Do You Need a Temperature Controlled Storage Unit for Your Belongings?

When’s the last time you went to get in your car, but the steering wheel was too hot to touch?

On a hot day, the inside of a parked car will reach 157° or higher! If the inside of your car can get deadly hot, imagine how hot a sitting storage unit can get.

Non-climate-controlled storage units sit in the Sun day after day. That type of heat can destroy certain belongings. However, other belongings can withstand the heat without a problem.

How can you determine if it’s time to pay for temperature controlled storage units? Read on to find out.

Top Storage Costs to Consider

You can easily find temperature controlled storage units across the country. For instance, there are small, and big climate-controlled storage companies that can meet all of your needs.

Keep an eye out for name-brand locations with a great reputation like greenfill storage units. Name brand companies will the best job of protecting your belongings.

As you get quotes, you’ll notice there are a lot of different unit sizes. Sometimes, climate-controlled spaces tend to be smaller than traditional storage facilities.

One of the reasons the spaces can be smaller is the high demand for these high-quality units. You’ll find that storage facilities with a size of 10×20 ft storage space are less likely to offer climate-controlled options.

How can you determine what space is available for each company? Simply visit their webistes. Get all of the information about the different climate control features they offer, and then take notes on their pricing.

After searching all of the storage facilities close to you, you can start to compare the features and costs. Once you book a storage unit, make sure that the space you reserved is actually climate-controlled.

Don’t assume that because the website says it’ll be climate-controlled that it is. Sometimes facilities fail to update their websites, so talking to a representative for new information is always a wise move.

Put Electronics in a Temperature Controlled Storage Unit

Now that you know a little more about getting a climate control unit let’s talk about when you’ll need one. There are a few different items that it would be wise to put in a climate-controlled area.

For instance, electronics do well in climate-controlled storage units. It doesn’t matter how new or outdated your electronics are; the heat can easily damage them. By keeping all of your electronics in one safe and excellent location, they’ll be able to last you year after year.

Along the same lines of thought, you should also put all of your media in a storage-controlled unit. Media includes vinyl records, VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, and more.

Artwork and Luxury Clothes

Are you somebody who enjoys collecting artwork? Depending on the medium you collect, you’ll probably want to keep it in a nice air-conditioned unit. It’s also a good idea to take some extra time wrapping your artwork so that if one of your belongings bumps into it, it doesn’t sustain any damage.

As far as clothing goes, you can usually store clothing in a non-climate-controlled unit. Winter jackets and off-season clothes can withstand all sorts of temperatures.

If you’re dealing with luxury clothing or delicate clothing items, you’re going to need to change your game plan a little bit. Delicate clothing items like lace aren’t going to do well in the extreme heat.

Leather also has a problem sitting in the heat for an extended period. For delicate and luxury clothing items, plan to put them in insulated bags and store them in a temperature controlled storage unit.

What About Papers and Documents?

Should you store photographs and important papers in a climate-controlled unit? It depends.

Suppose the documents are important or have sentimental meaning. In that case, you’ll want to avoid putting them in a non-climate controlled unit.

Nonclimate controlled units can completely destroy photos and documents. The photos will simply fall apart, and no longer be repairable.

Sometimes the heat can also cause mold to grow on your important papers. What’s the bottom line? If you have photographs, they’re definitely going to need climate-controlled protection.

Antiques Belong in Climate-Controlled Storage

Do you also enjoy collecting wine? Or are you somebody who has a beautiful antique collection?

Wine and antiques almost always belong in a climate controlled storage unit. Of course, if you have the room, it would be best to store your antiques and wine collection in your primary residence. By keeping everything in your primary residence, it’ll be easier to insure it, and you’ll also be able to enjoy it more!

However, when space doesn’t allow you to keep your collections at home, a climate-controlled unit is the way to go. What questions can you ask yourself to determine if an antique needs a climate-controlled unit?

Begin by asking if the antique could possibly grow mold or mildew. If the antique can grow mold or mildew, it needs a climate-controlled unit.

Would the antique possibly deteriorate, work, or crack from moisture? Is it possible that high heat could cause the item to contract or expand? Things that might deteriorate are designed to be stored at specific temperatures.

Wine, artwork, and antiques are all great examples of items that do best at controlled temperatures. At the end of the day, if the thing is rare, sentimental, or valuable, put it in a climate-controlled storage unit.

Investing in Temperature Controlled Storage Units

There you have it! The top tips to follow when deciding whether or not a belonging needs temperature controlled storage units. Since you probably have a lot of things that you need to store; go ahead and make an inventory list today.

Then go through your list and decide which items can withstand the heat and which ones need a little bit of extra protection. You can search for a location once you know how much you need to put in your storage-controlled unit. We’d love to help you on your search even more; just read another post.