3 Important Tips For Long Term Storage

Do you have special belongings that you would like to keep protected? Are you worried about what might happen if there was a fire, if there was a flood, or if somebody broke into your home? Losing your most treasured belongings is something that nobody wants to ever face. Placing your belongings into storage units for safekeeping can be a great solution, but you need to know how to store everything properly. No matter where your belongings are stored, whether in your home or elsewhere, improper storage could potentially lead to damage. So here are some suggestions for long-term storage of your belongings:

Use plastic totes: Although a good storage company will hire a pest control company to protect the storage units on their property, there is still the possibility that a pest will escape the poison or the traps at least temporarily. If one of the neighboring units inadvertently brings a roach into the building, it might get into your unit and start reproducing. Having your belongings stored in plastic totes will help keep them from being gnawed on by either insect or rodent pests. Even if you decide to store at home, you should consider using plastic totes there for similar reasons. By the time you notice cardboard boxes have been infested, it may be too late for your valuables.

Add desiccants: One of the biggest problems with using plastic totes is that items are unable to "breathe" with humidity changes. If you live in an area of the country with high humidity, packing things into plastic totes to protect them could actually be a recipe for disaster. Before sealing up the totes to put in your storage units, place one or two large reusable packages of desiccants on top of everything. These will help to absorb the moisture, protecting your items from being damaged by mold or mildew. If you need to open the totes for access to your belongings later, make sure to replace the old desiccant with a fresh package or two.

Check on storage units at least once a year: No matter how well you store your belongings, there's always the chance that they will start to do poorly in long-term storage. If you're storing a wedding dress, for example, it could start to fall apart on the creases. Books can also come apart at the bindings if the temperature has varied too much. Doing a yearly inventory of your stuff will help remind you exactly what you're protecting and will allow you to take action if you see a particular item or items starting to become damaged over time.

For more information, contact local professionals like Stevens Creek Storage.