Certain items need a little extra attention when it comes to storing them in self storage units. We’re not only talking about the way you move them from one way to the other, nor the way you pack them away into your unit either. We’re talking about the way that the climate can affect the condition of the items you store. You need to know which ones it affects and how it does that, in order to be able to effectively guard against such problems.
You should pay particular focus to these items when you want to store them away:
• Wooden furniture: Wood can rot, warp or crack if it gets exposed to too much moisture over time.
• Leather furniture: It can begin to get discolored or grow mildew if it is exposed to major temperature changes.
• Household appliances: When these appliances are exposed to extreme hot or cold conditions, it can cause them to rust, crack or malfunction.
• Special collections: You don’t want your precious pieces to begin rusting, getting discolored or getting mildew. In the case of wine, uncontrolled climate can result in premature aging and an oxidized, metallic taste.
• Musical instruments: These items can get corroded and rusted, their wooden parts can start expanding and contracting and their strings, keys and other parts may start malfunctioning over time.
• Art pieces: Fabric pieces should never be exposed to UV rays and moisture. Even crafting equipment should be carefully guarded from the unstable temperature. Most of them have components which may rust, expand or contract, causing them not to work properly.
• Clothing: Mold and mildew can plague your clothes if they’re stored in unstable climate conditions. That’s why it’s always a good idea to put plastic storage bins over the cardboard boxes that you store your clothes in, so that they don’t accumulate any moisture.
• Business documents: A humid environment can cause the quality of your documents to decrease – they may “fade, discolor, or dissolve with exposure to moisture.”
• Photos: These can fade, discolor or begin to stick to each other and deteriorate. You should ensure that the albums or boxes you use have passed the PAT (Photographic Activity Test).
• Electronics: Rising levels of humidity can be just as damaging as spilling water directly into the electronic item. Unstable climate can cause corrosion, rust and malfunctioning parts.
We sure hope these tips helped! We’ve got what you are looking for concerning self-storage in Ottawa. We’re the number one source for storage in Ottawa and Gatineau. Give us a call so we can discuss your storage locker options at Just Right Self Storage. We’re conveniently located in the heart of Ottawa’s downtown core and only minutes away from Gatineau.