Humidity And Dust Control For Storage Units

There are times when the old furniture, delicate clothing and dated paperwork must go into storage. You may be moving to a new home with less space or simply trying to make room in your existing home. No matter the reason, you'll need a storage unit that can accommodate your belongings while keeping them safe for as long as possible. As you review your options, consider a few inspection points and preparation techniques that could keep your belongings in great shape for as long as possible.

Humidity Can Ruin Your Belongings

Water damage is an obvious threat from leaking areas and requires careful inspection to find all potential threats. A simple crack with leaking water could betray many more structural and environmental issues, so be sure to check all corners, joining areas and entryways before settling on a self storage unit.

Once you've decided on your storage unit, you'll need to worry about similar damage from a source that may be harder to solve. Coastal areas and many parts of the American southeast have multiple months that are packed with humidity, a problem that can wrinkle papers, stain clothing and warp wood if left untamed long enough.

The issue isn't just the humidity, but the pollutants in the air. While humidity alone can cause papers to wrinkle or swelling to occur in wood, many airborne pollutants can soak into the surface and lead to staining or weakening of your belongings.

To combat humidity, you'll need a dehumidifier. Unfortunately, solving the problem is a little more complex than choosing a random machine. You'll need to know the maximum room size that the dehumidifier can handle, as well as the exact dimensions of the storage unit.

Measure the length, width and height of the storage unit and contact a dehumidifier manufacturer of your choice. Discuss your storage unit's dimensions and try to settle on a model that works for the storage size.

Dust And Debris Removal

Leaving your belongings in storage for long periods of time leads to dust settling unless the room is perfectly airtight--a difficult and probably expensive request. If your belongings can handle a bit of dust as you visit every few weeks or months, an air purifier with a clean air filter can be a good replacement for regular cleaning visits.

Air filters can be mounted and left on for long periods of time, and may only need filter replacements every month. It's important to perform an initial cleaning and inspection of the storage room to make sure that there aren't needless amounts of dirt and debris in the storage room to make the filter last as long as possible.

For the first few months, check the air filter more often. Once every other week should be fine, as it can give you an idea of how fast the filter fills up. The storage unit facility owner should be able to discuss electrical connections and different options for keeping the area clean.

Contact a self storage facility to discuss the available units and different concerns for keeping your belongings safe for as long as possible.

Share