Furniture Storage Made Simple: Expert Tips from the Pros! | Countryside Self Storage
Furniture: You can’t live without it, but it takes up an awful lot of room. If you have a piece of furniture that you want to keep but don’t have space for around your house, self-storage in Missouri and Kansas can keep it safe, secure, and (perhaps most important) out of the way. Here’s the thing, though: Experts in the self-storage industry know that storing furniture isn’t as simple as stacking sofas, couches, bed frames, dining room tables, dressers, and nightstands in a storage unit and then walking away.
To get the most out of your self-storage, you’ll need to know how to safely store some of the most common types of furniture. That’s why we’ve assembled this convenient list of practical, professional tips that will help keep your furniture safe in climate-controlled self-storage in Kansas and Missouri.
For starters, what are the most commonly stored types of furniture? Climate-controlled self-storage is ideal for just about any piece of furniture you can imagine, but the five most common furniture pieces in self-storage are couches and sofas, bed frames and mattresses, dressers and nightstands, dining room tables and chairs, and desks and other office furniture.
At a glance, you can probably see what many of these items have in common. They are typically large, bulky, and difficult to store when they aren’t in use, which is why self-storage is such a perfect solution! They have something else in common, too. Most furniture items are either made from wood or have wood components. This is important because fluctuations in heat, cold, and humidity can cause wood to warp, crack, or even mold, making wood furniture a perfect candidate for climate-controlled self-storage. Before we get to that, though, let’s look at…
Four Best Practices for Storing Furniture:
- Empty everything. Whether you’re storing bookcases, dressers, nightstands, desks, or anything else with drawers or compartments, everything should be removed from your furniture before it goes into storage. This helps protect your belongings and enables you to find them more easily.
- Disassemble furniture pieces. If the furniture you’re storing comes apart, it’s best to store it disassembled. This not only helps to maximize your storage space, but it also helps protect furniture (and you) from scuffs, scratches, or other damage. It’s particularly important to remove any glass components or other fragile parts and store them separately to keep them safe.
- Cover items in blankets or wrap them in plastic. Use moving blankets or fabric covers to shield wood furniture from scratches and dust, but avoid wrapping fine wood pieces directly in plastic, as it can trap moisture and damage the finish. For upholstered items like couches or sofas, plastic wrap can provide extra protection against dirt and moisture. If you’re storing a mattress, always use a mattress bag or protective cover!
- Store furniture pieces upright. This is a good general rule to prevent damage to your furniture over time. Stack chairs seat-to-seat with padding in between. Placing a vapor barrier, such as plastic sheeting, on the floor is also recommended, since all concrete can be susceptible to moisture. While this is less of a concern in true climate-controlled units (which monitor temperature and humidity), it’s still a smart precaution. There is one exception to the upright rule: if at all possible, store mattresses flat to prevent sagging.
The Benefits of Climate-Controlled Self Storage for Your Furniture. There is one other best practice when it comes to storing furniture, and it’s one that’s especially near and dear to our hearts here at Countryside Self Storage. Climate-controlled self-storage is the perfect way to protect your furniture pieces from heat, cold, humidity, and all the other ravages of the elements. As we already mentioned, fluctuations in temperature and humidity can cause major damage to wood, vinyl, upholstery, electronics, and more. A climate-controlled self-storage unit prevents all that, so you’ll know your furniture is safe and secure for the long haul.
At Countryside Self Storage, our five premier storage facilities offer climate-controlled self-storage in Kansas and Missouri for all your storage needs. Contact us today at any of our Pittsburg, Joplin, or Frontenac locations, and let’s get started!