Renting a storage space is just the start. How you store your items is as important, if not more important, than where you store them. In order to protect your posessions use these helpful tips when using our self storage facilities.

Keep Your Possessions Safe

• Use a disc style lock on your space to keep your possessions safe. If your stuff if worth storing, it's worth getting a solid lock that helps protect your items. We do not recommend padlocks or small shackle locks as they are way too easy to remove.  Disc locks are strong and wrap into the door latch without offering an easy cut point.  For a few dollars more than a cheap lock, get piece of mind by using a more secure lock.
• Use pallets to keep your possessions directly off the floor - We do not advise placing your posessions directly on the concrete floors; This is an incredibly important tip.  Pallets keep your items directly off the concrete floors, which helps protect your items from several potential threats.  Concrete floors can condensate on very humid days and especially during the springtime while the ground unthaws and moisture is released from the ground, which can then soak into boxes or fabrics placed on the floor.  Pallets elevate your items off the floor which makes them less attractive to rodents or pests since there are less hiding areas.  Pallets also help to avoid any water damage to your items from uncleared ice dams, which leads into our next tip.  You can often find pallets for free on places like craigslist or facebook marketplace.  Many businesses in local industrial parks often throw unwanted pallets to the curb as well.  If you can't find pallets scrap wood can also do the trick.
• Keep your unit door clear of snow and ice – In Wisconsin we get plenty of snow in the winter. Our plowing crews get within a few feet of the buildings when clearing the properties, but the remaining few feet of snow in front of the unit is the responsibility of tenants to clear. If this isn't taken care of the snow can harden and freeze, which becomes an ice dam. If the frozen snow left in front of the unit melts it may cause water to have nowhere else to go besides back in your unit, so it's incredibly important to make sure the unit door is kept clear and that your items, especially closest to the door, are raised off the ground with pallets.
• Use plastic totes that are completely sealed rather than cardboard boxes – This helps to keep out any potential bugs or rodents from ever getting at your possessions.  If you do use cardboard, make sure to tape all seam points to protect your items from dust.
• Repel rodents and bugs – d-CON is recommended to be placed in each corner of your storage space to help repel rodents and mothballs help to ward off any unwanted insects. Never put food or perishables in your space as that attracts unwanted guests.

Organize Your Space Like a Pro

• Create more space in your unit by using hollow areas of furniture such as wardroes, desks, dressers and washing machines.
• Stack your boxes and items in a way that a center aisle is formed so you can easily access them. This will help you save time when looking for items.
• Create a diagram of your space with a packing list. This will help you easily find your items and check that each item you moved was moved in, and out of the space.
• Use shelving to stack your items. Freestanding shelving is allowed in our rental spaces, but shelving can not be attached to the building itself.

Storing Specific Items

• Freezers and refrigerators should have the doors slightly propped open. All electrical appliances should enter the space completely dry and freezers, refrigerators and washing machines should be completely drained.
• Metal tools and small motor machines should be drained of fuel, and rubbed with oil to prevent rust. These metal items should never be placed directly on the concrete floor as they may begin to rust with any moisture coming from the concrete floor. Use pallets scrap wood to place your metal items on top to help avoid rusting.
• When storing a vehicle, make sure to disconnect the battery and fill the gas tank all the way.  Fumes ignite easier than a full liquid tank of gas, so help reduce fire risk by filling the tank all the way.  If storing for a long time consider using fuel saver fluid as well.