Should I Repair LP Record Covers?
Introduction
Most people storage their LP records in their corresponding record covers, and this is perfectly fine until these covers wear out, tear, or get destroyed in any other way. Since it’s the actual record that’s important, people often throw damaged covers away, but what if I told you that you should repair these covers? You can always shelter your favourite records in the cover of some other LP record, but you will risk unnecessary confusion, as you can easily mix up your records. There’s also the problem of multiple coverless records. This article was created so that you can make the decision of repairing your record covers more easily.
What are your options?
Well, when it comes to record cover repairs, most people instinctively just throw them away when they become unusable, but that’s not all that you can do. You can glue together the seams and spine splits, you can pressure the warped lips of your LP records, scrub down the debris and dust, and so on.
All I want to say is that you have multiple options, and each option comes with a whole set of arguments (pro and contra).
Option #1 – repairing the LP record covers
If you want to preserve your vinyl record covers, you can do it in a multitude of ways. We’re going to mention just some of them:
Repairing Worn Record Covers – Minimal Damage
Worn out record covers are the easiest to fix. A careful scrub (or two) with polishing cream or spray can get the most out of the rub-wear off. You might’ve heard about the record repair and that you can use water in these situations – when it comes to record covers, you mustn’t use water. Apart from that, you should only use sprays and creams that don’t moisturize the surface on which they are used.
Repairing Torn Record Covers – Medium Damage
With time, your record covers will wear out – that’s inevitable. However, if you don’t pay attention to them, your covers might get torn – this is considered to be medium damage (between worn which is minimal, and completely destroyed which is maximal).
Torn record covers can often be glued back to the original state. They might not look as awesome as when you first bought them, but they could still provide decent shelter for your LP records. In more extreme cases, you could often tape some cardboard material to fill the gaps.
Repairing Destroyed Record Covers – Complete Ruination
Now, this is where things get tricky. Those record covers that are completely ruined often require an innovative approach. You’ll have to remove the stickers, glue together any split spines and seams, tape together cardboard material wherever there are holes and gaps, and so on.
Any record cover can be saved, and it’s up to you to decide whether or not the whole process is worth your time and effort. Just remember, you’ll have to scissor, glue, and tape your way through completely ruined record covers if you want to restore them to their virgin condition. You may even need to paint or draw some of the content (if you wish to completely restore its condition).
Option#2 – switching to another method of storage
The second option implies that you don’t want to bother with record cover repairs. Sometimes, the situation is so dire that you just don’t want to waste your time. Furthermore, there are times when the situation just seems to hopeless – such is with completely ruined record covers.
If you still want to shelter your records and don’t want to save your record covers, you need to look for an alternative solution. One of those solutions would be switching to another method of storage.
This alternative method of storage can be permanent or temporary:
Temporary Alternative Method of Storage
You can’t just put your records anywhere if they’re coverless – the fragile composition of vinyl records demands proper care, as any environment apart from their covers may be hazardous for their structure. Basically, this is how records get damaged, dirty, and warped.
A temporary solution means that you’ll shelter your records in some other covers while you search for a more permanent solution.
Permanent Alternative Method of Storage
You can literally go to a flea market and search for record player covers. These covers are usually less than $1, so you can buy them in bulk. If you don’t find the corresponding cover for your vinyl record, just make sure that the dimensions are good.
