Step into the world of temperature-controlled wonders, where your cherished possessions find ultimate protection. Discover why climate-controlled self-storage units are more than just a passing trend. From safeguarding delicate heirlooms to preserving sensitive documents, these specialized storage havens offer unrivaled benefits.
Unleash the secrets of maintaining optimal temperature and humidity levels year-round, ensuring your valuables remain in pristine condition. Join us on this journey as we unveil the transformative power of climate-controlled storage and unlock the key to safeguarding your priceless memories and assets.
What items should be stored in climate-controlled storage? Typically anything that has sentimental value or is temperature-sensitive should be stored in climate-controlled storage. These items include old photographs and heirlooms that can be costly, furniture made of wood, fabric such as clothes, toys, upholstered furniture, household appliances, special collections, musical instruments, fine wine, artwork, craft supplies, and so much more.
This blog post highlights some of the crucial items that must always be stored in climate-controlled storage and why. Read on to find out if you need a regular or climate-controlled storage unit.
What Is a Climate Controlled Storage?
In simple words, climate-controlled storage is a special type of self-storage unit designed to maintain the indoor temperature and humidity level at a constant level. Typically, the temperature is maintained at 55-85oF year-round, while relative humidity is usually maintained at 50%.
Basically, the storage unit is fitted with a fully functional air conditioner, heater, humidifier, and dehumidifier all in one. The systems turn themselves on and off depending on the outdoor weather conditions.
The main focus is on temperature and humidity because these two aspects of climate usually combine to form moisture. More heat and high humidity will automatically result in more moisture.
Therefore, if you can manage to control these two, you can control the amount of moisture inside the unit, which is crucial to ensuring stored items remain safe for as long as possible.
What Items Should Be Stored In a Climate Controlled Storage?
The truth is that almost any item can benefit from a climate control self-storage facility, but some things truly need it than others. So, what items should you store in climate-controlled storage? Let us find out:
1. Wooden and Leather Furniture
Wood tends to warp, rot, or crack when exposed to moisture for too long. So, if you have any wooden furniture you want to store for a relatively long period, consider renting a climate-controlled storage facility.
This includes bed frames, tables, chairs, nightstands, décor, entertainment consoles, and much more. If you don’t plan to take them out frequently, you have no other option but to rent climate-controlled storage.
Leather is also vulnerable to hot and cold temperature fluctuations, which can cause it to crack. In extreme cases, the leather material will get discolored and become smelly due to excessive moisture.
If you have expensive leather pieces, it is highly recommended you store them in climate-controlled storage if you live in an area that experiences drastic weather changes.
2. Household Appliances
Electrical and mechanical parts of your household appliances are highly sensitive to extremely hot or cold temperatures. Extreme heat or cold can result in uneven heating, corrosion, and even damage the parts.
For instance, your oven may work perfectly fine during summer, but the metal body of the appliance may expand when it gets very hot, which prevents the door from closing properly.
The same thing happens with extremely cold weather, only that now the metal will contract, which will cause the door to open unexpectedly. This is why it’s important not to store household appliances in an unmonitored unit.
3. Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
Your clothing, shoes, and accessories are likely to get smelly or lose shape if exposed to humidity for too long. The good news is that most businesses that offer climate-control storage also offer dehumidifier services on-site at no extra cost.
That said, you might want to consider storing your clothing in climate-controlled storage if you don’t have the time or equipment required to maintain them.
4. Special Collections
A climate-controlled self-storage unit provides you with the perfect place to store any special collections you may have.
Since the primary purpose of collecting different things is to preserve the item’s quality, you don’t want to store them in an unmonitored storage unit that may expose the items to extreme heat or cold.
For instance, if you are a collector of vinyl records or cameras, you must get your records and cameras out of constant exposure to humidity which can cause the material they are made from to deteriorate.
And so, if you have a collection of vintage cameras, records, coins, or jewelry, consider storing them in a climate-controlled storage facility.
5. Media Storage
If you are an artist or professional photographer who wants to store the original copies of your media pieces at all times, it is recommended that you use climate-control self-storage.
Professional photography equipment is expensive, and many laws govern the storage of specific types of media.
For instance, you might be required to provide original copies of your work only; otherwise, the law may consider you to have tampered with it.
If this sounds like something that pertains to your line of business, it is highly recommended you store your media originals in a climate-controlled storage unit.
6. Computer Backup and Hard Drives
If you have a business that deals with information technology, you must protect the backups of all your company’s computers. And so, if you want to ensure that all your hardware pieces are safe from flooding, falling objects, or exposure to elements, climate-controlled storage is your best bet.
Climate-controlled self-storage units are the perfect place to store all types of computer backup tapes and hard drives.
Rodents may chew on them, or water damage might affect the quality of your data on these pieces of hardware. All in all, this type of equipment should be stored in a well secured climate-controlled environment.
7. Antiques, Artwork, and Other Valuables
The harsh reality is that your antiques are highly likely to deteriorate if you store them for too long in an unmonitored storage environment. So, you should consider using climate-controlled self-storage facilities instead.
These facilities have special equipment to monitor temperature and humidity and make sure they don’t reach unsafe levels, damaging your antiques.
The same thing applies to special artwork pieces such as paintings, sculptures, and other valuables. They need to be kept in a controlled environment, or they might get further damaged by humidity and temperature fluctuations.
Climate-controlled self-storage units are your best bet if you have any antiques, artwork pieces, or other valuables that need storage.
8. Medicine and Food Storage
If you want to store medicine or food in a safe place to protect them from rodents, insects, and other pests, climate-controlled storage is the way to go.
Since these items are highly susceptible to humidity and temperature fluctuations, you should seriously consider using a self-storage facility that uses climate control technology.
It is also worth mentioning that there are many sensitive types of medication, so it is best to keep them in controlled environments at all times.
For instance, insulin should always be stored in a cool environment, while other types of medication mustn’t be exposed to extreme humidity or heat.
Luckily, if you are looking for climate-controlled self-storage units, the chances are high that you will find at least one facility in your neighborhood that offers this type of service.
9. Musical Instruments
The truth is that high-quality musical instruments are a tremendous investment. As such, you should always store them in a climate-controlled unit, no matter if it is for a short or long duration.
For example, percussion musical instruments such as the piano have strings, keys, and wooden parts that can easily be damaged by extreme heat or humidity. The strings of a standard acoustic guitar can also snap under extreme weather conditions.
Furthermore, high levels of humidity and temperature can also be destructive to brass instruments. Excessive humidity encourages the growth of bacteria and corrosion. Delicate materials inside trumpets such as rubber and cork can easily break down when exposed to wrong climatic conditions.
If you have a woodwind, you need to keep in mind that the instrument requires a specific humidity level (in the range of 45-55%). Anything less than that, and the parts made of wood will start shrinking and cracking.
Too much humidity may cause flutes and clarinets to expand and become useless. Excessive moisture can also promote mold growth inside the instruments, making them dangerous for use, especially those that you must play with your mouth.
Summary
Climate-controlled storage is a great solution for storing items such as furniture, appliances, and clothing. These items can be damaged by fluctuations in temperature and humidity, which occur naturally during the year.
The climate control within these units will protect your belongings from harsh weather conditions to ensure they remain safe and preserved over time.
We hope this blog post has helped you make an informed decision about what items should stay at home (or go to a climate-controlled facility) when it’s time to store them away for the season!
