storing car-take battery out?other ideas?

I was told by a rep from a battery manufacturer that this advice is outdated, and no longer applies to modern batteries.  I think it had something to do with the materials used in the battery housing.

-Michael

From http://www.batteriesplus.com/techctn.html

Is it really true that it is bad for an automotive or motorcycle battery to be stored directly on concrete?

This is a myth. It did have some basis in fact with the very early designs of these types of batteries when the outside case material was somewhat porous and allowed minute amounts of electrolyte to seep through the case to the concrete. This would in turn react with conductive materials in concrete and cause a voltage drain thereby "killing" the battery. Today, all batteries of this type, have a polypropylene exterior case which is extremely resistant to any leaks unless damaged. Storage of a battery directly on concrete will not harm the battery.

One more, sorry!

From: http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1999/November/06.html

Dear Tom and Ray:

This business of batteries and concrete floors needs to be explained and put to rest. Years ago, everybody knew that you were never supposed to put a car battery on a concrete floor because it would be quickly ruined. That statement was absolutely true, but they weren't talking about the BATTERY being ruined, they were talking about the CONCRETE FLOOR! Batteries used to be "topped off" with water, which resulted in acid being spattered about. If you put one on a concrete floor without carefully washing it, the acid ate into the concrete, quickly ruining the floor. It didn't hurt the battery one bit, but people who misunderstood the advice and wanted to appear knowledgeable came up with all sorts of foolish explanations as to why the battery should be ruined. Even an acid-spattered battery will not leak its charge into the earth. There may be leakage across the terminals of a "top-post" battery, but that would be slight. So here's the story: If a battery is clean, you can safely put it on your concrete floor. If it's acid-spattered, put it on somebody else's concrete floor or stick a board under it. -- Clay

Ray: Clay, you sound so utterly convincing. If it were up to me, I'd buy your story lock, stock and barrel. But my brother says you're full of baloney.

Tom: The GFCA (Garage Floor Cleaners of America) may indeed have had a hand in keeping batteries off concrete floors. But the real concern WAS the batteries.

Ray: Thirty years ago or so, most battery casings were made of hard rubber. And because of the porosity of that material, battery acid would sometimes seep through the rubber and create a conductive path through the damp concrete, draining the battery.

Tom: But that can't happen today with plastic-cased batteries. That's because molded polypropylene (a k a plastic), is not porous at all.

Ray: So today, you can put your battery on a concrete floor for as long as you want. And here's the interesting thing, Clay. The cooler the temperature, the slower a battery's rate of discharge. And because concrete is often cooler than its surroundings, leaving a modern battery on a concrete floor might actually make it last LONGER.

always keep a battery maintained with some type of charger. The plates will flake off and fall to the bottom and short them out.

I asked a battery rep how the hell you rebuild a battery. He said they turn them upside down and wash it out and fill it with electrolite again. I said how does that fix it? Answer was, it cleans out all those flakes that short out the plates. If the fiber seperator plates are damaged they recycle it.