Safe and Practical Storage Tips (Part 1)

Jan 3, 2015 | | Say something

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This article focuses less on what you are putting into storage, or how and where you are going to store something, and more on YOU – making the storage process a lot more practical and comfortable for you.

As a seasoned storage veteran, you have probably found that lack of planning has been your downfall on many occasions. Putting things into storage can be a hasty process, without much consideration of how items might be retrieved at a later date. That’s a problem that you can figure out when the day comes? In fact, a bit of thought beforehand about what you are really using the storage for might go a long way. Simply shoving a load of boxes around the front of the storage unit might be fine if you are coming back to collect the lot in one go, but otherwise there might be a lot of messing around to look for things that could be easily avoided.

Putting together a diagram of how the storage unit might be organised may sound like overkill, but is a sensible way of going about the process. At the very least a rough idea of what types of items are going to be where will save a lot headache. If you do that, then you definitely stand a decent chance of knowing where particular items are instead of taking everything out until you find them by chance. Obviously if you are working out of boxes it is essential that these are labelled so that the plan comes together! As a bonus, it might be worth drawing a quick map of how to get to your storage unit. Some storage locations can be labyrinths of corridors and locked doors, and you may not easily find your unit that easily, nevermind what you are looking for when you get there.

When you are making your plan, and when the time comes to execute it, consider yourself in the plan – will you have space to move around in the unit when adding and removing items? Try filling up corners and wall spaces first so that you can work out of the centre, and alleviates the need to dance around and over items as you are lifting them. Do bear in mind that putting boxes straight against the wall can introduce mustiness into the unit, so it’s best to leave a small gap between items and the wall to move air around the room a bit. And you could also save yourself a bit of lifting by making sure that the items you need the most are somewhere near the front, rather than having to reach around piles of objects.

If you are going to use up corner and wall space first, then you are going to have to take a safe approach to stacking boxes. Ensure that the heaviest boxes are sufficiently sturdy to be able to take the weight of the lighter items stacked above them. When it comes to stacking items at and above head height, you really oughtn’t be at full stretch, instead invest in a small set up of steps that can give you a few inches extra height. It makes all the difference in terms of comfort, and can prevent any nasty accidents from occurring. Leave the steps in there – they are a cheap but mightily useful investment.

More tips coming in part 2

Posted in: Tips & Ideas

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