11 Things You Should Never Store in a Storage Unit Without Climate Control

If you value organization, there may come a time in your life when you are tired of clutter and decide to rent a storage unit. But you can’t store just anything in a regular storage unit. You have to be careful due to temperature extremes and security issues that can affect your belongings.

If you don’t want to worry about what you can safely store, choose a climate-controlled storage facility, such as Livable, which offers a San Francisco storage solution that’s monitored around the clock. According to Livable, they go the extra mile to safeguard your stuff: “After we pick up your items they are carefully transported to our secure, climate-controlled warehouse. Then we monitor your items 24/7 to ensure they are always safe and sound.” If you’re still not convinced a climate-controlled storage unit it worth it, take a look at these 11 things you should never store in a regular storage unit.

1. Perishables

Although you may be able to get away with storing canned food like veggies and soup in your storage unit, it’s not a good idea to store other types of food there. First, if the storage unit reaches a high temperature, the food or beverages could spoil, and this includes canned drinks and beer. Next, food can attract pests, so forget about storing dry, boxed food in your unit. Even though you might not think creepy-crawlies can get into your storage unit, they most likely can.

2. Antiques

Wood and temperature extremes don’t mix. They can cause the wood to expand and contract, which can cause damage to it. So if your antiques are wooden and valuable, don’t put them in a storage unit that lacks climate control. Plus, if you choose to rent a unit in a storage facility that doesn’t have on-site security, there’s a chance the unit could be broken into and your valuables could be stolen.

3. Liquids

Don’t store liquids in your storage unit because leaks can happen. Imagine if bleach or a syrupy substance you stored leaked out of a box and ended up damaging the contents of another box or a piece of furniture. It’s just not worth it.

4. Artwork

Just like wood, art canvases can shrink and expand when exposed to temperature extremes. And even if art work is framed behind glass, the glass could get cracked when you place it in the storage unit or when you shift things around.

5. Living Things

Anything that needs light, oxygen, water or food is not to be placed in a storage unit — any storage unit, whether climate-controlled or not. Enough said.

6. Electronics

Electronics are items that don’t often fare well in temperature extremes. Just as you wouldn’t leave your device in a hot car, you shouldn’t leave it in a storage unit that doesn’t have climate control.  Fluctuations in temperature coupled with high humidity can cause metal to develop condensation, which can result in rust. Plus, TVs or computers with LCD or liquid crystal displays can freeze if temperatures become cold enough.

7. Leather Goods

Leather goods, including furniture, are susceptible to developing mildew in storage. Temperature fluctuations and humidity can cause moisture to develop on the leather.

8. Anything That’s Flammable

Extreme heat coupled with a lack of ventilation is far from the perfect environment for items that are flammable. Cans of gasoline, ammo or fireworks are all items that should be kept out of a storage unit that’s not climate controlled.

9. Anything That Will Melt

When you store your things in a regular storage unit, temperatures can become very hot inside the unit — hotter than it is outdoors. So, items like a vinyl record collection should not be stored there. Candles are another thing that could melt and damage other items that are stored in the same box.

10. Sensitive or Vital Information

If you have documents, hard drives or other items that contain sensitive information, you should shy away from using a regular storage unit to keep it safe. Anything can happen, including flooding from rain. Then, the information could be potentially gone forever.

11. Anything Immensely Valuable

With a regular storage unit, you may not have the on-site security that you can benefit from at a climate-controlled storage facility. This lack of security can translate into an easy mark for thieves. Don’t take a chance by storing your valuables in this type of storage unit. If you do, you’re simply hoping the odds are in your favor that nothing will happen.