What Items Need Climate-Controlled Storage?

Traditional storage units are made from steel and concrete, materials that don’t provide much insulation. Temperatures inside exterior access units often fluctuate significantly from season to season. They can drop below freezing in winter and rise to over 100°F in summer. While some objects can easily withstand these conditions, others can be permanently damaged. Climate-controlled storage units protect your belongings from excessive heat and cold, ensuring they remain safe until you need them. Whether you need a long-term or a temporary solution, understanding what items need climate-controlled storage helps you organize your household, free up living space, and keep your belongings in good condition.

What is Climate-Controlled Storage?

Climate-controlled storage facilities use central or zoned HVAC systems to regulate temperatures. Most keep their units at 55-80°F or 65-85°F, not too far outside the range found in most homes. They also use humidifiers and dehumidifiers to control moisture, prevent mold, and keep items from drying out.

To minimize temperature swings, climate-controlled units are housed indoors and carefully insulted, to limit exposure to conditions outside. To stop hot and cold spots from developing, these buildings are equipped with strong circulation systems that keep the air inside from growing stagnant.

Most of this technology is entirely automated, controlled by sophisticated monitoring devices that activate HVAC and ventilation equipment whenever conditions fall above or below acceptable levels ‒ creating a safe and balanced environment for your possessions. 

What Items Need Climate-Controlled Storage?

Because climate-controlled storage offers better safeguards, it often comes with higher costs. In extreme climates, the difference between a traditional unit and a climate-controlled unit can be significant, so understanding which items need to be kept in a controlled setting helps you make informed decisions about how to keep your belongings safe.

Wooden and Leather Furniture

Wood is a porous material particularly sensitive to moisture. It swells in humid conditions and shrinks in dry ones. These contraction and expansion cycles are exacerbated by temperature changes, which increase the likelihood the wood will crack or split. In some cases, the moisture actually seeps deep into the wood, leading to rot and other structural problems.

Leather also reacts poorly to moisture. In dry environments, it loses its natural oils, leaving it stiff, brittle, and discolored. Humid environments leave it vulnerable to mold and mildew. Its surfaces may also become weak, sticky, and prone to stretching and sagging.

Electronics

Electronic circuitry is primarily made of metal and plastic, materials that respond poorly to temperature-related stress. Storing them in spaces exposed to heat and cold causes them to expand and contract, weakening connections and solder joints. 

Excessive heat can also warp components and degrade batteries, significantly shortening their lifespan. Extreme cold makes components brittle, increasing the risk they might snap or crack under pressure, especially LCD screens.

Humidity can also lead to problems. If condensation builds up inside your device, it can cause the circuits to short out when activated, making it important to store your devices in locations with stable temperature and moisture levels.

Collectibles

Many collectors focus on pieces vulnerable to heat, cold, and humidity. To preserve the long-term value of your collection, make sure your items are stored in a stable environment. This includes:

• Stamps
• Coins
• Antiques
• Medals
• Trophies
• Porcelain
• Figurines
• Baseball Cards
• Vinyl Records
• Designer Handbags
• Cassettes and VHS Tapes

Musical Instruments

Whether they’re made from wood, brass, or copper, all instruments are affected by moisture and temperature changes. Climate-controlled storage is the best way to protect:

• Pianos. Because they’re made from wood and metal, pianos are particularly vulnerable to heat, cold, and humidity. Corrosion can weaken the strings, while temperature swings can make the keys sticky or crack the soundboard.
• String Instruments. Wooden instruments crack easily when exposed to unstable temperatures. Cold weather also makes their strings brittle and prone to snapping. Hot weather can warp the instrument’s neck and weaken the glue and adhesives that hold it together.
• Brass Instruments. While their metal components resist heat and cold fairly well, excessive moisture can cause corrosion. Brass instruments also contain non-metal materials, such as cork, felt, and rubber, that can break down when exposed to dry air, excess humidity, and extreme temperatures.
• Woodwind Instruments. In order to preserve their wooden components, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and other woodwinds need to be stored in spaces with 40-55 percent humidity. Anything more causes the instruments to swell, while anything less causes them to dry out and shrink. Rapid changes in heat and cold can also crack components or damage their sound.

Artwork

Art is made from layers of delicate materials (canvas, paper, wood, paint, etc.) that need to be stored under controlled conditions in order to prevent them from deteriorating. Paint, adhesives, and wooden frames all expand and contract at different rates when exposed to heat and cold, making climate-controlled units the only effective solution for long-term storage. 

Canvas is also susceptible to mold and mildew if exposed to more than 50 percent humidity and temperatures above 70-75°F. Elevated moisture levels can also cause paint to ripple and buckle, while dry air can make it brittle and prone to flaking and chipping, making it important to choose someplace with regulated humidity and moisture levels.

Clothing

Storing clothes in a humid environment is dangerous. Moisture not only encourages mold but weakens fabrics and causes odors. It can even lead to moths, who thrive in humid conditions. Temperature swings can stress garments as well, stretching or shrinking them until they no longer fit.

Books and Personal Documents

Like clothing, paper breaks down quickly in humid locations. Hot spaces can also dry out pages in books and other documents, making it possible to damage them with simple handling. Most experts recommend storing paper items in units with 50 percent humidity and temperatures around 70°F.

Photos

Photographs left in hot, humid environments often become faded, discolored, and sticky. And once a picture has started to break down, there’s no way to restore it. The best way to preserve photos is to wrap them in acid-free paper and store them in units that are 65-70°F with 30-50 percent humidity.

Wine

Storing wine in a hot environment accelerates the aging process. A bottle of wine that might have lasted ten or twenty years can be ruined in a matter of days or hours under the wrong conditions. 

Humidity is important too. If moisture levels are too high, it can rot the cork or lead to mold. On the other hand, if moisture’s too low, it can dry out and shrink the cork, allowing air to get in and oxidize the wine. To ensure proper aging, most wineries recommend storing wine at 45-65°F and 50-70 percent humidity.

What Items Don’t Need Climate-Controlled Storage

Non-climate-controlled storage is designed for durable materials that don’t react to temperature or humidity. These include:

• Automobiles
• Bicycles
• Kitchenware
• Glassware
• Camping Gear
• Gardening Tools
• Plastic Bins
• Holiday Decorations
• Patio Furniture
• Sporting Equipment

It’s even possible to store rugs, curtains, towels, and certain items of clothing in non-climate-controlled units. Sealed containers and vacuum bags lock out moisture, allowing you to store items made from sturdy fabric in traditional storage units.

Protect Your Belongings

Choosing the right storage option ensures your items are safe and easy to access. While drive-up units are more convenient, climate-controlled units offer the best protection. No matter what you’re storing, the integrity of your items should always be your top priority. So, whether you plan on housing them for a few days or a few years, it’s always important to make sure they’re in the right environment.

Allied Storage Solutions

Allied Van Lines provides reliable moving and storage services designed to help you stay organized and reduce the stress of relocation. Our portable storage containers allow you to pack on your own schedule, while our temporary and long-term storage facilities protect your belongings until you’re settled in your new space. With convenient locations across North America, you can be certain of finding a solution that works for you.Contact us today for a free quote!