Storing for the Long-haul?
Sometimes hiring a storage unit is a long-standing commitment. You know your items are going to be staying there for a while so rather than stacking them up and forgetting about them, spend time and effort packing your things so that they survive the long haul. Furniture, whilst usually strong, does need special care when storing.
Firstly ensure that you don’t have insects in the wood (like borer) and if you do, treat it before placing it into storage. The darkness in a storage unit may be the best breading ground for these pests. You may also want to use corner surface protectors and definitely cover furniture with bubble wrap as much as possible. A wipe down of furniture with the appropriate polishes before packing would also be a great way to preserve it.
Clothing storage
A lot of people use their storage unit to store clothing so rather than discovering your gorgeous wedding dress in tatters, take preemptive measures such as using wardrobe boxes to pack them into. If you are going to go this route, placing the box onto a pallet will keep it off the floor so even if the storage unit were to flood, your clothing would be protected.
Another useful way to store clothing in your storage unit, is to use vacuum seal storage bags or better yet, sealed plastic containers. Packing your clothes into plastic bags is definitely not a good idea!
In order to prevent mildew building up and keeping insects away, adding cedar balls into your storage unit would be a good idea. Moth balls are also a good option.
Paper storage
Packing paper for long-term storage will always be a challenge as it is prone to deteriorate over time. However by using proper shelving, for example powder-coated metal or sealed wood (not MDF) , the rate at which the paper will deteriorate can be lessened.
Large plans and artworks should be stored flat and in order to minimise the amount of times the paper is handled, clearly label the storage boxes you use. It is also advisable to use corrugated cardboard between layers as this allows for some ventilation between layers of paper.
Labeling
This may be stating the obvious, but believe me not everyone thinks of labelling items in storage. However if you want to find things easily, labelling is key. You never know when you might need to find something in a rush (to sell or use).
See moving and storage products available from UCAN.