Storing drums in shed / garage: how bad is it?

[bellbrass]

I recently emptied a storage facility I had been renting for years. I am selling off a bunch of stuff now. Once I get it sold, I will have room in a shed behind our garage for drums.

I am thinking seriously about storing my gigging kit there - yesterday, we had the door reinforced and a hasp put on where it could be locked. I have always been a "Never store your drums in a non-climate controlled environment" type of guy, but I have to admit that the prospect of loading and unloading 10 feet away from my car, especially at 3:00 in the morning, is a lot more appealing than hauling the whole kit into the house, waking everyone, and stuffing it in my closet.

Would I be headed for disaster if I stored them in a waterproof shed?

 

[MrDrums2112]

I wouldn't store mine in anything other than my house. But if it's not too humid, not too extreme in terms of heat and cold, then they would probably be OK. I've seen drums stored in attics and basements for decades, and they're still just fine.

 

[bellbrass]

I live in the middle of the country - we get hot summers and cold winters, and ample rain year-round.

Another thought - store the hardware & cymbals in the shed; take the drums into the house. But man, I really want to tuck the whole kit into that shed....

 

[EvEnStEvEn]

Store the drums inside cases off the damp floor.
Place Silca packs inside each case and cover cased drums with heavy blanket.

If there's no leaks in the roof and the shed is locked securely - you're done.

 

[blikum]

Are your drums in cases? That might help with the elements. I live in a similar climate, and I store all my drums in the garage in SKB hard shell cases. I have not noticed any adverse reactions to the drums at all. They are all just as I left them from the last gig.

 

[bellbrass]

Thanks for the suggestions.

All of the drums are cased in hard cases - Gator, some with foam. The stands are also hard-cased, as are the cymbals.

 

[bellbrass]

Where can I get silica packets? Will they really make a difference against 60%-90% humidity?

 

[RIDDIM]

Most of my gear is kept in hard cases, on shelves, in my attached garage. Temerpaturees don't fluctuate too much there, and not suddenly.

If things threaten to get really nasty, the wood drums come into the lower level.

No damage noted.

 

[EvEnStEvEn]

You should be fine then.
Throw some SILCA anti-moisture packets in the cases.

Make sure your Gator foam-lined cases aren't the ones that rot out and destroy drums.

 

[EvEnStEvEn]

SILCA packets usually come inside new shoe boxes, but google them to buy separately.
I think they make a difference in reducing moisture inside cases.

 

[xsabers]

Are those the chewy treats that come in large bags of beef jerky?

 

[Boomer]

Stuart, I know where you live! Temperatures can range from 0 to 105 farenheight.

I've kept an old wrapped MIJ kit in the attic for years. I pulled it out of the attic this summer and there was no damage, and we have a bit more humidity here on the river.

That said, I don't know that I'd keep my good kits in an outside shed vulnerable to those temp changes and thieves.

 

[Boomer]

Stuart, I know where you live! Temperatures can range from 0 to 105 farenheight.

I've kept an old wrapped MIJ kit in the attic for years. I pulled it out of the attic this summer and there was no damage, and we have a bit more humidity here on the river.

That said, I don't know that I'd keep my good kits in an outside shed vulnerable to those temp changes and thieves.

 

[bellbrass]

Yep, Boomer, you know the humidity we have here.

I'll wait to see what others have to say...I'm leaning toward trying it with big (5 or 10 gram) silica packets, thieves be damned.

 

[marko52]

Is it a wrapped kit, or lacquered? I'd be more concerned of they were wrapped.........marko

 

[bellbrass]

They are wrapped, but it is a rewrap job done with glue (not tape).

 

[MrDrums2112]

Don't take this the wrong way - not meant to be sarcastic - Is it really that difficult to bring them into the house?

 

[bellbrass]

Nope. And I've done it that way for years. It's very inconvenient, so the shed is calling my name. Plus, it's a long haul into the house.

Any other opinions on outside storage?

 

[kb]

I think as long as the shed is truly waterproof, and you don't store them directly on the floor, you should be fine. If you're not gigging for a week, maybe take 'em into the house, but leaving them in the shed for a few days at a time won't wreck 'em.

Why not just try it for a while, and see how things go?

We don't have the humidity here in the SF Bay Area, but it gets plenty hot. I've been leaving my drums in the car for days at a time, for many years, no problems...

 

[paul]

I've been keeping my gigging kit in the garage for over a decade with no problems. The drums were professionally rewrapped in 2001, and are stored on shelves off the floor in padded bags. No silica or other special arrangements. My hardware is in the same place, also in bags. No temp or humidity control. Temperatures between -10 and 110.

My snare drum and cymbals go in the house, but that's it. I can unload the six piece kit and rack in under five minutes, from in the car to put away. It's great.

Just make sure your roof doesn't leak and you have a good lock on the door, and you'll be fine.