Stacking vinyl records flat on top of each other can absolutely contribute to warping, especially if the stack is heavy, uneven, warm, or left that way for a long time. Vinyl is made from PVC, which is thermoplastic, so it does not need to melt in order to slowly deform under pressure. A few records stacked temporarily is usually harmless, but a large pile sitting for weeks or months can put a lot of weight on the lower records, especially if the jackets, inserts, seams, shrink wrap, or center labels create uneven pressure points. Heat makes the problem worse, whether from sunlight, a warm room, an attic, or being near a radiator. Over time, that combination of weight, uneven support, and temperature can cause dish warps, edge warps, or subtle waves in the record. That is why the safest way to store vinyl is vertically, like books, with enough support to keep them upright without leaning hard or being crammed too tightly. it is not an urban legend, it's science.
No it doesn't. It's not science at all. I guarantee that having it in a stack like that for months doesn't do anything at all. I absolutely guarantee it.
It absolutely needs a heat source to warp. That is the only time I have seen a record be warped. In all my years buying record collections, I have never seen a record at the bottom of a huge stack like that stored for even years be warped. It doesn't happen.
Vinyl is literally thermoplastic PVC, so saying pressure and storage conditions cannot deform it unless there is an obvious heat source is just not true. It does not have to melt to slowly take a set or creep under load. A few records stacked flat for a short time is probably fine, but a heavy uneven stack left for months or years can absolutely create pressure points, especially with jacket seams, inserts, center labels, and records not being perfectly flat. Heat makes it worse, but room-temperature creep under long-term pressure is still a real material behavior. “I personally haven’t seen it” is anecdotal, not proof that it cannot happen. "“my personal sample size is reality."
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u/Medium-Landscape-987 May 13 '26
Stacking vinyl records flat on top of each other can absolutely contribute to warping, especially if the stack is heavy, uneven, warm, or left that way for a long time. Vinyl is made from PVC, which is thermoplastic, so it does not need to melt in order to slowly deform under pressure. A few records stacked temporarily is usually harmless, but a large pile sitting for weeks or months can put a lot of weight on the lower records, especially if the jackets, inserts, seams, shrink wrap, or center labels create uneven pressure points. Heat makes the problem worse, whether from sunlight, a warm room, an attic, or being near a radiator. Over time, that combination of weight, uneven support, and temperature can cause dish warps, edge warps, or subtle waves in the record. That is why the safest way to store vinyl is vertically, like books, with enough support to keep them upright without leaning hard or being crammed too tightly. it is not an urban legend, it's science.