Check Off A Few Key Features Before Choosing A Storage Facility
Posted on: 14 July 2017
What do you want out of a storage unit? Do you need air conditioning to protect against overheating humidity? What about a few electrical outlets for humidifiers, additional lights, or getting connected during a hobby weekend? How about around-the-clock security to keep everything protected? There are many different features that are required for some people, while other features are just nice to have. Before signing up with a specific storage facility, be sure to make a checklist of features and inspection points to make sure you're getting all of the options you need.
Storage Structures And Accessories
The basic storage unit is an empty room that can store bulk objects fairly simply. To maximize your storage--especially if you have a lot of small items to put away--consider shelving and rack space.
Shelves aren't the first thing on many first-time storage renters' minds. Storage is meant to be either temporary or forgettable for most people; a place to put relevant belongings that you'll pull out soon, or a place to toss old objects that have sentimental value, but can't be kept at home or in office space.
If you're a person who wants to use storage units as a regularly-accessed, easy to use place to access your belongings, shelves and racks are an amazing feature to add. The best technique is to bring in rolling or lightweight racks that are placed at the very back of the storage unit, then slowly moving forward as you place new shelves. This keeps the bigger, heavier objects in front without racks blocking the way and making arrangement and removal easier.
Climate Control And Filtering
Air conditioning is a lot more common these days, but they're not available in every storage facility--especially not in the outdoor shed-type storage units used for quick access. Be sure to check the individual storage units for air conditioning vents, and ask for the system to be turned on in a test unit to prove that the air conditioning works.
Depending on how hot your area gets, you may not be able to leave certain cloth, metals, electronics, or plastics in storage without confirming air conditioning performance. Melting and warped shaped can happen fairly quickly in a storage unit without proper ventilation. Humidity is also reduced with a working air conditioning system, making corrosion and rust a non-issue in most cases.
How Much Security Is Necessary?
With storage unit security, there's a scale of protection that needs to be checked at every level from the lock to the security guard.
The most basic security level is at lock, door, and key level. Basic belongings that aren't tempting to determined thieves need to at least be protected by a padlock and rolling door to stop opportunists from getting some free clothes and furniture. A better security option is getting a storage unit with a reinforced door, along with a door lock and key instead of relying on a padlock alone.
Security cameras are necessary, and you need to make sure that they're recording. Plan a date and time to stand in front of a camera, then ask to see surveillance from that time to make sure you're in view.
With security guards, it's all about patrol times. Daytime security may not be necessary while normal business is going on, or may not need to be in high numbers. Night security duty needs at least two guards to keep an eye on different areas simultaneously.
Contact a storage facility, such as Eagle Airport Car And Mini Storage, to discuss available features, and to schedule an inspection.
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