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Storage Tips
Standard Storage
Standard Storage Units are very similar to a household garage or toolshed. They will keep wind, rain, sun, snow, etc. from affecting your property, but they do not protect against temperature and humidity. As a rule of thumb standard units are ideal for property that you would feel comfortable putting into a garage at home.
Moisture can seep up from cement floors and into cardboard, uncovered mattresses, and other soft, porous materials if they’re in direct contact with each other. When using a standard storage unit it helps to keep cardboard boxes and similar materials elevated off the floor by putting them on a pallet or table.
Try to not pack your units 100% full from ceiling to floor, otherwise there will be little to no air flow and moisture can build up. A completely stuffed unit is usually much harder to sort through as well, especially if you just need a single item that’s buried under many others. If possible leave yourself an aisle or pathway around your property to allow both better access and airflow.
Climate Controlled Storage
Climate Controlled Units are heated during the Winter and cooled during the Summer. This keeps them close to room temperature and, more importantly, keeps the humidity levels down. Climate controlled storage is best used when you have something nice (such as electronics, leather furniture, collectibles/antiques, etc.) that you don’t want exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures or high levels of moisture.
Climate Controlled storage is also well suited for storing documents, equipment, and spare stock for businesses. Books and paperwork will slowly deteriorate in non-climate controlled storage due to the humidity. Climate controlled storage can also help slow down rust from forming because of the decreased moisture.
While climate controlled units protect against a lot they don’t stop dust from accumulating on objects. Consider putting dust covers on your furniture and antiques to help keep them clean (for beds use mattress bags).
RV/Boat Storage
Our RV/Boat Storage Bays are large fully-enclosed bays that can accommodate most motor homes and small to mid-size boats. They are also good for storing cars, large machinery, and storefront displays.
Try to give yourself a little extra space when parking large vehicles so that there’s “wiggle room” for errors. For example, an RV that’s exactly 40 feet long will have an extremely hard time fitting into a 40 foot long unit without rubbing up against the walls and the door, and one little bump on the gas pedal could send it straight through the walls. The same RV would fit much better into a 45 foot long unit so that there’s a safety buffer.
Select Storage Bays have electrical outlets in them for our customers’ convenience. These can be used on RV, boat, and car batteries to recharge them.
Outdoor Parking
Outdoor Parking is exactly that, parking a vehicle outdoors. This kind of storage is great for keeping a boat out of the water for the Winter or to store spare cars so that they don’t take up room in the garage.
When storing a vehicle outdoors for extended periods of time it’s usually a good idea to use a cover, this way the paint job isn’t ruined by harsh weather, prolonged exposure to the sun, or bird droppings.
When parking a trailer, camper, RV, or any other vehicle that has feet, it helps to place a wide piece of thick wood (a chunk of 2×4 wood, for example) under each foot. Doing this spreads out the force of the vehicle’s weight so that the feet won’t sink too deep into the ground.
Storing Vehicles
Don’t forget to Winterize your vehicles! If you plan on storing any sort of vehicle for Winter then it should be prepped for the cold temperatures, whether it is inside of a unit or outdoors in the parking section. Each vehicle has different needs, referring to the owner’s manual is often a good place to start making your property ready for Winter.
When storing a vehicle and property together in a single unit it’s usually better to put all of your property towards the back of the unit and then park your car towards the front. This makes it easier to use your vehicle any time it’s needed and if you need access to the property in back you just have to move your car to get to it. Doing it the opposite way (vehicle in back, property up front) means that you’ll have to move most of your things out of the way to pull the car out, which can be time consuming.
Always include your trailer/tongue/hitch in the vehicle measurements when getting ready to store. For example, a 25 foot long boat with a foot long tongue on its trailer will not fit into a 10×25 parking space.
Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes often times have a weight limit printed somewhere on their side showing how much they can safely hold before falling apart. Don’t overpack or the box could rip when it’s picked up.
Put heavier boxes towards the bottom of a stack. This way the stack doesn’t become top heavy and fall over. It also helps stop the bottom boxes from being crushed.
Limit stacks to about four boxes tall to avoid crushing the boxes at the bottom. If a box ever starts to crumple from having things put on top remove the weight and rearrange things before the crumpled box and its contents are broken.
Stacks of boxes should be against a wall and/or next to each other to help provide support for the stacks.
A good substitute for cardboard boxes is plastic bins. The pros are that the plastic bins tend to be more durable/reusable and won’t take on moisture, the major drawback is that plastic bins are typically more expensive than cardboard boxes.
General Tips
Don’t share your gate code or keys unless it’s with someone you completely trust. It’s recommended that you change your code and/or lock If you think that your security has been compromised (for example, a stranger overheard your gate code or you lost your keys to the unit). There is no charge for updating your gate code, you just need to come to the office in person and show a valid driver’s license as ID so we can confirm your identity.
Please, DO NOT store food or other items that have a strong scent to them. Doing so will attract animals such as mice, ants, and raccoons. We do our best to keep pests out of the facility and we ask our tenants to please help keep it that way.
Sometimes a door latch may be difficult to slide over smoothly or it can become stuck. This usually happens when the door doesn’t line up with the hole for the latch, causing it to stick. If this is the case then try moving the door up or down a little, that way the door lines up better and takes pressure off of the latch. If you cannot get the latch to work properly then please notify the office.
If you’re having a problem with the unit or building (the door won’t close properly, there’s damage to the ceiling, a lightbulb is burnt out, etc.) then please come to the office and let our staff know. Do not try to fix damages to the facility yourself because it may be dangerous. Our professional handymen will take care of it.
If there’s an issue at our facility not on this list and you’re not sure how to handle it then please talk with us. Our friendly staff is here to help.
