Tips to Remember When Keeping Your Books in a Self Storage Unit

Your apartment may have become congested over time, and you now want to get a self-storage unit where you can keep your book collection. Read on and discover some helpful tips that will ensure that your valued collection is safe from damage while it is in self storage.

Don't Place the Boxes Directly on the Floor

Imagine that the self-storage unit flooded and the boxes containing your books were lying on the floor. Such a scenario would cost you the entire book collection. Avoid this nightmare by placing the boxes containing your books on wooden pallets. This will raise the level of the boxes so that any flooding will have a minimal effect on the books. It will also protect the books from any moisture that the boxes may have absorbed from the floor (even if no flooding occurred).

Stack the Boxes to Shoulder Level

Resist the temptation to stack the boxes containing your books to the roof of the self-storage unit. This is because a box may drop as you try to retrieve it in order to get a book you need to use. Your books may suffer serious damage if the box dropped as you tried to get it from high up on top of a pile of boxes. It is easier to bring down a box if it is no higher than your shoulders. That is why it is wise to avoid stacking the boxes beyond that height.

Use Relatively Small Boxes

Books can be remarkably heavy if many of them are placed in a single box. This weight may overwhelm you as you lift the box or get it down from a pile in the storage unit. Avoid this possible source of injury to you (and damage to our books) by using small boxes to pack your books. For instance, use a box that can contain a maximum of ten books.

Rent a Climate-Controlled Unit

Excess humidity in the storage unit can easily lead to the growth of mould on your books. Temperature extremes can also damage the books. For instance, each rise in ambient temperature increases the rate at which book materials age. A climate-controlled self-storage unit will provide (constant) favorable conditions that will keep your books in a good condition.

Keep those tips in mind as you look for a self-storage unit for your books and your collection will not be adversely affected while it is in storage.


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