Hey, it’s me, Mark. I own HarrisonBurg Storage over on Main Street. You know, the place with the blue sign.
I was cleaning out my own garage last weekend – man, what a job – and I found an old cardboard box of my kid’s art projects from first grade. They’d been tucked away in a corner, and wouldn’t you know it, the bottom of the box was soft and the paper had those little brown spots all over it. My wife was pretty upset about it. It’s just paper, but it’s his paper, you know?
It got me thinking. That’s why I’m sitting down to write this. Not some fancy blog post, but just a straight talk between neighbors. Because that garage humidity that got to my kid’s drawings? It’s nothing compared to what a long, Arkansas summer can do to the stuff in your storage unit if you’re not careful.
I’ve seen it all. The fuzzy green couch. The photo albums stuck together forever. The rusty tools. It’s a gut punch every time, because it’s almost always avoidable.
So, here’s the real deal, from my years of seeing what works and what doesn’t.
The Biggest Mistake People Make
They think a storage unit is just a big, empty box. They rent the cheapest, outdoor metal unit they can find. Here’s the problem with that here in Arkansas: that metal box bakes in the sun all day. Then, at night, it cools down just enough for all the moisture in our air to turn into condensation on the inside of the walls and ceiling. It’s literally raining inside the unit. Your stuff is sitting in a sauna that turns into a drizzle every single night. It’s a disaster.
The #1 Thing You Can Do
Get a climate-controlled unit. I know, it costs more. But let me ask you this: how much did your sofa cost? Your mattress? Those family photos? It’s not just about air conditioning. It’s about a dehumidifier running constantly, pulling that wetness right out of the air. It keeps everything stable. It feels like walking into your living room, not a swamp.
And I’ll be straight with you – this is the only kind of storage we offer at HarrisonBurg Storage. We don’t even have those metal ovens. I won’t sleep at night if I know someone’s grandmother’s quilt is sitting in one of those. My own brother’s guitar collection is in one of my units. If I didn’t trust it, he’d wring my neck.
How to Pack So You Don’t Ruin Everything
You got the good unit. Awesome. Now don’t mess it up by using trash bags and cardboard.
- Plastic Totes are Your Best Friend. Please, just go buy the plastic bins with the locking lids. Cardboard boxes are like a free buffet for mold and bugs. The plastic ones seal it all out. Get the clear ones so you can see what’s where.
- Air is the Enemy. For clothes, blankets, anything fabric, get those vacuum storage bags. You stuff it all in, seal it, and use your vacuum cleaner to suck all the air out. It turns into a flat, airtight brick. No air means no moisture. It’s genius.
- Don’t Suffocate Your Stuff. When you load the unit, don’t just make a solid wall of boxes. Leave a little space between your stuff and the walls so the air from our unit can circulate. And put everything up on wooden pallets. You can get them for free behind most stores. The concrete floor can get damp, and the pallets keep your things high and dry.
A Few Quick, No-Nonsense Tips:
- For wood furniture: Just wipe it down with a dry cloth. Whatever you do, DO NOT cover it with a plastic tarp. You’ll trap the humidity right in. Use an old sheet or a blanket.
- For tools: A quick wipe with an oily rag will keep the rust off.
- Still nervous? Go to the store and buy a bucket of DampRid. It’s like ten bucks. Put it in the corner of your unit. When you come back a month later and see how much water it’s pulled from the air, your jaw will drop. It’s proof we’re not crazy.
Look, I’m not a fancy writer. I’m just a guy who owns a storage facility. I see people’s prized possessions come and go. I’ve seen the relief when they open their unit after a year and everything is perfect, and I’ve seen the heartbreak when it’s not.
I built my business to make sure you only ever feel the first one.
If you’re storing anything you care about, just come talk to us. At HarrisonBurg Storage, we’ll give you a clean, dry space and honest advice. No BS.
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