How to choose climate controlled storage facilities

When you are moving, you may need a storage unit. If you do, many questions will present themselves. One of them is do you need a climate controlled storage facilities? Is it worth the extra costs? Depending on the things that you are storing, the answer may be yes. There are many benefits to renting a climate controlled storage unit. It maintains a consistent temperature all year round and has a humidity control as well. Your possessions will be protected from the bad weather conditions and you will have a peace of your mind knowing that your belongings are stored safely.

Do you need a climate controlled storage facilities?

In a basic self-storage, you can store a lot of household or yard items that can’t be affected by the weather. However, very high or very low temperatures can damage your delicate belongings. If you are storing your items for a longer time, you should definitely choose climate controlled storage facilities. Especially if you live in a zone that experiences drastic temperature changes.

There are many things that are sensitive to temperature and humidity:

• Paper items – Extreme temperatures may ruin books, photographs, comics, notebooks, magazines. You should store your paper items away from light exposure to prevent fading, in the temperatures between 35 – 75 °F with 35% relative humidity or less.
• Electronics – The humidity is a number one enemy of these items. They should be kept in the environment with 30 – 60% relative humidity and temperatures between 50 – 80 °F.
• Metals – If you are storing metal items, then you have to rent climate storage facilities – they require temperatures of 35 to 75 °F with 35 – 55% relative humidity.
• CDs, DVDs and video games cartridges – These items require a dry and cool environment with temperatures between 65 – 70 °F. Relative humidity should be 45 – 50%. You also need to store them in closed boxes since direct light can damage them.
• Wood furniture – Wood furniture is very vulnerable, especially antiques. Wood items will expand in warmer temperatures and contract in lower temperatures. If you have such belongings, then renting a climate storage facilities is a necessity. The ideal temperature for storing these items is between 55 – 85 °F with a humidity level between 30 – 50%.
• Vinyl records – If you have a collection of vinyl records, it will be a shame for them to deteriorate because of bad conditions in the storage. They need spaces with 45 – 60% relative humidity and temperatures between 65 – 70 °F.

How to choose a storage unit?

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing an ideal storage unit:

• Storage service – the moving company that you are hiring may have this additional service. Most of them do, and it’s much safer to purchase that option than to rent a storage unit on your own. If you do, be very careful. Check the reputation and the references of the company that you are considering to rent a unit from. If you go with the unreliable storage service, you are opening a room for many moving scams.
• How long will you need storage service – Once you choose the storage service, you will have to know how long you will be needing it. It will greatly affect your budget, so it is crucial to know how long you are planning to keep your belongings in the storage.
• Storage costs – Storing your stuff is an additional cost that you have to consider. Pay attention to the monthly rates. Choose the company that provides fix rates.
• Safety of the storage unit – The main thing is that your belongings are safe. If the storage doesn’t seem secure enough, find another one. Storage that has a human security on the site, and is covered with cameras is a way to go.

Once you find a storage unit that suits all of your needs, you will need to rent climate controlled storage facilities. If the storage service doesn’t provide that, find the one that does.  Climate controlled unit has to have a great air quality, additional barrier from dust and debris, an option for the humidity control if you decide you use it.

The air quality of the climate controlled storage facilities

The indoor quality of the air in the unit is very easy to overlook. In the climate controlled storage facilities, the air remains clean because it circulates continuously. If you notice that the air is stuffy and with a bad odor, that means that air circulation system isn’t in order.
When you are paying for climate controlled storage facilities, you should get the best air quality. That is crucial when you are storing documents or sensitive electronics.

Humidity control will give you more protection

For some items, humidity is even more damaging than the extreme temperatures. That is why many climate controlled facilities offer the humidity control.

Those units are a bit more expensive, but they are well worth every penny. Storage that doesn’t have humidity control can become moldy and your stuff may suffer for that.

For storing and moving antique furniture humidity control is especially important. Too much humidity in the air may cause items to crack, warp, or rot.

Not having enough humidity in the air can cause wreak havoc on wood, causing it to splinter, dry out, and craze.
Renting a humidity control at your climate controlled facilities will keep your things more protected.

Moving budget – count in the costs of the storage service

Moving is very stressful and overwhelming event. You have to pay attention to every detail and it’s easy to overlook some things. Storage services are one of them.
When you establish that you will be needing them, you should put it into your moving budget immediately.
Write down all of the expenses that your storage services will cost and add them together. You should always plan a little bigger – put down the costs of the climate controlled storage facilities with humidity control right away. In that case, if you do need that option, you will have sufficient funds for it.