Self Storage and Private Documents

We know that self storage is ideal for getting rid of anything cluttering the home or office, with unwanted furniture and bric-a-brac being commonly parked in the self storage unit near you until the time comes that it will be found useful again. Another common use of storage is to take papers and documents away to a safe location.  This is sound reasoning, but we need to take a look at the pros and cons of doing so.

The first place you might consider storing an excess of documents would be in your house, and whilst we keep our houses relatively secure, they don’t offer the same level of security and atmospheric conditions that a storage unit might offer. Storage facilities are going to be thoroughly monitored over CCTV, have various locked doors, alarms and routines for tracking exactly who is in the building at any given time. You will want to make a few preparations before storing documents in self storage however. If you want to keep your private documents safe, as they ought to be, you need to increase the chances of their survival.

First off, the storage facility would benefit greatly from having climate controlled storage, so that the documents are not aged by exposure to extremes of temperature or humidity. You need to think about what worst case scenarios and how your documents can come out unscathed. Let’s say there is a leak that runs into your unit, it would clearly be safer to have your boxes of papers off the floor, perhaps on a shelf, so that the water isn’t absorbed by your important documents and spoils them. In fact, why use a container that could even allow that to happen no matter where the papers are stored in your storage unit – try looking into a hardier material such as thick plastic and waterproof sealing. Also, whilst labelling boxes and containers in self storage is a great idea for identifying contents and finding things at a later stage, it may not be the best idea for very important papers. For example, if somebody obtained access to your items with ulterior motives, would you want to draw attention to the items you find most valuable?

As a further consideration, there are also companies that specialise in storing confidential documentation. They are mainly targeted towards business clientele, but can tailor their solution towards personal use. Whilst no solution is fully impervious to the elements, records storage companies pride in ensuring records are kept as secure as one would expect to find in the bank. Unlike self storage, you know what the other clients are storing – solely documents and records – and thus there should be no concern of what is going on in the unit next door affecting yours. And insurance is taken care of with a robust policy.

So there is a spectrum of options, ranging from keeping your files somewhere safe at home and taken them outside to a self storage or record storage facility. Self storage would arguably win on security and cost for the casual user, but you ought to ensure that you have put measures in place within your own unit to ensure the safety and longevity of your documents.

Posted in: Storage Info