Enhancing Storage Units For Long Term Deposits
Posted on: 16 November 2015
You may be moving to a smaller home, heading off on a military deployment or simply looking for a way to get some extra room. Your belongings are still important and selling isn't an option, so your best bet is taking your property to a facility with quality self storage units. Before putting everything away, be sure to inspect the site and consider a few preparation steps to make sure that long-term storage doesn't ruin everything.
Property Can Still Be Affected In Storage
Pick out a storage unit that looks properly sealed. If you're keeping sensitive materials such as wood furniture, fine cloth or paperwork in storage, you don't want to use a pull-down storage unit door that leaves a crack at the bottom. Unfortunately, even a closed door with a decent seal can leave your property exposed to some extent.
Humidity is one of the biggest culprits to watch out for. Even if the storage unit door closes, the local area's humidity levels can be trapped inside the storage room. You'll be dealing with not only sogginess from humid weather, but the pollutants carried in the air.
Depending on the pollution level in the air, there could be a lot of car exhaust, industrial exhaust and other synthetic materials that could settle inside the storage room. As objects become saturated by humid air, you can expect dresses to take on a faster staining if the air quality isn't treated.
Some of the most sensitive objects such as paperwork may be damaged regardless of the pollution level. If you live in a humid area, you can expect even newly unpacked paper in a printer to stick together after a few days. A storage unit with trapped humidity can ruin your old papers and ruin sensitive cloth if not protected properly.
You don't need to filter out the air perfectly, although an air filter wouldn't hurt the situation. Your main goal is the reduce humidity levels so that the speed of staining and saturation is slower.
Dehumidifier Selection And Limitations
A dehumidifier should be used in areas with regularly humid climates. If you're storing your property in the Southeastern United States or a coast area, it's almost required to put in a dehumidifier if you want to protect your stored goods.
Proper dehumidifier selection means understanding the capacity of the dehumidifier and the size of the storage unit. The dehumidifier's manual should show you the maximum area that it can treat, although contacting the manufacturer and explaining your situation could lead you to a better device selection.
If the storage unit is too big, there will still be humid air inside the storage room throughout the humid season. It may be drier than without a dehumidifier at all, but it may be a wasted investment if your property still suffers humidity damage.
Contact a storage unit facility representative for more info—to discuss available units, electrical connections for dehumidifiers and any other supporting devices that could help.
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