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How to Repair a Separated Album Sleeve

Maintaining a vinyl record library can be a fulfilling hobby. However, record collections require careful maintenance, as years of play wear down albums and sleeves. Cardboard is an acidic material. When it is folded to enclose a record, the edges corrode with time, resulting in a separated sleeve. With the correct tools and approach, you can correct minor disrepair without marring the appearance of your records, keeping your album sleeves in excellent condition.

Things You'll Need

Double-sided tape (twice the length of the sleeve)
Strip of polyester fabric (1 inch wide and the length of the sleeve)
PVA adhesive Jade 403 (bookbinding glue)
Cotton swab

Instructions

Aesthetically Repairing Your Album Sleeve
- 1
  Spread the sleeve open on a flat surface. Align both sides of the separated sleeve at the place where they were torn. Match the front and back cover correctly, and do not leave a gap between sleeves.
- 2
  Peel off the paper backing on one side of a strip of double-stick tape. Place this along the entire length of the tear on the inside of the album sleeve. Think of the album as an open book lying in front of you. The strip of tape should run from top to bottom on each page, closely bordering the center binding. Repeat for both sleeves.
- 3
  Remove the paper backing from the other side of both strips of double-stick tape. Press the strip of polyester fabric firmly onto both strips of tape so that is spans the separated spine and joins the two sleeves. Trim the fabric so that it does not obscure art inside of the sleeve.
- 4
  Spread a thin line of PVA adhesive Jade 403, or any bookbinding glue, along the outside of the newly repaired album spine. Use a cotton swab to rub the glue in so that it binds the frayed edges of paper that resulted from the cardboard tearing.
- 5
  Allow the glue to dry, and enjoy your beautifully repaired album.

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