then, it’s time to store your favorite books in the attic. you just don’t have room for your extensive book collection anymore, so what do you do?
The best option for many people would be to store them in the attic. it’s the default space for storing items you love but don’t use regularly, as it’s easy to access but still hidden from any living room.
You are reading: How to store books in attic
In this guide, we’ll go over some of the best ways to store your books in the attic, along with some tips and tricks to keep your prized novels safe, dry, and preserved for years to come.
1. be aware of humidity levels
Before you even consider moving your precious literary cargo into storage, you’ll need to seal any leaks or cracks in your attic. this is for temperature control, climate control, and most importantly, humidity control. if moisture gets into or gets on your books, it will wreak havoc in all sorts of ways. it can even get to the point of disintegrating paper and ruining words, if too much water is involved, and even the slightest amount of moisture is a serious problem.
The biggest problem with any amount of moisture is mold. Mold forms in any wet and damp environment, and this can spell disaster for a book lover. try to keep your attic dry, clean, and free of moisture to prevent these problems from occurring once you decide to store your books in the attic.
measure humidity levels
If you have even the slightest doubt about the condition of your attic, you should call a professional and have them measure the moisture levels in your attic. Moisture could cause a lot of problems, especially if you are unaware of its existence for a longer period of time. you can also get a moisture meter and set it up, that way you can always keep track of conditions yourself.
2. keep pests under control
The next thing to worry about are creepy pests, which could devour your fragile books. The three main pests you should be concerned about are insects, birds, and rodents. As an example, mice love to chew and gnaw on things, so they are likely to eat and tear up books if their paws and teeth touch them. they also leave droppings, which breed bacteria and attract other pests, and may try to eat through containers and boxes.
Insects will invade any tiny space they can get through and demolish your books. bug infestations are not a good thing, and they will eat holes in books and lay eggs, leading to even more disastrous bugs.
Birds can find their way into your attic through a broken window or broken seal, and will build nests and leave mounds of droppings for longer periods of time. droppings are what you should be most concerned about. They contain not only a lot of bacteria, but also acids that could damage most surfaces over time.
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so, before you put your books away and after you seal the attic, set out some mouse traps and spray the attic to kill bugs. take every step possible to make sure the attic is pest-free before putting your books away.
A healthy indoor climate is also very important, which is why we always refer to the #1 tip regarding humidity levels.
3. avoid cardboard boxes
When considering what to put your books in, you should avoid cardboard boxes. Although cardboard boxes are generally considered a good storage box for your books, they are prone to weather and therefore highly receptive to moisture and water.
While your attic may be free of water and pests, should the time ever come for them to creep back in, cardboard boxes won’t adequately protect your books.
try alternatives, like plastic bags, to seal your literature. Plastic boxes are mostly waterproof, so even if a little moisture gets into the attic, it won’t easily reach your books. however, as realsimple.com says, be sure not to use plastic containers that have had food in them. this can attract many varieties of pests and is best avoided.
Your best option, when opting for plastic boxes, is to choose those with airtight seals and then add a few bags of silica gel desiccant to collect excess moisture.
We recommend these plastic boxes to store books in an attic:
- iris usa ziploc weathershield storage box
- sterilite gasket box
- smart rubber store stackable boxes
4. keep the temperature under control
Be sure to properly insulate your attic so it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. extreme temperatures can crack book bindings and wear away the glue that holds many types of books together.
a controlled temperature makes it easy to store a large number of general items in an attic.
Install a thermometer in your attic, perhaps one that’s connected to your smartphone or smart home system, to make sure your books aren’t stored in conditions that are too hot or too cold.
5. raise books off floors and keep them away from exterior walls
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When choosing the temporary attic for your books, be sure to choose your locations wisely. It is always recommended to raise books off the ground in the event of a nasty flood or infestation. store them on a shelf or similar compartment off the ground to ensure they are always out of harm’s way.
Also, make sure the bins are not against the wall, as outside temperatures and weather could affect the books inside.
6. keep books of similar size together
Keep books the same size and shape together when you put them away. not only will this prevent wasted space, but it will also keep your shapes intact.
if you have to pack books of different shapes and sizes together, make sure the largest and heaviest books are always on the bottom.
The United States National Archives recommends that you store small to medium sized books upright, just as you would on a bookshelf, while large books should be stored flat to preserve their shape.
7. be careful with the packaging
When storing your books, it’s common to want to wrap them up for an extra layer of protection. however, be careful when doing this because some materials are not suitable for wrapping books.
for example, plastic wrap should not be used to wrap books, as it can attract moisture and promote mold growth.
Alternatively, aluminum foil should not be used, as it could attract damaging amounts of heat.
Instead, use paper-based materials, such as paper towels, as they will protect your books from dust and absorb moisture that could enter the container and damage your books.
You can also add bubble wrap for impact protection, but only if you’ve used paper towels or something similar first, to keep moisture out.
Wrapping your books will also prevent the covers from sticking and marring, as mentioned on ehow.com.