Storing cases in the garage

xscaramanga

There's nothing for it, I'm going to have to put some guitar cases in the garage for space reasons. I've got shelves so they'll be off the floor and not against the wall, but the garage is single-skinned. I'm worried about damp getting to them. 

Running a dehumidifier in there constantly is one option, but it seems like a waste of electricity. What else can I do to protect the cases against water damage? Can you get giant airtight bags?

Ossyrocks

Probably ok at the moment, but come the winter and freezing temperatures, they will probably suffer.

What about the loft?

ICBM

Yes - designed for storing clothes or bedding, with a nozzle to suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner. I’ve got a couple in my loft. (MrsICBM bought them, so quite likely off Amazon.)

I would highly recommend doing that, or at the very least wrapping and taping them as completely as possible to be airtight, or they will absorb moisture and develop mildew.

xscaramanga

Attic isn't an option because it's one of those new build houses where the loft isn't designed as storage space, and putting stuff up there voids the warranty on the house.

xscaramanga

Thanks @ICBM. Giving these a go, for anyone interested. 130x100 cm, so will definitely fit a guitar case, and really thick.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/132510939258

vincechu89

Good suggestion from ICBM.

Would it be worth putting in some packs of silica gel or dehumidifier packs etc for good measure? Plenty available on Amazon and some can be dried via microwave or oven and then reused? You could then unpack the hard cases periodically to see if the silica gel or dehumidifier packs have worked and dry/replace them occasionally?

boogieman

At the least mummify them in cling wrap, should stop them getting damp and stinking of mound for ever after. 

Fortheloveofguitar

I used pallet wrap on 10 cases that have been in the garage and no issues at all 

Hattigol

jonnyscaramanga said:

Attic isn't an option because it's one of those new build houses where the loft isn't designed as storage space, and putting stuff up there voids the warranty on the house.

Really? Are you covered if the Big Bad Wolf comes and huffs and puffs and blows it down?

Henrytwang

I’ve never really solved the problem of where to store empty guitar cases, I’ve tried the loft but even tightly wrapped in plastic they still suffer after a few months. Good quality vacuum bags might work you’d need quite large ones. I’ve just got some large vacuum bags from Amazon and filled a couple of them with surplus to requirements gig bags, (around 18 ), and stuck them in the loft. They seem to be well sealed but only time will tell. I think that the bags were 110x60 cm but even then the larger semi rigid Gibson and PRS gig bags wouldn’t fit in them. I’ve noticed that you can buy industrial shrink wrap on eBay, it’s the same stuff that they wrap around pallets, although it would be a bit of a job wrapping an unwrapping it would  probably be okay for garage storage. I might give it a try myself.

jeztone2

The case for the blue PRS I bought used stank. It had clearly been stored in a garage. I think cats were pissing on the case too.
You can put some bicarbonate of soda in there, that should kill some of the odur. I cleaned mine up and sold it. Then bought a Hiscox. 

Adam_MD

jonnyscaramanga said:

Thanks ICBM. Giving these a go, for anyone interested. 130x100 cm, so will definitely fit a guitar case, and really thick.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/132510939258

Let us know how you get on with these I just moved house yesterday and noticed this morning the openings to the roof space are too small to fit a guitar case through so I’m in the same boat.  

thermionic

Adam_MD said:

jonnyscaramanga said:

Thanks ICBM. Giving these a go, for anyone interested. 130x100 cm, so will definitely fit a guitar case, and really thick.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/132510939258

Let us know how you get on with these I just moved house yesterday and noticed this morning the openings to the roof space are too small to fit a guitar case through so I’m in the same boat.  

Well, if you're going to live on a boat they're bound to get a little damp.

Bridgehouse

thermionic said:

Adam_MD said:

jonnyscaramanga said:

Thanks ICBM. Giving these a go, for anyone interested. 130x100 cm, so will definitely fit a guitar case, and really thick.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/132510939258

Let us know how you get on with these I just moved house yesterday and noticed this morning the openings to the roof space are too small to fit a guitar case through so I’m in the same boat.  

Well, if you're going to live on a boat they're bound to get a little damp.

Boats don't have lofts - but you could put them in a Sail Loft I suppose...

SimpleSimon

jeztone2 said:

The case for the blue PRS I bought used stank. It had clearly been stored in a garage. I think cats were pissing on the case too.
You can put some bicarbonate of soda in there, that should kill some of the odur. I cleaned mine up and sold it. Then bought a Hiscox. 

Hope this wasn't part of your sales pitch!

xscaramanga

Just an update on this for anyone interested. Got the vacuum bags. They seem reasonably tough and they hold the cases easily. In fact I think you could get two Hiscox electric cases side by side in one of them (annoyingly I need to stack the cases, so I still need one bag per case). 

Here's my Martin case, the biggest one I own, fitting comfortably inside one:



I've put a few cases in the garage already but a few days later I noticed that they'd let in some air. The zips are very long and have to be pinched shut, so you have to be careful to get a good seal. Anyway, I'm pretty sure they're going to be fine.

I also bought some indicator silica gel packets from DGR products. They're reusable and they change colour when they're saturated, so I'll be able to check on the cases periodically and see how much moisture they're being exposed too.

brooom

The best solution is to start selling guitars

xscaramanga

Why would I do that? I've got space for the guitars (on the wall, with Woodys hangers), just not the cases! Ironically the main reason I keep the cases is that the guitars are worth more with them if I ever do sell.

brooom

I was trying to be funny, I'm sure you want to keep the guitars.

adamm82

jonnyscaramanga said:

Attic isn't an option because it's one of those new build houses where the loft isn't designed as storage space, and putting stuff up there voids the warranty on the house.

'those cases where there when I moved in' 'I don't even play guitar' 

King85

Henrytwang said:

I’ve never really solved the problem of where to store empty guitar cases, I’ve tried the loft but even tightly wrapped in plastic they still suffer after a few months. Good quality vacuum bags might work you’d need quite large ones. I’ve just got some large vacuum bags from Amazon and filled a couple of them with surplus to requirements gig bags, (around 18 ), and stuck them in the loft. They seem to be well sealed but only time will tell. I think that the bags were 110x60 cm but even then the larger semi rigid Gibson and PRS gig bags wouldn’t fit in them. I’ve noticed that you can buy industrial shrink wrap on eBay, it’s the same stuff that they wrap around pallets, although it would be a bit of a job wrapping an unwrapping it would  probably be okay for garage storage. I might give it a try myself.

If you put a strip of something hard on top of the case before wrapping it (such as thick card) you could just run a knife down that bit to cut it and open it it easily without damaging the case.