Self Storage During Linden Indiana Winters - January 2015 Blog Post

Published on 8/30/2017

January 2015 Blog

Moving things in and out of self storage can be a very stressful task during the Winter months. Not just on you, but also your possessions. Here are some useful tips from Linden Self Storage while moving in the cold.

Be prepared

• Moving anything in the Winter is a pain. Dress appropriately. Also, wear some type of gloves when putting things in the storage unit. Those normal finger pinches hurt so much more when its cold out. Don't forget to start early and take your time. It will take longer to complete the Winter self storage move-in anyway, but you don't want to be trying to finish at night. Your stuff is too important for that.

Don't put liquids or perishable food items in Self Storage

• Make sure the items that you are storing are permitted under your facilities agreement. Certain things in your rental contract are prohibited because of how poorly they store in extreme cold or extreme hot weather. Items like canned foods, water bottles, or other liquids can freeze and expand out of their sealed containers. This might not be a huge issue when it happens, but when the temperatures rise those frozen liquids are going to start to thaw. This will cause damage to your belongings, the building, and possibly the items in other units around you. This is potentially a very costly mistake that can be easily avoided by not storing liquids or perishable foods in your locker.

Avoid costly small engine repairs in the Spring

• Gasoline is also not allowed at most storage facilities because of its dangerous nature. With this in mind, don't forget that it can be damaging to many small engine parts when left sitting for long periods of time over the Winter. Items like lawn mowers, ATV's, weed eaters, chainsaw's, generators, etc... all need to be fully drained of gas before being put in storage. Not only is it a safety issue, it may also save you hundreds in repairs and headaches come Spring time.

Properly protect fragile goods

• Some things are just too valuable to throw in with your old DVD's or exercise equipment. Your Grandmother's China is no exception. When its below freezing outside, many already fragile items become much more important while putting into storage. Packing peanuts are a great insulation and are very cheap compared to the cost of replacing your valuables.

Temperature swings and moisture in the air

• Remember this is Indiana. The land of 30 minute changing weather patterns. Winter is no exception. Try to make sure you wrap things up tightly before leaving their original location for the storage unit. If you wish to cover your self storage goods in Linden, Crawfordsville, Lafayette or pretty much anywhere in Central Indiana, use the appropriate material. Visqueen and other plastic or vinyl tarps are great to keep dust off your stuff, but they can trap moisture better than anything when the temps rise. Instead try using moving blankets or other wool materials.