You should never pick your attic to store your drums. You should only do so if you have a state of the art attic which is temperature-controlled to protect it from nature’s elements. Nuisances like leakage or fluctuating temperatures can wreak havoc on your drum set. Instead of protecting your drum set, your attic will ruin it.

There are certain reasons for this which will show you why attics are a poor choice for drum storage.

Conditions for drum storage

Drums are expensive and delicate instruments. They look very sturdy to you and may seem like they built for long use, which they are. With that said, this is only the case when you take care of them properly, otherwise they are easy to ruin.

This is because most drums use wood with metal skeletons or finer parts for their make. These two substances react in various ways to the forces of nature and other elements. This can impact the life and durability of your drum set.

1. Temperature fluctuations

The summer heat is known to cause roads and bridges to expand. That is why they have inbuilt spaces to accommodate that effect.

The wood of drums is also affected by the summer heat. It expands and changes shape when exposed to extreme heat and temperature fluctuations. The wood can warp, develop cracks and lose its polish and luster. The metal parts of your drum set will also not react well to temperature fluctuations.

All metals react in different ways to the winter as well. We all know about water lines bursting in winter due to contracting. That is exactly why, just like the heat, the cold will affect your guitars too. Your cymbals, for example, can contract and lose their shape.

2. Dampness

You should also check dampness levels when deciding places to store your drum set. Wood and metal do not at all react well to damp conditions, even more so than temperature conditions.

Prolonged exposure to damp conditions causes rot and degradation in wood. It will speed up its natural decay and might even cause mold growth. On the other hand, when metal comes in contact with water, it will eventually rust and will go on to destroy your drum set.

3. Pests

Look for sealed places to provide complete protection for your drum set. Various pests and insects can bore into the wood of your drum set and find a place to live.

You don’t want to uncover your drum after a period of storage and find it hollow with mothballs and beetle larvae.

Places to store your drums

You have now seen that your drum requires a very particular set of conditions for safe storage. You can store it in the garage or attic at your own will but that speed up its degradation.

The rule of thumb is, the best environment for a drumset is an environment in which you would be comfortable.

1. A spare room

A spare room such as a bedroom or a living or dining room, if the space permits, is the best place to store your drum set. Chances are that it will be temperature-controlled to account for the changing seasons. There’s also a high chance that it will have proper airflow and ventilation which will prevent dampness, rot, and mold.

The problem with this is that most rooms seldom have the extra space to store a drum set. This will not be an option available to everyone.

2. House storage

A storage room in your house will provide much better protection for your drum set than the garage or attic.

Since it is inside the house, its temperature will be more controlled. It will not be at risk of exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations. Even dampness will not be an issue unless you have leakage and seepage issues. One problem is that storages are often used for more important items and a drum set can take up a lot of space.

In your bid to save your drum set, you might damage other valuable items if you toss them in the garage or the attic.

3. Temperature controlled attic/garage

Your attic and garage are very useful places with ample space to store items not needed for regular use. There are no other as spacious areas in any home apart from these two.

A one-time expense to get them fitted for temperature control options and seal them against wind, rain, heat and cold will help you a lot. This will make them the best places to store your drum set. You can also set up your drums in the garage too. It will only benefit you as a whole as you will be able to store other more delicate and treasured objects as well.

Conclusion

So, to return to our original question, should you store your drums in the attic?

Keeping in mind the reasons we’ve succinctly detailed above, you probably shouldn’t. You should remember to keep your drum set in a place where they cannot be damaged by external elements and weathering, and in a place where you know that they will be as good as new every time you feel like drumming along to your favorite song.

A drum set is, after all, an expensive investment which is why you need to take care of it properly.