10 Things You Should Never Store in an Attic

No two attics are alike, but they all have one thing in common: They aren’t the best spot for storage. Sure, a few Christmas ornaments or leftover tiles from your kitchen renovation may be okay, but there are certain household items you should never store in an attic — mostly due to extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations and the risk of pest infestations.

Too much storage in an attic could even overload the structure, as the framing isn't always strong enough to support the weight. To help you decide what stays and what goes, here are 10 things you should never store in the attic and why.

While it’s not a bad idea to keep a few non-perishable items on hand in the event of a prolonged power outage, storing food in the attic is never a good idea, especially if it’s packaged in a way that pests can access. Even shelf-stable, canned goods shouldn’t be stored in an attic, as extreme temperatures can spoil them.

If you’re storing paper documents or photos in the attic, you might as well send them to the shredder and save yourself a trip up the ladder. Paper degrades quickly in environments with uncontrolled temperature and humidity and can even become moldy as it absorbs ambient moisture. Oh, and did we mention rodents love using paper for nesting materials?

An attic is no place for storing artwork, especially paintings, as the temperature and humidity fluctuations are guaranteed to cause warping, cracking, fading, peeling and other irreversible damage.

Just like non-perishable food, a few emergency candles are great to keep on hand in case of a power outage; however, candles will not hold up if stored in an attic. The extreme heat can melt the wax, rendering them useless. Additionally, the harsh environment can degrade the scent and color of decorative candles.

Wooden furniture is extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations, constantly expanding and contracting. While these changes are subtle in a stable environment, they’re exacerbated in uncontrolled environments (like an attic), which could cause permanent damage and warping.

Whether you’re stowing away old gadgets for the sake of nostalgia, or you’re looking for a spot to stash the video camera you only pull out for special occasions, the attic is no spot for electronics. To prevent damage, keep them in an air-conditioned space with stable humidity levels.

At this point, you’re probably noticing that anything delicate will not tolerate a harsh attic environment, which is why we recommend never storing antiques or irreplaceable items. As a general rule, if it means a lot to you and it cannot be purchased, don't put it in your attic.

If you want your clothing and other textiles to get musty, moldy or even start to degrade, then, by all means, store them in an attic. But we're betting you'd rather reach for clean and preserved garments when you pull them out next season. Our recommendation: Store all fabric items in a climate-controlled space instead.

It goes without saying that instruments are fragile, expensive and often sentimental, and they should never be stored in an attic. The harsh, uncontrolled environment will cause wood to bow and break, finishes to crack and peel and metals to corrode and rust.