Perhaps you are ready to declutter your house, or maybe you run a small office and want to make space by transferring some records out of it. Whatever the reason, you will have a need for either short- or long-term storage space. However, putting documents into self-storage is not the same as taking clothes and furniture into a storage facility. There are several requirements that should be taken into consideration if your paperwork is to remain in pristine condition for the duration of their storage. Therefore, if you are thinking of putting your hardcopy documents in storage, here are some of the things that you need to know.
Protect each piece of paper going into storage
The first thing that you should when planning to put your documents into storage is to ensure that every single piece of paper is protected. Thus, before putting the documents into boxes, you need to invest in plastic sleeves that will hold each document and subsequently protect it from any moisture or other contaminants. Since you have put the papers into individual sleeves, you can then put them into plastic boxes rather than cardboard.
Select a climate-controlled storage unit
After you have your plastic boxes ready for storing, it is crucial to choose the right facility. While traditional storage facilities can provide you with the space for your documents, it is critical to note that your documents will be at high risk of damage. Old types of units did not have features that will protect your documents from heat, condensation and other elements that could jeopardise the paper. The best solution is electing to pay for a climate-controlled alternative. Although the climate-controlled variety will cost more, you are guaranteed that your documents will be stored in an environment that is safe from humidity, condensation, light and heat all year round!
Store the boxes slightly over the round
Your documents, granted, will be safe in a climate-controlled unit. Nevertheless, it doe not mean that you should not take additional precautionary measures to keep them safe from harm. One such measure is storing the boxes above the ground rather than on the floor. The reason why it is good to keep the plastic boxes containing the documents above the ground is to mitigate any potential for water damage. If a plastic box is cracked or you choose to use cardboard boxes, and the facility, unfortunately, experiences a flood, your documents will definitely be ruined. Some storage facilities may offer you complimentary pallets for this very purpose.