On The Lookout For Rainy Or Snowy Weather: 3 Tips For Keeping The Inside Of Your Outdoor Storage Unit Dry Each Visit

Regardless of where you reside in America, you cannot escape the tyranny of bad weather. Rain and snow can easily allow unwanted water into your outdoor storage unit – especially when you visit drenched from the rain or when you track crumbs of snow and ice into the unit. Excess water that makes its way into your unit can cause unnecessary damages. It's in your best interest to prepare your unit for bad weather, so you don't spend hours clearing the unit and cleaning up the mess. Here are 3 tips you can try.

Place Floor Mats at the Entrance Ways

Much like how you'd keep doormats at home, keep floor mats at your storage unit at the entrances. Make sure to wipe your shoes on the mats and check to make sure that the soles are clean before you enter the unit. You'll want to choose multi-purpose mats that will wipe off all dirt and dust particles and will absorb as much water clinging to the outside of your shoes as possible. Floor mats made from tough, stiff nylon bristles are generally best for this purpose. You'll want to use a relatively large floor mat, so that you have sufficient room to clean your shoes or boots before entering your unit.

Replace the floor mats regularly for optimal efficacy. Do not store any of your items close to the entranceways – especially if they are packed in cardboard boxes. If the cardboard boxes get wet, the water will damage the structural integrity of the boxes indefinitely.

Keep a Bag of Charcoal Briquettes within the Unit

Excess water will increase the relative humidity within your unit. It's imperative that excess moisture in the air gets removed quickly; otherwise, it can easily cause extensive water damage to the items stored within the unit. One of the cheapest and most efficient solutions is to keep bags of charcoal briquettes within the unit. Charcoal absorbs not only moisture, but also odors. This is also a great way to keep your unit smelling fresh.

Ideally, you'll want to keep a bag of charcoal at every corner of the unit for optimal efficacy. Replace the charcoal with new ones every one to two months – especially if the weather has been bad. Keep the bags of charcoal away from other items that are stored within the unit, as charcoal has a tendency to stain things that it comes into contact with.

Plow Away Snow Blocking the Entrance of the Unit

Take time out of your day to plow away snow that is blocking the entrance of your unit. The snow blocking the entranceway can become a slipping hazard if you don't remove it as soon as possible, as it can melt and become ice. In addition, as the snow melts, water will seep into the unit and can end up damaging items that are stored close to the entranceway. After plowing away the snow, sprinkle a good amount of salt on the ground. The salt will prevent the snow from freezing over and becoming ice as the temperature drops.

If you don't have time to plow the snow away yourself, some storage facility companies offer snow removal services. Simply pay a small fee to get the work done for you.

Conclusion

If you are regularly accessing your storage unit in poor weather conditions, you can expect yourself to bring excess water into your unit unintentionally. It's important to be prepared for bad weather, so that you don't end up with a huge watery mess on your hands. Water can cause extensive damage to items stored within the unit if you're not careful. 

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