Self storage units are a great way to make sure you don’t sacrifice space for memories. They give you the opportunity to keep the things you don’t need year round out of the way until you do need them. Self storage units are perfect for storing old photo albums, family heirlooms, antiques, books, music, out-of-season clothing, and even wine. But not all self storage units are created equal. Some boast low prices and high security, but lack the option to have a climate controlled unit. We hear about “climate control” all the time when researching new self storage units, but do we actually know what it means? Climate controlled self storage units are better for your belongings, but why? When you’re trying to find the perfect solution for your things, different qualities stand out more than others. Having a secure location is essential and self storage units can be dressed up or equipped with all of the luxury additions on the market, but if your unit isn’t climate controlled, you’re wasting money.
To help you better appreciate the value of climate controlled self storage units, it’s important to first understand what climate control actually means. In this article, we’ll define climate control and everything else related to climate controlled self storage units.
What Does Climate Controlled Storage Mean?
When talking about climate control, it’s important to understand that it’s more than just temperature. Temperature controlled storage is when only the temperature in the air is managed. It is set then left alone to be self-regulated by the air conditioning unit. Temperature alone isn’t what does the most damage. The problem is when humidity skyrockets or drastically decreases. When humidity is high, moisture seeps into your things and causes damage. When humidity is low, things can crack and become brittle. When it fluctuates, it can create a cycle that is dangerous to your personal belongings.
Climate control is a comprehensive way of regulating both the temperature in the air and the humidity. To get a climate controlled environment requires using HVAC systems combined with dehumidifiers and insulation features. This helps to keep the temperature and humidity stable, no matter what’s happening outside.
All of these appliances work together to create a powerful climate controlled environment, especially in self storage units. You can customize humidity levels, temperatures, and avoid worrying about whether or not your things are safe from damage. Usually, what this means is that the temperatures in self storage units will fluctuate in a minor way to prioritize humidity levels. The optimal humidity levels for storage is around 55% humidity. At the end of the day, this is much safer than ignoring humidity and only focusing on temperature control.
Benefits of Climate Controlled Storage
If you’re still not convinced that climate controlled storage is necessary for your self storage unit, check out a few of these great benefits.
1. Temperature Protection
Climate controlled storage units offer you protection from fluctuating outdoor temperatures, regardless of the time of year. A consistent temperature helps protect your things and reduce any chance of damage from extreme cold or extreme heat
2. Increased Air Quality
When using an HVAC system and a dehumidifier, you’ll immediately reap the benefits of increased air quality. Climate controlled self storage facilities have an airflow that continuously circulates, leaving you with crisp, clean air around the clock. This means all of your things will be able to breathe without having to let outside air in.
3. Protective Barrier
When you opt for a climate controlled storage unit, you’ll get a unit located inside of a building, which offers an added layer of insulation. This translates to an added protective barrier for all of your favorite things. Just because they’re in a storage unit doesn’t mean you have to treat them any less than the things in your home.
4. Peace of Mind
Finally, climate controlled storage offers a peace of mind that is unbeatable. You won’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll open your unit to find hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage. While climate controlled units are usually a little more per month, it’s an investment worth making.
Things That Need Climate Controlled Storage
After understanding what climate control entails, it gets easier to think about what you should put in a climate controlled storage unit. Some things are obvious, while others aren’t. To help you sort through your list, here are a few things that need climate controlled storage to stay in their best condition.
Things Made of Wood
Wood is a soft, material that absorbs moisture. Over time, this leads to warping, changes in color, cracking, and in worst-case scenarios, rotting. Climate control maintains the temperature while simultaneously controlling the amount of humidity in your unit. This helps keep anything made of wood in good condition. Most furniture is made of wood in some way, which means most furniture needs climate controlled storage.
Leather
Similarly, leather can crack and even mold in extreme temperatures. Leather furniture and leather articles of clothing are expensive. It’s not worth your investment to take a chance on utilizing storage space that’s not climate controlled.
Personal Collections
We all have different hobbies. Some people like to build things and others spend their lives collecting. If you work towards growing a collection for years, losing it due to damage would be devastating. Climate controlled storage units will help make sure that you preserve your collection for years to come.
The following collections need to be in a stable environment, especially if they’re already many years old:
- Stamps
- Coins or Money
- Vinyl Records
- Comics
- Books
- Wine
Musical Instruments
If your hobby is music instead of collecting, then you understand the delicacy of musical instruments. When musical instruments are damaged from humidity, the entire sound changes and they usually need to be replaced. Pianos are pretty durable, but are still made of wood and have delicate strings inside. The same can be said with anything that has strings, percussion components, brass, or wood—essentially all musical instruments.
Large, Household Appliances and Electronics
Outdoor refrigerators are common appliances. People store them in hot 
garages or even in direct sunlight. However, when they’re unplugged, they’re more susceptible to damage. The same holds true for other larger household appliances. Climate control will help you avoid wasting money on replacing large appliances. Small electronics are no different. The parts are sensitive and need to be properly cared for.
Art and Décor
It doesn’t matter if you have an original Picasso or homemade crafts, artwork doesn’t do well in extreme temperatures. Take good care of your art and décor and any craft supplies that you have.
Clothing
Clothing seems like the most durable thing on this list, but when exposed to humidity for elongated periods of time, mold and mildew is inevitable. Additionally, when you don’t use climate control, you’re more susceptible to pests and rodents that can ruin your clothes.
Documents and Photos
Finally, any important documents, family photos, or business items need climate control. Paper warps and discolors, the development and storage of pictures is sensitive, and you need to make sure that your business inventory stays in the best condition possible. Again, these things are not worth the risk of being damaged or destroyed.
Once you understand what climate control means, it’s easy to see the importance of climate controlled self storage units. When you want to store your personal belongings, regardless of what they are, it’s not worth it to leave up to chance. It’s time to stop focusing on price or distracting luxury add-ons and start focusing on the basics. When you focus only on price and ignore standard features, you’re making a mistake. In the end, you’re actually putting yourself at risk to lose money and potentially irreplaceable items. Maybe you don’t need all of the features of luxury self storage units, but for most things, you do need climate control. To play it safe, opt for a climate controlled self storage unit like the ones at The Lock Up Self Storage.
At The Lock Up Self Storage, we have a variety of different sized self storage units and can help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Every single one of our units is climate controlled, so you don’t have to worry. We will work with your budget to find something that fits your needs without sacrificing quality. All of our units have coded access gates, perimeter alarms, and 24/7 video monitoring surrounds all of our properties. No matter what your storage solution needs are, you’ll find them at The Lock Up Self Storage. Give us a call today at (866) 327-LOCK to find a location near you or simply enter your zip code on our homepage!
