When moving items into a storage unit, you’ll want to make safety your number one priority. It’s not enough to make use of every square inch of the space. You need to stack boxes, bins, and containers in a way that everything is stable. The last thing you want is a stack of boxes crashing down on yourself, a family member or a friend while retrieving items from your storage unit, which could cause serious injury. Avoiding any dangerous situation with your storage unit is ideal as it is part of your contract with the storage facility.
Here is how to stack a storage unit safely:
- Buy the same sized boxes or containers. Keeping things uniform while you’re stacking them helps you prevent future mishaps caused by toppling objects. Items that are well-balanced means there’s less of a chance of them falling after being stacked.
- Fill boxes entirely. Think of them as building blocks that support the boxes above them. If you have a box that isn’t as full as you need it to be, fill in the gaps with newspaper or packing peanuts until there isn’t any space left. That way, it strengthens the box rather than crushing it.
- Put the heavier boxes on the bottom. That way, weight won’t compete with gravity. The heavier boxes will serve as the foundation for the rest of the boxes or bins being stacked on top. It’s also easier to lift the top, lighter boxes off the stack when you need to retrieve something from your storage unit.
- Keep stacks relatively short. You’ll also want to leave a small space between the walls and your boxes. This allows air to circulate freely throughout the space. It prevents moisture from building up due to humid conditions.
- Give furniture its own space. Keep furniture as close to ground level as possible. You never want to stack chairs and shelves on top of boxes. Heavy pieces of furniture deserve their own space in the storage unit. You can always stack on top of them if you need extra room.
- Do what you can to keep moisture out. Make sure that items stored in bigger boxes are well-contained. You don’t want something to leak and wreak havoc on the cardboard you were hoping would last a while. Tape boxes closed if you must. Consider storing items in clear, plastic containers if you have concerns about leakage.
- Give yourself an aisle. As you stack your boxes and furniture in your unit, be sure to leave a cleared pathway to the back of the unit. This way, if you find you need to retrieve something from the depths of storage, you won’t have to climb over everything else to get to it.
Stacking a storage unit safely takes skill. It requires planning. Now that you have the information needed to stack your storage unit the right way, you’ll be able to store all of your belongings with ease and care.
Want a little help moving into storage from Cheap Atlanta Movers? Call a trusted and affordable moving company today to get the process started. www.cheapmoversatlanta.com