks like - converted into an office space, fully lined / insulated. Difficult to know about corrosion underneath, but it appears to be in good order so I'm confident that weight won't be an issue. As for the temperature issue, it's currently 22 degrees here, and it was warm inside (but not too warm), and there are 4 large windows and a door that can all be opened for airflow (none of which had been opened when I went to see it). I'm pretty confident now that it will be fine :-)

Real_Sir_Real
Difficult to know about corrosion underneath

TBH it would be unusual for a container company to ditch servicable containers, it might be worth trying to find out were they sourced the containers. If they were scrap the repair would not have been done to standard of a container, so all bets about the weight would be off.

A plain shipping container? No.

A refer container and/or one that's been converted with full insulation/walls/floor? That should be fine.

DarreLP
A plain shipping container? No.

A refer container and/or one that's been converted with full insulation/walls/floor? That should be fine.

There you go. And regarding weight, they are designed to handle forklifts plus their loads.

In a separate post last year, were assured that record deliveries left in summer sun would be just fine. Malevolent advice, which I rationally disregarded.

4 large windows and a door? If you do not want to block them, is there sufficient space for 13,000 or even 20,000 records?

I am having space issues in my music room of 13 square meters which holds about 9,000 records plus a few meters of 7"s. There is not so much floor space to move around - let alone fit an office workplace as you are planning.

Dr._Dark
4 large windows and a door? If you do not want to block them, is there sufficient space for 13,000 or even 20,000 records?

I am having space issues in my music room of 13 square meters which holds about 9,000 records plus a few meters of 7"s. There is not so much floor space to move around - let alone fit an office workplace as you are planning.

There's tons of space, it's about 30 square metres, and my Kallax shelving will comfortably accommodate the stock I currently have (similar to yours) without blocking any windows or doors, and with room for expansion on new shelving up to around 20,000 items I guess (around 12,000 x 12"s and LPs, and the rest a mix between 7"s and CDs) - with plenty of space for a computer desk and a packing table, without having to squeeze myself between everything as I currently do. I'm pretty good at storage Tetris :-)

LasPalmasNorte
In a separate post last year, were assured that record deliveries left in summer sun would be just fine.

There's a difference between a record packaged properly traveling through hot weather and records stored indefinitely in backyard sheds.

DarreLP
LasPalmasNorteIn a separate post last year, were assured that record deliveries left in summer sun would be just fine.

There's a difference between a record packaged properly traveling through hot weather and records stored indefinitely in backyard sheds.

Yup. So, a record delivery exposed to 90°F plus ambient air temperature, in direct sun & hotter surface temperature all afternoon is OK then?
There's difference as you point out, but I don't like either scenario.

LasPalmasNorte
So, a record delivery exposed to 90°F plus ambient air temperature, in direct sun & hotter surface temperature all afternoon is OK then?

If for whatever reason, the only place you can have packages delivered to is an blacktopped Arizona driveway in August where it will have to sit for 8 hours before someone can pick it up, yea, that's not ideal and maybe gambling a bit.

But for run-of-the-mill shipping in a proper mailer with stiffeners via USPS and have it sit on a covered porch? Odds are it will be OK.

90

DarreLP
LasPalmasNorteSo, a record delivery exposed to 90°F plus ambient air temperature, in direct sun & hotter surface temperature all afternoon is OK then?

If for whatever reason, the only place you can have packages delivered to is an blacktopped Arizona driveway in August where it will have to sit for 8 hours before someone can pick it up, yea, that's not ideal and maybe gambling a bit.

But for run-of-the-mill shipping in a proper mailer with stiffeners via USPS and have it sit on a covered porch? Odds are it will be OK.

If by circumstance someone is not afforded the luxury of a shaded porch, and their delivery sits in direct sunlight on hot days, there is a risk of heat damaged vinyl. One does not have to live in Arizona with a blacktop delivery point to have this potential problem.
As for "proper mailers". If you've experienced shipping from the many different vendors, some do not meet the standard we would hope for.

For anyone that doesn't have a secure, covered place to receive packages, and can't get to them in a timely manner, sure, heat and sun is going to be a problem...as is rain, snow and weather in general.

I bought 400 records that were stored in plastic storage tubs in an unheated , unventilated 10’x 10’ metal garden shed for 40 years . Not one warped record. Temps from below 0 to 115F. The weather in Seattle is very similar to most of the UK.

Woolis
I bought 400 records that were stored in plastic storage tubs in an unheated , unventilated 10’x 10’ metal garden shed for 40 years . Not one warped record. Temps from below 0 to 115F. The weather in Seattle is very similar to most of the UK.

