If you thought climate
control units were for furs, fine wine and Van Gogh
paintings, it's time you fine-tuned your definition of this term.
First, what climate control
is NOT: it does not mean that your unit will be
maintained at 72 degrees with 50% humidity.
Instead, the temperature varies with the
season. During a 100-degree summer,
temperature controlled units can get up to 80
degrees. Sorry, but that doesn’t quite cut it
for expensive furs, wines and paintings.
Even so, this added degree
of protection can be life saver for attorneys storing
large volumes of sensitive documents. Extreme
temperatures and condensation can result in climatic
calamities, thus the need for climate control storage.
As you might expect, we
offer climate control units at the Storage Works and
would be happy to rent you one. But climate control is not
for everybody. It all gets down to a matter of
degree. We hope this short checklist helps you decide.
1. Humidity Check
If you live in… Quillayute,
Washington… New Orleans, Louisiana… or Eugene,
Oregon… stop reading now. The Farmers’ Almanac says
you are among highest humidity locations in the country.
Mold, mildew and insects thrive in this environment. Oil
paintings can crack, documents can discolor and piano
strings can turn into rust. Extremely low humidity can
warp and crack wood furniture. Unless most of what you’re
storing is junk, do NOT bet against climate control.
2. Temperature Check
Fargo, North Dakota…
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Extreme cold…extreme hot.
Dallas is famous for its consecutive days of 100
degrees and over. This can be doomsday for CDs, video
tapes, cassettes, computer disks, vinyl records, film,
etc. Fargo is famous for its below-freezing weather.
This causes condensation to form on the walls of your
storage unit and thus its contents. Then, the personal
comfort factor: that blast of heat when you first open
the door to your storage unit is why many people go the
extra buck for climate control.
Antique and leather furniture