Preparing Items for Storage in Climate-Controlled Units | Countryside Self-Storage
Climate-controlled storage units are essential for those who’re looking to store items that need a little extra care. These could include books, documents, artwork, antique furniture, clothes, stamp collections, and so much more. Climate-controlled self-storage in Missouri and Kansas has the ability to maintain steady temperatures and regulate humidity levels, so it acts like a protective shield for your belongings.
But you may be asking yourself, “How do I know if I need climate-controlled self-storage?” Not to worry. In this article, we’ll not only help you understand when it’s essential to choose climate-controlled storage units over regular units, we’ll also tell you how to effectively pack and prepare some of the most common items that call for this type of specialized environment. Let’s get started!
When Do You Need Climate Control? Climate-controlled self-storage is more than just a “fancier” option. It’s essential for preserving the integrity of certain sensitive items. These include antiques, books, musical instruments, electronics, furniture, collectibles, and fabrics, to name just a few. Ultimately, anything that can be damaged by mold, mildew, or fluctuations in temperature or humidity will benefit from—and may even require—climate-controlled self-storage.
FOUR Top Tips for Packing & Preparing Items!
1. Know Your Materials. What is the stuff you’re storing made of? What about the things that you’re storing it in? When exposed to extremes of temperature and humidity, different materials react in different ways. Wood can warp or crack, metals can corrode or rust, plastic may become brittle or discolored. Knowing what can happen to an item when it’s exposed to these pressures can help you to know how to pack and store it so that it will be well protected.
2. Pack Smart When It Comes to Electronics. Electronics are among the items that are most frequently stored improperly. Most electronics include interior circuit boards and other parts that can corrode and become damaged by humidity or even extremes of heat or cold and should be placed in climate-controlled self-storage. Even when you’re using a climate-controlled unit, it’s a good idea to place electronics in waterproof containers or sealed bags just in case. Before you place electronics into storage, remove any batteries and cables. Store cables separately but label them so that it’s clear which ones go to what.
3. Safeguard Your Most Fragile Items. Climate-controlled self-storage is only the first step in safeguarding some of your more fragile items. While it can protect them from heat, cold, and humidity, it can’t protect them from getting broken by improper packing or handling. Dishes, décor items, artwork, and other particularly fragile pieces should be wrapped in bubble wrap or protective foam sleeves and stored in sturdy boxes that are marked as “fragile,” so you (or anyone else) will know to be careful when handling them.
4. Take Extra Care with Clothing and Fabrics. Along with electronics, clothing and other fabrics are frequently stored improperly and often come to harm because of it. Fabric is particularly susceptible to mold and mildew, but you can protect it by storing clothes and other fabrics in vacuum-sealed bags. These do double-duty by also helping you to save space in your storage unit.
Whatever you’re storing, climate-controlled self-storage in Missouri and Kansas is almost like a safety vault, helping to protect your belongings from the worst that our local summers and winters can throw at them. Don’t leave your precious items to the whims of Mother Nature. Give them the protection they deserve!
At Countryside Self Storage, we offer climate-controlled storage at many of our premier facilities to help protect all your most treasured belongings. To learn more, feel free to contact us at any of our Pittsburg, Joplin, or Frontenac locations.