Like we talked about in our last post, 422 Spacemall in Oaks offers two primary types of storage: climate-controlled and drive up. We previously discussed why you might want drive up storage with the key factors being cost, convenience and accessibility. But what are the circumstances when you might want climate-controlled storage, even if it costs a little more?
Moisture Control
While not all climate-controlled facilities specifically offer humidity control as a feature, the reality is that when you keep a building in a certain temperature range, you avoid many of the condensation issues you face in a drive up unit. Because the temperature outdoors and thus in your drive up unit can vary widely, you may experience some condensation within the unit. Basically, when the air is warm, it holds more moisture. As the air cool, the water condenses out and on to whatever you have stored in the unit.
For many things, like clothing kept in plastic totes, or metal lawn furniture, or even the kids’ toys, this is no big deal. But if you are storing your mattress or your sofa, that condensation, which you can’t even see most of the time, will lead to mildew and your cushions will smell unpleasant when removed from storage. You can counteract this by wrapping everything in plastic, or you can opt for a climate-controlled unit.
Improved Security
Security is pretty good at our outdoor facility. In addition to the locked gate and locked unit, we have security cameras on-site and the managers live here. Still, the climate-controlled facility is even more secure. There is one locked door that you must go through to get into the building. When you enter that door, you are on camera both inside and outside. The security system records who entered the building and when. And, you have your locked unit. You also have a fire suppression system that is not available in the drive up units.
It’s Comfortable
Whether it’s the middle of August and 90 degrees outside or the middle of a nasty winter storm, the climate controlled building is a nice comfortable temperature. So when you have to retrieve your Christmas decorations or the kids’ school clothes, you don’t have to brave the weather the entire you are sorting through your storage unit. Just run from the car to the front door and then you can be warm, or cool, and dry.
Ultimately, we’re sure that you’ll love either type of storage as long as you pick the one that most meets your needs. We can help walk you through the decision-making process and show you both types while you decide.