Storing furniture is among the most common uses of self-storage. Whether you’re moving house and need a temporary home for your belongings, you’ve inherited furniture you don’t have enough room for, or you own a furniture-related business. These items must be cared for properly.
To help ensure that your belongings come back in one piece, the Container Self Store team has put together some simple on how to protect furniture in storage.
Make sure that you fully protect your furniture.
It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people fall into a false sense of security with their furniture. Although they’re solid wooden or metal units, that doesn’t mean they don’t require protection.
Nicks and scrapes can occur during transit quickly enough, while bumps and bangs can also happen during storage if certain belongings haven’t been stacked or stored correctly (you can read our post on How to Organise Your Storage Unit to help with that).
You should always:
- Cover your furniture – You should use dust sheets or clean, dry sheets and blankets for furniture storage; that’ll help prevent dust gathering and any scrapes. For valuable or more fragile items, invest in plenty of bubble wrap!
- Check for reputable removal companies and insurance – It pays to do some homework regarding removal companies before you take items to the storage unit.
Get a quote to suss prices and look up some reviews to ensure everything checks out. Once you’ve settled on a trustworthy removal company, enquire whether they offer insurance when your belongings are in transit.
Ensure that your furniture is dry and undamaged
One of the most common causes of broken furniture is prior damage. Hidden cracks or breaks can often be tucked away without realising, and these issues worsen when in transit or stacking furniture.
Moisture can also be at fault when it comes to damaged furniture. Wipe things down before putting them into storage – if it goes in dry, it’ll come out dry! If you store damp furniture, it can encourage condensation to form, which will lead to mould.
We also recommend:
- Drying, dusting and wrapping furniture – As we mentioned above, always ensure you dry off any furniture before storing it; it’s a good idea to remove any dust while you’re there.
Wrapping furniture with sheets will also protect against moisture if the weather takes a turn during the moving process. - How to store a fridge – The likes of fridges and freezers will become a breeding ground for dampness and mould if not dealt with properly.
We suggest you defrost them the day before removing them for storage; this will remove any water from the appliance and allow any remaining moisture to dry out before it can cause damage during storage.
Leave enough space between furniture items.
Leaving ample room between your belongings is crucial to avoiding unwanted bangs and scrapes.
The best way to ensure this is to select a storage container or storage room comfortably big enough for your furniture without things being too much of a squeeze. (By the way, we’ve also got a handy blog post on How to Choose the Right Type of Storage Unit)
We suggest:
- Planning what and how you’re storing – Draw up a rough plan of the items you want to keep and their size vs the square footage of your storage unit. Check that there’s enough floor space; if you’re stacking, ensure the room is high enough to cope.
- Stack furniture correctly – We touched upon this earlier (and linked to the relevant, helpful post), but stacking your furniture the correct way is super important.
Make sure there are no wobbles, and never stack wheeled furniture with the wheels facing down! Heavier items should go towards the bottom of the stack, ideally on the floor where possible. - Take furniture apart if you need to – No matter how much you try, some furniture will stubbornly refuse to fit into the removal van or storage space without extra elbow grease.
If you need to, don’t be afraid to remove drawers, doors, arms and legs to ease your storage woes. However, if you remove anything, ensure that each part is well-protected and any screws and attachments are bagged up and labelled, ready for reassembly.
Are you ready to organise your self-storage? Contact our team for more information or use our simple online booking system today!