Three Reasons To Use Climate Controlled Storage
If you're like most modern consumers, you often find that your home simply isn't large enough to comfortably accommodate all of your belongings. Many people deal with this predicament by renting a storage unit. However, it's very important to choose the right kind of storage unit for the items that you'll be placing inside of it. Traditional storage units that don't offer heat or climate control may end up causing damage to certain objects. Following are three categories of household items that should be stored in climate controlled conditions.
Wine
Wine is easily ruined if it's not stored within a certain temperature range -- it shouldn't be higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit because it literally begins to cook when temperatures reach that level or higher. By the same token, storing wine in temperatures that are too cold is harmful as well. Ideally, wine should be kept between 45 and 65 degrees, but unfortunately, storage units without climate control often experience temperature extremes. Another component of climate controlled storage units that particularly pertain to wine is humidity. Environments that are overly dry can cause corks to become brittle, and mold and mildew can be a problem when conditions are too damp. The optimal humidity level for storing wine is between 50 and 80 percent. Contact a company, like LA Fine Arts & Wine Storage, for more help.
Wooden Furniture
People often store wooden furniture in storage units, but if temperatures are too high or too low, the furniture can become damaged. Because contained environments such as storage units are conducive to the rapid spread of mold and mildew colonies, it's important that wooden items not be stored in damp conditions. As a porous material, wood is particularly susceptible to damage from fungal organisms. Conditions that are too hot also pose potential problems -- exposure to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time causes wood to warp and crack, rendering it unusable in many cases.
Clothing
Many people use storage units to provide an out-of-the-way place for seasonal items such as clothing -- and this is an excellent strategy for those with limited household space. However, unless the storage unit is climate controlled, the clothing could end up ruined by the time it comes to use the clothes again. Fabrics are porous materials as well, and like wood, they can be severely damaged by fungal infestations -- and once mold or mildew gets a foothold on one piece of clothing, it will invariably end up on every other item in proximity.
Please feel free to contact your local storage company for more information on safely storing household items of all types.