TIPS FOR SAFE STORAGE

If your belongings are worth storing, they are worth storing well.

Be prepared to put a little effort into assuring the safety of your belongings

-Use pallets or boards to raise the floor of the unit to protect against flooding and condensation; put down a plastic tarp over this raised floor to create a moisture barrier. Hard rains can cause water to seep into the storage unit at the door.
-Leave a small airspace between your stored items and the wall of the storage unit for ventilation. We provide weather stripping at the bottom of all units, but a gusty rain may cause some water to seep in under the door. Leave about one foot of space between the door and your belongings.

-Cover furniture with cotton drop cloths or canvas tarps to keep dust off and allow airflow; make sure no fabric from furniture or covers is touching the floor.
-Cover everything with plastic sheeting. Wooden furniture should first be covered with blankets, cotton drop cloths or canvas tarps to avoid abrasion and moisture damage. Plastic sheeting will protect your stored goods from both dust and water damage.
-Avoid sealing anything in plastic – trapped moisture can cause mold, mildew and rot.
Use bags specifically designed to protect mattresses, sofas and chairs.
-Do not store anything near your sofa or mattresses that could transfer color.
-Disassemble beds and tables, and wrap table legs in moving blankets or bubble wrap.
If a table will not disassemble, place a moving blanket on the pallets / boards on the floor, and place the table on its top with the legs pointing up. Place chairs upside down on tables which cannot be disassembled.
Stretch wrap can be used to keep cabinet doors or dresser drawers closed while moving.
-Use bubble wrap or cardboard to protect corners and edges.
-On mirrors and framed artwork, use cardboard corner protectors. Do not store these items flat, as they will collapse under their own weight. Keep them upright, and mark them as fragile.
-Wrap lamp bases in bubble wrap or moving blankets and pack them in a box designed for storing lamps. Wrap lamp shades in a cotton cover or loose plastic wrap and pack in a box.
-Use dresser tops for stacking lightweight boxes, and dresser drawers for small fragile items. 
If you use cleaning sprays on furniture prior to storing it, allow it to dry thoroughly – the residual moisture can cause mold growth while in storage.
***Liquid screen TVs and computer monitors can freeze and break without climate control in the unit.
-Disassemble wooden furniture to reduce the likelihood of damage. Remove table legs, headboards and footboards. Store the screws in labeled baggies, so reassembly is quick and easy. Clean and wax wood furniture to provide extra moisture in a storage unit that isn't climate-controlled. Store belongings in wooden dresser drawers and place a cloth over the items to reduce dust. Remove the drawers from the dresser and store them separately if space permits. -Place wooden furnishings away from the door in case rain seeps in.
-Appliances: Clean and dry all appliances prior to storage. Do not leave anything inside of appliances to be stored. Store all appliances upright with doors ajar to allow ventilation.
***DO NOT STORE THESE ITEMS: Furs, jewelry and other expensive items, irreplaceable items, any living thing, used tires, firearms, explosives, flammables of any kind (gas, diesel, oil, paint, etc.), drugs or drug paraphernalia, stolen items, any type of hazardous items, perishable items of any kind, hazardous waste materials of any kind, items that produce odors.
-For insurance purposes, it is recommended that you document items being stored and photograph the contents when done.
 

***Heritage Mini Storage does not provide coverage on the contents of a storage unit from any type of property loss