We are now into the throes of winter with occasional ice and snow, freezing temperatures and frigid winds that chill to the bone. It will be many months before we see temperatures more conducive to warmer outdoor activities. So it’s a safe bet to finally move the rest of your seasonal possessions into storage lockers until next year. We’ve prepared a handy winter checklist to go over to make sure everything is stored safely and remains that way until you return to retrieve it in the spring.
Winter checklist for your storage locker
- Clean and dry all items
- Remove fuel, fluids & batteries
- Inflate tires & oil chains
- Use cloth covers
- Raise boxes off the ground
All items you are hibernating for the season need to be clean and dry. This is really important for avoiding rust, corrosion, and other types of damage to items left sitting for long periods of time.
If you’re making use of unheated storage units over a Vancouver winter, be sure to use cotton or fabric covers rather than plastic. Temperature variations may make moisture an issue and plastic will trap it with your items. Cotton covers protect from dust yet still ‘breathe’, letting moisture escape.
Equipment like lawnmowers, weed wackers, chain saws, pressure washers and ATVs need to be wiped down and have fuel/fluids removed. Check the owner manuals for each piece to see if it can be stored in a cold setting. Some equipment may need to go to a climate-controlled unit. It may be enough to remove the batteries and store them there.
Clean and thoroughly dry lawn furniture and garden tools so they’ll be ready to go in the spring. Inflate tires on bikes, quads, mowers, wheelbarrows, etc. Flat tires can damage the surrounding rim structure so pump them up now and check on them periodically. Oil chains where applicable to keep rust at bay.
Finally, as a precaution, get your items off the ground. Use pallets, rubber mats, shelving; anything that raises your items a few inches. If water from rain or melting snow should somehow get under the door, your possessions will still be safe.
Storguard Public Self Storage offers storage units that are available all winter long, month-to-month with no access fees or limitations. Give us a call to set one up for you today!
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