Vinyl question

[demaples]

Hey all, it appears there's still alot of interest in vinyl. Personally I haven't spun a record in years but have probably between 400 and 500 albums out in the barn. Some have been laying flat for years in Florida heat. Can I expect them to be ruined?
Dennis

[Fongolio]

Flat is bad. So is mould. Only way to tell for sure is to pull some out and see. Cool dry and standing up is best for vinyl. A lot of temperature fluctuation can cause them to warp too. You never know though. Many of them may be ok. I wish you luck.

[hearingimpared]

Go through them all; you never know what you will find. I went through a silmilar experience and thus far have saved 500 records.

[demaples]

Thanks for the advice. I'll go through them. They were given to me long ago. Lots of good old classic rock.

[hearingimpared]

Thanks for the advice. I'll go through them. They were given to me long ago. Lots of good old classic rock.

Get some Viny-Zyme Gold here (http://www.questforsound.com/index.htm). This will remove any mold that WILL be attached to the records.

PS: there are lots of threads here about differing methods of records cleaning . . . take your pick!:)

[RuSsMaN]

Clean 'em up, give em a spin.

[treitz3]

Before I knew how to properly take care of vinyl, I stored mine for a period of 20 years in the garage, the attic, closets and anywhere that I could find to stash them, depending on where I was living at the time. That said, the only damage I have encountered so far was the scratches that were present prior to packing are the only issue I have run across with the exception of a slight curl on most albums [1/4" into the LP's] due to the weight of stacking the boxes. Mine were verticle for storage, but depending on the amount of weight on each box and whether or not they were tightly packed, you may be able to salvage a good bit of the vinyl. Exceptions would be where there was a double album. Where the crease is, I have heard that warpage happens there due to the cover bending under pressure at the crease.

Every LP could have been subjected to different temperatures and conditions, so as Joe suggested, take a look at each one. Set aside those that are to fubar to get a good playback from [scratches] and those that do have a warp, set up another pile if you are truly into vinyl and want to hear the collection that would cost thousands to repurchase. For those that are warped, there is an LP flattener that will apparently correct a vast majority of LP's that were damaged due to warpage.

[[B]EDIT:] Here's a great thread with a plethora of information.........

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59579&highlight=steam+cleaning

[demaples]

Thanks treitz3, good info. I'm going to start going through them this week when time allows. There is a Nat King Cole album that was a special edition I played a handful of times I really hope is in good condition.

[demaples]

Where would I find a flattener?

[TroyD]

Cost prohibitive.

Cheaper, for the most part, to just replace the LP.


BDT

[Fongolio]

http://www.audiorevelation.com/cre/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=44
Some audiophile stores now do this as a service using the above device. Signature Audio in Vancouver BC does it for around $5.00 a disk.

[demaples]

Interesting. Thanks very much.
Dennis