Why You Need Climate Control Storage Units in Columbia

Back To Index

To properly and safely store items you need climate-controlled storage space in Columbia, South Carolina. Let's consider the climate and identify some horrific potential disasters that you want to avoid.

The Columbia, South Carolina Weather Fluctuates

The historical weather pattern of the Columbia, South Carolina is cold and wet in the winter and hot and humid in the summer. This is before considering any impact of climate change that may make things worse in the future.

It Gets Wet

The area gets plenty of rain. The average annual rainfall is about 45 inches. Tropical storms and hurricanes bring even more rain than usual.

It Gets Hot and Humid

The average high temperature is 93degF. The record high temperature happened in the month of June. It once reached 109degF. The average high relative humidity is 77% that happened during the month of August.

It Gets Cold and Moist

The average low temperature is 34degF. The record low temperature happened in the month of February when it hit -2degF. The average low relative humidity is 62%, which happened during April. This means there is always quite a bit of moisture in the air even when the temperature is hot or cold.

Potential Damage from Heat, Cold, and Moisture

There are so many things that can be damaged by exposure to high heat, cold, and moisture. It is also important to realize that even when the outside temperature is reasonably mild, the interior temperature of a space can be extremely high. This is the same effect that causes automobiles to get really hot inside, even when the temperature is not that warm outside. Climate-controlled storage prevents this problem.

Items that may be destroyed by not being kept in a climate-controlled environment include:

• Collectibles: Some valuable collectibles that can be destroyed by heat include vinyl records, tapes, videotapes, dolls, and toys. Examples of collectibles that can be destroyed by humidity are baseball cards, comic books, currency, stamps, coins, sports memorabilia, antique books, collections of letters/documents, and artwork.
• Family Heirlooms: Things that families keep as heirlooms are easily destroyed by moisture and heat. These items may include photographs, home movies, uniforms, awards, and wedding dresses.
• Things That May Spoil: Many South Carolinians are smart enough to keep survival food to use in the case of an emergency. Food in cans that are exposed to excessive heat can spoil. Bottles and jars of stuff under excessive heat can explode. If glass jars freeze, they can break. Wine can be destroyed by being stored improperly.
• Electronics: Any type of electronics can be damaged by moisture. Metal may rust. Circuit boards may become corroded and fail to work. This kind of damage happens fairly easily to computers, flat screen televisions, and audio equipment.
• Clothes: Clothes may be destroyed by mold and mildew if stored in an environment that has excessive moisture. One thing that happens with humidity is that any boxes used to store items become like sponges. They absorb water from the air. That moisture is transferred to the interior of the box, which gives it a chance to cause damage to the contents.
• Wooden Items: For any items made from wood, relative humidity levels need to be limited to 30% to 50% to prevent mold growth and dry rot problems. Furniture, especially antique furniture, needs to be properly stored to keep it from being damaged. Damage can happen in just a few months if the furniture is not stored in a climate-controlled environment.
• Appliances: Washer, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, and ovens need climate-controlled storage to avoid rust ruining the metal parts. Climate-controlled storage prevents cracking of plastic parts from severe temperature changes and damage to the electronic controls from exposure to excessive moisture.
• Musical Instruments: Fine musical instruments such as pianos, acoustic guitars, woodwind instruments, and violins can be completely ruined by exposure to heat and moisture.
• Wax and Plastic Items: Items made from wax and plastics that can melt need to be stored at the proper temperature.
• Delicate Items: Even crystal glassware can shatter when exposed to severe changes in temperature. This also applies to other fragile and valuable things like fine china, Tiffany lamps, and Faberge eggs.

Climate Controlled Storage Helps Protect Your Belongings

It is a horrible feeling to open a box of things to find that they are completely ruined because they were put away in an unsafe manner and not properly stored in a climate-controlled environment. When in doubt, don't risk this disaster. Always use climate-controlled storage for your items in Colombia, South Carolina, because it is an area that requires these storage conditions to prevent things from being damaged.

---

We're Your Storage Solution!

Storage Rentals of America is your convenient self-storage solution. So come into our office or give our storage experts a call at 1-800-457-5678. Our call center is available 7 days a week and can help determine which storage unit size best fits your storage needs.