FAQ: Climate-Controlled Storage

How do I decide whether to opt for climate control in my storage unit?

If you are moving items from your attic or your garage into offsite storage, you likely don’t need to opt for climate control. As long as the items are standing up to those conditions, you probably won’t find it necessary. Be sure to cover your items (old bed sheets work well) and use moisture absorbers (pre-packaged or home-made) inside your storage unit to collect any excess moisture away from your possessions. (Check out our post, Consider Your Containers For Long-Term Storage, for more detailed moisture-wicking tips.)

Just keep in mind that moisture-wicking products are not fail-proof, especially when they’re being subjected to our super-humid Houston-area summers.

Couple that with the blistering heat, and some of your delicate stored items could be in jeopardy. Temperature fluctuations can cause wood and metal to expand and contract, leading to damage like cracking, warping, and weakening. Likewise, textiles exposed to climate extremes can degrade and yellow.

Particularly susceptible to extreme or highly fluctuating temperatures and dampness-related damage are:

• Antiques
• Books and other paper products
• Baseball cards and other collectible cards
• Discs and record albums
• Electronics
• Furniture
• Musical instruments
• Photographs

The optimal long-term storage environment for these types of items (or really most of your possessions you plan to store for more than two months) is one that holds a constant temperature and maintains consistently dry air. This means air conditioning to keep it cool and dry in the summer and heat to keep it warm in the winter.

Climate control also offers a degree of protection above non-climate-controlled units by filtering out dust.

As an added bonus, if you need to spend time reorganizing anything within your storage unit, climate control lets you work in comfort, regardless of the season or the weather.

If you’re considering climate control, two of our locations — 19678 Hwy 105 West in Montgomery and 14132 Schroeder Road in Houston — offer a selection of climate-controlled units.  At this time, our FM 2854 location and 105 East location in Cut and Shoot only offer non-climate-controlled units. But the FM 2854 location is currently under renovation and will have climate-controlled units available in 2019.