Texas weather can affect anything you try to store on the coast. Your belongings can be damaged by heat and storms at any time. Things can mold, rust, and warp. When planning to store furniture, electronics, business products, or even your prized possessions, it is extremely important to learn how to protect your belongings so they don’t get ruined.
Many people don’t think about how to keep their belongings safe in island self-storage in coastal Texas. Instead, they think they’re doing fine as long as they find self-storage for the lowest price or the most convenient location.
But in humid areas like Corpus Christi, belongings can be damaged by improper self-storage methods.
Why Moisture and Heat Cause Major Storage Damage
When it comes to self-storage, moisture and heat can be more dangerous.
Did you know that it can corrode electronics, warp furniture, form mildew in clothing, yellow and curl your papers and documents, and even dry and damage leather? And, as Texas summers heat up, the risk levels can increase.
Storage units can be way warmer than the Texas heat outside. The heat in storage units can even exceed the heat outside. And, poor ventilation and non-climate-controlled units can trap excessive heat inside storage spaces during Texas summers.
That combo is more crucial closer to the Gulf Coast. Corpus Christi has high humidity almost year-round. Coastal air speeds metal corrosion and fabric deterioration.
Picking the Right Storage Unit First
The biggest error people make is picking storage places based on the price, which is just for the month. Standard units are good for hardy items, but more sensitive items need more protection.
As the air is stagnant, the high coastal humidity does not help. Coastal humidity severely affects sensitive items like electronics, antiques, and mattresses. It is also likely to negatively affect artwork, paperwork, family photos, musical instruments, and business inventory.
Many people looking for affordable storage options focus on short-term savings but ignore long-term protection. This is especially true for businesses storing inventory, paperwork, seasonal products, or office equipment. Using smart storage solutions for small businesses can improve organization, reduce clutter, and protect valuable business assets from avoidable storage-related damage.
When looking at units, consider factors such as humidity control, access, security, and air circulation.
A sizing guide for storage units helps ensure they're not overcrowded.
Clean Everything Before Putting It Into Storage
Create clean air so the moisture doesn't build up. Store items that can be damaged by trapped dust, dirt, food, or moisture buildup.
Before storing your belongings, remember to do the following:
- Wash and air-dry clothing and fabric items.
- Polish your appliances
- Refrigerators and freezers should be empty and dry.
- Clean upholstery.
- Shine metal surfaces.
- Take batteries out of electronic devices.
- As directed, empty fuel from yard equipment.
Why you shouldn’t wrap items in plastic
Providing a wrap of protection with plastic can sometimes be even worse, as moisture can be trapped.
- Plastic mattress wrap can create mildew.
- Plastic wood wraps can trap moisture and promote mildew.
- Non-breathable coverings can trap moisture and promote mildew growth.
To avoid moisture and mildew, use the following items.
- Cotton covers, humidity-resistant containers, and sheets.
- Space your items to create airflow around sensitive items.
- For fabric protection, use cotton sheets.
- Use moisture-resistant containers where appropriate, and condensation wraps.
Instead of leaving your items in a cardboard box, use a sealed plastic bin and wrap them with a silica gel pack. It is best to use sealed plastic bins with silica gel packs and air them out for sensitive items.
Keep Items Off the Floor
If you are storing items in a clean facility, placing them in a box directly on the concrete floor can promote excess moisture. Moisture isn’t the only thing that will promote mold, as placing your items on the concrete floor will expose your items to plenty of:
- Water absorption
- Mold growth
- Condensation damage
- Pest exposure
Texas coastal storms and extreme humidity can promote mold growth on your stored items during hurricane season.
Use Moisture Absorbers Inside the Unit
Humidity control products can make a noticeable difference during long-term storage. Some of the most common options are:
- Silica Gel Packets
- Charcoal Absorbers
- DampRid
- Dehumidifying Buckets
These products in storage units may protect possessions and keep moisture build-up to a minimum. For sensitive items such as electronics and document collections, monitoring humidity will help limit the spread of damage.
Pack Smart Instead of Packing Tight
Moisture pockets form when storage units are filled, due to low ventilation. Consider leaving a small spacing between:
- Electronics
- Appliances
- Furniture
- Boxes
- Walls
Ventilation of a storage unit will help alleviate trapped humidity and heat buildup.
An additional idea may be to keep items used most often towards the front of the unit and to keep items of a more delicate nature, which may be sensitive to changes in temperature, more towards the center of the storage unit, which tends to be a more temperature-stable environment.
Check Your Storage Unit Periodically
Long-term storage should not become a ‘set it and forget it’ situation. Storage protects items passively from damage. Take note of the following when visiting:
- Leaks
- Mold
- Persistence of pests
- Heat damage
- Packaging failures
Even checking every few months can prevent minor problems from becoming costly losses. Normally, those who use coastal storage units for seasonal products learn the hard way that the moist, humid conditions are detrimental to stored products.
Protect Your Valuables Before Damage Starts
Preparing storage areas for belongings means controlling moisture, air, and the outside environment to prevent damage. The humidity, heat, and salty air along the coast of Texas are bad for many things.
It can affect electronic appliances, furniture, important documents, and valuable items in many ways, often slowly and in ways that are hard to detect.
When you use climate-controlled storage and pack items using efficient, safe packing methods, you can help prevent moisture damage, increase efficiency, and improve organization. Those methods can help reduce risks over a long time.
For people looking for cheap storage units in Corpus Christi, pricey climate-controlled storage should be weighed against item safety over time and the unit's climate.