3 reasons why you should never store books in your loft and where to put them instead, according to experts

Having loft space is often a godsend for storing items you only use seasonally, don’t have space for or don’t want on show in your home. But you would be wrong in thinking your loft is an acceptable space to store old books.

We all want to maximise storage in a loft, but to do this, you need to ensure you are storing the correct items in the first place. And just because you’ve run out of shelving ideas, this doesn’t mean the loft is a suitable home for your book storage ideas.

Experts are warning you should never store books in your loft, citing risk to your precious pages as well as potential structural damage to your home. Here are three reasons why it's best avoided.

1. It can cause structural damage

It may sound surprising, but storing books in your loft can put unnecessary strain on your ceiling joists, even resulting in structural damage - not ideal if you’ve gone to the effort of planning the perfect loft space.

‘It can seem logical to box up heavy, dense items such as hardbacks, textbooks and photo albums and store them out of the way. However, heavy boxes can put unexpected pressure on ceiling joists, which can be especially problematic in older homes,’ says Sarah Day at Pay Less for Storage.

2. It can damage your books

If you’ve decided you want to hang on to your books rather than using one of the best decluttering methods to find them a better home, then it would be fair to say these books probably have sentimental value, so you’ll want them to stay in good condition.

‘Storing old books in your loft is a bad idea because lofts tend to have extreme temperature fluctuations and high humidity levels, both of which can seriously damage books over time. Heat can cause pages to become brittle, and moisture encourages mould growth. These conditions can lead to permanent warping, staining, and deterioration of your books, which is especially upsetting if they have sentimental or monetary value,’ explains Stuart Murray, Founder of Retrovintage.

3. It can attract pests

Damp conditions inside your loft can further attract pests that are more than happy to chomp their way through your books. If you want to keep your books in good nick, the loft is probably one of the worst places for them.

‘Rodents, silverfish, and other insects are more common in lofts and can chew through paper and bindings,’ says Sam Tamlyn, Interior Expert and Managing Director of Shutterly Fabulous.

Not only will pests nibble their way through your books, but with the items tucked up out of sight in the loft, you won't notice until it's too late.

Where to store books

‘It’s best to store old books in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated space inside your home where conditions are more stable,’ says Stuart.

‘A room with controlled humidity and away from direct sunlight is ideal, like a living room bookshelf or a dedicated study. If you need to protect them further, acid-free boxes or covers can provide extra shielding from dust and light. This way, you preserve your books for years to come without the risks that a loft environment brings.’

There are hundreds of different ways to store books, from a kitchen library to IKEA BILLY bookcase hacks, which will help you give a basic bookcase a stylish edge.

If you're still looking for inspiration, these handy storage buys will also keep your books safe, protected and out of the loft.

Instead of storing you books in the loft, out of site and damp, put your library on show by displaying your favourite reads around the home.