Climate Controlled Self Storage
December 29, 2009 by: Admin
Most people think of climate control storage as something that food service companies need to keep food refrigerated or frozen. For the average user, they think of self storage as a large building made of rooms that are about the size of a one-car garage or smaller, with a garage type door and no special features at all. And some self storage units are just that a medium-sized concrete room with a garage type door that allow large items to be put into the storage unit easily. The temperature inside the unit varies with the season; they’re boiling hot in the summer and frigid in the winter. These types of storage units are ideal for items that aren’t affected by changes in climate or for short term storage.
Some self storage facilities offer covered outdoor storage for certain items, and some offer indoor storage designed for specific purposes, so your choices don’t just range from mini storage to units that are large enough to house every piece of your furniture. You can get specialized self storage for your other storage needs, too.
Climate control storage is offered at many facilities and can be used for a variety of purposes. Some companies will have climate controlled self storage units just for storing wine, for instance. They’ll be able to tell you how many cases will fit into each unit, and should offer the temperature they keep the unit at 24 hours per day and 7 days per week-for wine, it should be right around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
This type of special self storage will cost more than a standard storage unit of the same size that doesn’t have climate control. It will probably also cost a little more if it’s designated for a specific purpose – like wine self storage p than if it’s merely advertised as air conditioned and heated to maintain a certain temperature and therefore keep items from melting or freezing.
For the wine aficionado, wine self storage offers the benefits of keeping fine wines at the ideal temperature year round. Many people who enjoy wines don’t have the optimal storage space in their homes for the bottles. A wine cellar is ideal because of the built-in coolness of rooms that are underground, but if you don’t have a wine cellar, having one built can be expensive. Self storage is a good, cost effective solution for storing wine properly.
Storing wine isn’t the only good application of climate control storage. If you need to store wooden furniture, for instance, you could store it in a regular self storage unit that has a temperature that can vary widely according to the season. Or you could pay just a little more and store it in climate control storage, which will much better protect your furniture investment.
Wood furniture might not be affected much by the heat or cold of the air, but climate control storage doesn’t just control temperature. These units control the amount of dust in the air by their very nature. Because heating or cooling is used, air filters are also used, which can keep your storage unitcleaner and better protect the surfaces of your furniture or other items.
When you rent a regular storage unit, the changes in temperature can cause condensation and “sweating” on some surfaces. This moisture can cause damage like mold, mildew, water stains, discoloration and even warping, in some more extreme cases.
With climate control units, which are typically kept at a temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, this condensation is prevented, protecting the items from moisture damage. Climate control units are also, by their nature, humidity controlled. So the dryer air also protects your items from the damage that can be caused by being in a moist environment.
Many items like artwork or antique items can be preserved longer and better in a climate control storage unit. Think of the museums and archaeological societies when they uncover a treasure-it’s immediately put into a climate controlled environment to minimize any further decay and damage. Your valuable items deserve no less attention.
Even items like clothing and paperwork can be damaged by humidity and moisture caused by rapidly changing temperatures and extreme temperatures. Your clothes and papers could come out of storage with a musty smell, or even show signs of mildew if not in climate control storage.
A final benefit to climate control storage is that, along with the units, the hallways in the building are likely climate controlled too, so that you’re more comfortable when accessing your items.
Simply Self Storage – What Could be Easier than Simply?
Simply Self Storage is the largest privately owned self storage company in the United States and Puerto Rico. We own and/or operate over 228 facilities with over 16.1 million square feet of storage space.