Nonetheless, you'd have to agree that it's surprising that none were ruined. I mean, some people smoke 40 a day and never get lung cancer or have a heart attack, but it's not advisable.

DarreLP

If for whatever reason, the only place you can have packages delivered to is an blacktopped Arizona driveway in August where it will have to sit for 8 hours before someone can pick it up, yea, that's not ideal and maybe gambling a bit.

But for run-of-the-mill shipping in a proper mailer with stiffeners via USPS and have it sit on a covered porch? Odds are it will be OK.

I think YMMV on this. My front door is covered from the sun, and I've had far too many records destroyed in the heat of summer even after being left for a couple of hours. I've stopped buying stuff between January and March now because of this.

The UK is different for sure, but I personally wouldn't store my records in a shipping container. But I'm an OCD collector, not a reseller of 20,000 items.

And when I say OCD, I leave the A/C on in my music room when outside temps are going over 30c degrees. But yeah, my OCD is a potential whole other thread altogether. I'm still financially recovering from the 5000 Mofi inner sleeves I bought a while back, the idea of putting my records into a storage container would have my left eye twitching.

[quote=kryten2001
The UK is different for sure, but I personally wouldn't store my records in a shipping container. But I'm an OCD collector, not a reseller of 20,000 items.

And when I say OCD, I leave the A/C on in my music room when outside temps are going over 30c degrees. But yeah, my OCD is a potential whole other thread altogether. I'm still financially recovering from the 5000 Mofi inner sleeves I bought a while back, the idea of putting my records into a storage container would have my left eye twitching.[/quote]

Well, I’m not just a “reseller of 20,000 items”, I’m also a collector of 30+ years (with my own OCD tendencies) - which is maybe why I asked advice rather than just going ahead, even though my instinct and experience tells me it will almost certainly be fine, as long as some obvious basic precautions are taken. Still interesting seeing the (somewhat predictable) range of views on here, from the wildly catastrophic to the simple “it will be fine” 🤣

FWIW I started moving stuff in yesterday.

A collection of 13,900 expected to eventually become 20,000 should seriously be stored in a climate controlled facility NOW, hopefully one with 24/7 keycard access and elevators in case you might need to periodically consult the collection. Find a solid facility within a small distance from home. Avoid those busy outdoor drive-up places with the unsecure rollup metal doors. Your padlock is easy to cut.

A “real” facility will offer at least nominal disaster insurance. But also make sure your home insurance policy will include remote transportation and storage insurance. As a collector who has utilized a number of facilities over the years - including moving and therefore shipping and storing from the East coast to the West - I speak from experience. About 15 years ago I had a single-story, though climate controlled, place that was near a river, and a flood hit one summer that destroyed plenty of tenants’ stuff. Due to the shelving I’d installed, I only lost magazines, books, and some rare live cassettes on the lowest shelves; the vinyl I’d stored on upper shelves turned out okay, but I got lucky.

I’ve recently posted here about home/office storage. Put your shelves in a room with no potential moisture issues and never in direct sunlight, no matter how awesome the collection looks. And of course shelve your records vertically and tightly to help prevent unexpected warping. Ditto if you have multiple boxes or crates as storage.

I work in the building trades. Any dwelling, be it made or wood, brick or metal, can be properly insulated and made perfectly habitable (shipping containers are now converted for use as 'tiny houses'). If a container can be made suitable for full-time domestic use I can't image why it can't be made suitable for your office and stock.

Of course, in addition to insulation you'll need proper ventilation and whatever air "conditioning" is necessary (heating, cooling, dehumidification, etc.)

While I agree with ncfred3 about the right type of commercial storage unit rental being climate controlled and more secure, it's going to be difficult to find such a unit that also allows using it as an "office" or "place of work", especially on a daily basis. Most of these units have zero electrical outlets and, usually, minimal lighting.

It can be done.

Kip_Drordy
It can be done.

Fun project. Calculate how much insulation (R value) you need first, and figure by the time you have finished walls you've probably lost (used) 8" or so in floor to ceiling height, and the same in wall to wall width. , wood naturally expands and shrinks, seasonally. The metal container, not so much. So, if you bash the lumber in super tight, like he's doing with the framing and floor sheathing, it might prove problematic in the long term. Additionally, as someone in the video comments suggests, you need ventilation (fresh air source), too.

Get a Dyson BP04 all-in-one unit for your LP room. It's a foolproof solution and I couldn't have made a better purchase. https://ca.partpicker.com/b/LYLPxr