Maybe you’re caught between moves, remodeling your house, or you just simply need more space in your home – but you’ve got some expensive and fragile instruments on your hand that aren’t helping your headache. You need a smart storage option – whether it’s for your treasured baby grand, your kid’s cello that you just hope they’ll decide to pick up again one day, or Dad’s old drum set leftover from that time he tried to become a rockstar – The Storage Project’s climate-controlled self-storage units are the perfect option for you.
Here are a few tips to make sure your instruments stay in perfect shape during the process:
Storing Pianos Safely
- Don’t worry about loosening the strings. Unlike other string instruments, piano strings shouldn’t be loosened – they are designed to not buckle under pressure.
- The pedals and legs of the piano should be wrapped in padding to ensure they stay in good condition.
- Make sure your piano is covered with a tarp or other protective covering to prevent dust coverage and keep it looking pretty as possible.
- It’s essential that your piano be stored in a climate-controlled storage unit. The piano must stay in an environment between 65-78℉ at around 50% humidity at all times. Temperature extremes can easily affect every component of your piano, which will end up extremely costly and, most of all, very sad.
Storing Stringed Instruments, Including Guitars
- If you’re storing your stringed instrument long term, loosen the strings a bit, but don’t leave them completely loose. Leaving the strings tightened on your instrument for a significant chunk of time adds tension to the neck and may result in warping.
- Get a decent case for your instrument. This will keep your instrument protected from dust, accidental damage, and ensures that the color and finish of your instrument remains in mint condition.
- Stringed instruments are very susceptible to temperature and humidity damage, most of them being made of wood. They should be stored between 65-78℉ at around 50% humidity at all times. Extreme temperatures or humidity can wreak havoc on your stringed instrument, leading to the warping or cracking of the body.
Storing Brass Instruments
- Clean the instrument appropriately, but make sure you dry it completely prior to storage. This will prevent mold growth and rust.
- Remove all the of the instrument’s slides and valves. Wipe them down completely and store them in airtight bags. This will prevent jammed slides and valves.
- Brass instruments are a bit less susceptible to temperature and humidity extremes as compared to other instruments, but it is still recommended they be kept 65-78℉ at around 50% humidity at all times to prevent bacteria growth and other damage.
Storing Woodwind Instruments
- Prior to storage, make sure your woodwind instruments are broken down into their individual components if it’s possible. This relieves pressure on the joints of the instrument and prevents damage from occurring.
- Clean the instrument appropriately beforehand, but make sure you swab and dry the instrument completely before storage. This will prevent the harmful effects of moisture on the instrument’s body and keep pads from sticking.
- Woodwind instruments are very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Too high of a humidity can cause the wooden bodies or pads of a woodwind to instrument to swell. Too low of a humidity can result in the drying out of an instrument and may even lead to cracking.
Drums
- If you are using leather drum skins, be sure to oil them prior to storage. This prevents them from drying out or cracking.
- Wipe all drums down with a dry cloth to remove dust.
- Store drums in their original cases.
- Lessen the tension on drum skins to prevent them from stretching.
- Store drums in a humidity and temperature controlled storage unit at 65-78℉ at around 50% humidity at all times to keep them in perfect condition.
All of our climate-conditioned units are temperature and humidity controlled, and each unit is accessed from inside a highly secure building, brilliantly lit by top-of-the-line LED light technology – perfect for keeping your cherished instruments, and YOU, safe and sound during the process.
Here at The Storage Project, indoor climate-conditioned storage units are our forte. Want to learn more? We’re happy to help.