Toledo, OH: Top Things to Know About Storage

Too Hot to Handle

Toledo has four distinct seasons, and its summers and winters can be pretty extreme.  Winters are cold and snowy and summers are hot and very humid.  The city’s proximity to Lake Erie increases the humidity during the summer, so being outside can turn you into a sticky mess.  The spring and summer seasons also bring about quite a few showers, making them the wetter seasons.

Of the seasons, summer is the one you have to be most cautious about.  People who live in Toledo are big on antiques, so if you’re storing these oftentimes delicate items, be sure to rent a climate controlled unit.  This will significantly decrease the likelihood that the heat and humidity will damage your belongings.  Things like furniture, lace, vintage art, and collector books are especially susceptible to damage, so don’t take any risks!

Hunting Season

Hunting is a popular hobby for the residents of Toledo.  Deer hunting season lasts about four months, so you’ll see hunters pulling out their guns and crossbows quite often.  Storing this equipment can be kind of tricky, so we want to walk you through the basics of gun storage so you don’t end up ruining your guns in an attempt to store them.  However, before we get into the details of how to store your guns, we should mention that not all facilities will allow you to store your guns with them.  Also, you’ll have to store your ammunition at home.  No facility allows the storage of ammunition because bullets are explosive.  Just keep the safe with the ammunition in it locked away inside your home.

Once you have figured out where you can store your guns, be sure to rent a climate controlled unit.  Toledo’s heat and humidity can cause your guns to rust over time and will them.  You should also try to store away from Lake Erie, because the closer you get to the lake, the more moisture there is that can seep into your unit.

You’ll also need to clean your gun before you store it because its residue can be explosive.  Then unload the gun and lock the trigger, put it in a safe, and put the safe in a storage unit.  Store ammunition in a separate safe.

Lastly, don’t rent a huge unit if you only have a few guns that need to be stored. Instead, rent a locker and sign up for a month-to-month lease so you have flexibility.

Bookworms

The people of Toledo also love to read.  Every year there’s a spring book sale in which thousands of gently used books are sold.  The event takes place in mid-April and lasts from morning to evening.  Here you can find hardcover books, paperbacks, and magazines.  The event takes place at Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.  If you end up buying too many books at the book sale, are a book collector, or are a bookworm, you should consider putting your books in storage to clear up some extra space in your home.

Storing books seems simple enough, but there are some precautions that you should take to ensure that your books stay intact.  Books are susceptible to damage by humidity and dust, which can cause yellowing of their pages.  You definitely need to store your books in a unit with climate control because heat can have a negative impact on the quality of your books.  Also, don’t wrap books in plastic because it can trap moisture.  Humidity should be controlled to about 40% because too much humidity can cause mold while too little humidity leaves the binding brittle.  High temperatures crack book bindings, so the ideal temperatures in which to store a book is 65 degrees.

In order to properly pack your books, cover each one with a sheet of paper to prevent it from sticking to other books.  Don’t use newspapers for packing because the print can transfer.  Remove all bookmarks and other inserts from your books and store them in plastic storage containers, boxes, file cabinets, or fire safes.

When putting the books in the containers or boxes, alternate placing the spine (don’t stack spines on top of each other), and put the largest books on the bottom to avoid the spines becoming rolled or edges becoming warped.  For magazines, be sure to put a piece of plastic, wood, or cardboard between them to prevent warping.  Filling the boxes to their full can prevent the books from shifting while the boxes are being moved or lifted so that the pages aren’t ruined.  Then seal the boxes tightly to prevent insects from getting in.  Lastly, use pallets to keep the storage containers off of the floor. This will protect against any possible leaks or floods.

If you take these measures, your books should be perfectly fine and ready for you when you feel like going through your collection.