One in ten Americans has a storage unit for one reason or another. Are you thinking about becoming one of them?
If you’ve got important objects you want to hold on to but don’t have space for, a storage unit can be the perfect solution.
How do you know if you need a temperature controlled storage unit? Let’s take a look at ten items that are vulnerable to heat damage.
Why Would You Rent A Regular Storage Unit?
People might rent a storage unit for a lot of different reasons.
One of the most common reasons is because people are moving to a new home. Maybe there is a lag time in between when you have to move out of your old home and when you can move into your new home, and you need a place to put all of your stuff.
Another common reason is when people are remodeling their homes. Putting your furniture and belongings in storage can get them out of the way for renovation but also protect them from construction dust and debris.
Other people might use storage units as a part of downsizing, which is an increasingly popular trend. People who are moving into a much smaller home than they previously lived in might get rid of a lot of stuff, but they also might want additional storage for sentimental or practical things they want to hold on to.
It’s also common to use storage units seasonally. Things like garden tools, ski equipment, and camping equipment only need to be accessed for part of the year. By seasonally storing off-season equipment, you can clear up space in your home storage spaces.
What Are Some Reasons You Might Rent A Climate-Controlled Unit?
Even if your items aren’t particularly valuable, fragile, or susceptible to heat or moisture damage, there still might be an argument for you to get a climate-controlled unit.
If you’re loading up your storage unit to store your items for a long time, temperature-controlled is probably the way to go. The extra cost will be worth the peace of mind as the seasons pass and the weather and temperature fluctuates.
If the place you live has high humidity or high heat climate in general, you’d be well advised to mitigate these factors by choosing a climate-controlled unit.
On the other hand, if you’re storing items that aren’t particularly susceptible to heat or moisture damage, and you’re only storing them for a short period of time, you might be able to get away with a regular unit. For an outdoor unit, a short period of time would be about a month or less, and for an indoor unit about three months or less.
What Does Climate Controlled Storage Mean?
Climate controlled storage units are storage units that are designed to maintain steady humidity and temperature levels. These types of storage units are most commonly available at storage facilities that offer indoor storage units. The temperature of climate controlled storage units usually remains stable somewhere between 55 degrees and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The reason it’s important to control for temperature and humidity is in order to control for the creation of moisture. Moisture is an enemy to your stored belongings, and controlling for the heat and humidity will help keep your objects free from moisture damage.
How hot do storage units get when they aren’t climate-controlled? Well, the temperature of a storage unit can be regularly at least 30 degrees above the outdoor temperatures. So in the heat of the summer when it hits 90, your belongings could be sitting in 120-degree heat.
How Do You Know If You Need Climate-Controlled Storage?
If you live in an area that has extreme heat, cold weather, or both, getting a climate-controlled unit is recommended almost no matter what you’re storing.
Unless you’re storing objects that it won’t bother you if they get damaged by moisture, affected by temperature, or soiled or eaten by pests, it’s highly recommended to have temperature-controlled storage.
If you’re on the fence about getting a climate-controlled unit versus a regular outdoor unit, ask yourself the following questions about your items:
- Could this item mildew or mold?
- Is it intended to remain between certain temperatures (such as artwork or wine)?
- Could moisture discolor, warp, deteriorate, or crack this item?
- Could it be sensitive to extremely hot temperatures or extremely cold temperatures?
- Will high temperatures lead to it expanding or contracting?
- Is this item valuable, sentimental, or rare?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, chances are you should choose a climate-controlled unit.
10 Items That Require Temperature Controlled Storage
If you’re storing any of these items for any length of time, you’d be well-advised to choose a climate controlled storage unit.
1. Clothing
Clothing might fair okay in a standard storage unit. That being said, the safer route is definitely to store your clothing in a climate controlled storage unit.
If you have delicate clothing like lace, leather, or fur, you’ll definitely want your unit to be temperature controlled.
2. Furniture
Depending on what material your furniture is made out of, it might be more or less essential to have a climate-controlled unit.
Leather furniture, upholstered furniture, or furniture made out of wicker, wood, or metal is best stored where the temperature is controlled.
3. Electronics
Electronics are famously sensitive to heat and humidity. They can potentially melt, crack, or rust. If you’ve got computers, phones, TVs, or any other electronics that you’re keeping in storage, you’ll definitely want to have your unit be climate-controlled.
4. Art And Photographs
Dramatic changes in temperature and moisture can negatively affect artwork and photographs. In order to avoid your art and photographs from becoming water damaged, moldy, or dried out from the heat, you’ll need a temperature-controlled storage unit.
5. Important Documents
The last thing you want is to return to your storage unit after months or years and find all your important documents damaged by moisture. Anything that’s important enough to hang on to on paper is important enough to be stored in a climate-controlled unit.
6. Antiques
Antiques are typically made out of materials that will not withstand the extreme temperature changes or humidity of regular storage units. Don’t let your valuable antiques become trash because you didn’t invest in a climate-controlled unit.
7. Musical Instruments
Musical instruments are delicate objects, and heat and moisture can irreparably damage them. If you’ve got to store your instruments away for a while, don’t cut corners by putting them in a regular unit.
8. Media (Videos, DVDs, Vinyl Records, Etc.)
Again, you don’t want to leave vinyl records, DVDs, videos, CDs, or any media in a regular old storage unit.
The changes in temperature and humidity could ruin or damage any of these media items.
9. Collectibles
If you have a collection of baseball cards, coins, stamps, or something similar, you’re definitely going to want to put these in climate-controlled storage. With collectible items, it’s important for things to be in mint condition. Even the smallest amount of water could destroy your precious collection.
10. Camping And Sports Equipment
This one might seem a little counterintuitive. Shouldn’t camping and sports equipment be able to withstand changes in weather and temperature?
Sure, your camping equipment has proven itself to be rugged when you got caught in the rain last summer. That being said, sitting in storage is not kind to a lot of different kinds of objects and materials. Camping and sporting equipment can easily be much dingier coming out of a storage unit than going in.
How Much Does Climate-Control Cost?
Climate-controlled units typically cost anywhere from 25 to 50 percent more than a typical standard unit.
While this may seem like a lot, you have to take the full picture into consideration. If you have items that it’s worth it to you to pay to store them, wouldn’t you prefer if they didn’t withstand any damage? When you pay extra for a climate-controlled unit, you’re paying for the certainty that your items will come out of storage in the same condition that they went into storage.
Is It Time For You To Clear Out Some Of The Clutter And Rent A Storage Unit?
There are countless reasons why renting a tempature controlled storage unit might make sense for you, whether you’re in the middle of a move of your just want to clear some clutter out of your living space.
If you’re looking for a residential storage unit to solve your storage problems, request a custom quote today!
