Monthly Archives: January 2009

STORAGE — “Climate-Control” or “Non Climate-Control?”

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Climate-Controlled Storage Building

Climate-Controlled Storage Building

 

 

 

           Versus        

Non-Climate-Controlled Storage with External Door

Non-Climate-Controlled Storage with External Door

 

 

With apologies to “Public Storage” and other climate-control storage companies—“Climate-Control Storage” is mostly a marketing gimmick and a very Non-Green one at that (think of how much energy they are using cooling and heating all those storage units.  It is a shame to spend all that energy cooling inanimate objects.  The furniture is not going to complain about the heat—I assure you.)  The fact is: in the far majority of cases, non-climate controlled storage works just fine.  You may have heard of furniture sustaining damage in non-climate controlled storage, and that is invariably because WATER GOT INTO THE STORAGE UNIT!  Especially when water got into the unit, and then SHRINK WRAP HELD THE WATER IN PLACE.  This creates mildew and over time it is damaging to both upholstery and wood furniture.  IF IT IS RAINING ON THE DAY FURNITURE IS PUT INTO STORAGE, THEN NO SHRINK WRAP SHOULD BE PUT DIRECTLY ON THE FURNITURE!  The furniture can be padded first and then shrink wrap can be wrapped over the pads to hold them in place.

As more evidence against climate-controlled storage, think of this:  When the sofa is made in the factory, is the factory climate-controlled?  No.  When the sofa is driven in the truck to “Havertys,”  is the truck climate-controlled?  No.  When the sofa is stored in Haverty’s warehouse, is the warehouse climate-controlled?  No.  It is only when the sofa gets to Haverty’s showroom that it becomes climate-controlled.  When it is sold it is then transported once again in a non-climate controlled truck.

It is true that the units in a climate-controlled building are down the hall away from the outside door, thus protecting against water entry.  But it is also true that non-climate-controlled units at their door—slope up into the unit, thus preventing the inflow of water.  And I can assure you, the warehouses of the major Van Lines—United, Mayflower etc. are not climate-controlled.

Wood furniture, upholstery:  as long as there is no water present—stores fine in non-climate-controlled storage units.  Mattresses and box springs also do fine as long as they are dry and have a pad or blanket to rest on, but I think it is worth it to put them into mattress boxes—they just stay clean that way, and off the concrete floor.

Now I wouldn’t store the “Mona Lisa” in non-climate controlled storage.  Nor would I store the original US Constitution in non-climate controlled storage.  Probably I also wouldn’t store a 16th Century French Sofa in non-climate controlled storage.  Climate-controlled storage sometimes costs twice as much as regular storage.  If a furniture piece or artwork belongs in an art museum, then go with the expensive climate-control.  Otherwise save your money . . . and the electricity.

Preparing for Your Move Item By Item – THE REFRIGERATOR

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moving-refrigerator-drawing

 

 

1) NEEDS TO BE EMPTIED:   

A) Refrigerators are heavy enough even while empty

B) Messy things happen when full refrigerators are tilted during moving.  Items will melt and leak out.  One time, workers moved a refrigerator with Vanilla Ice Cream inside.  By the time, the refrigerator was being unloaded, the ice cream was melting.  The customer likes the smell of Vanilla Ice Cream, but not on her new rug.

C) If the truck breaks down and is idle for hours or days, then the items in the refrigerator will melt and leak throughout the truck—potentially contaminating the whole load.

EMPTY THE REFRIGERATOR

refrigerator-water-line

 

2)  The Water Line:  if the Refrigerator has an ice-maker, then it has a water line attached to it at the bottom of the refrigerator back.  The water line needs to be turned off.  If the house is relatively new, then you will probably be lucky and the turnoff valve may be right there at the wall.  If the house is older, then it could be Hunt and Seek for the turnoff valve—often down below the house hopefully in a basement, or worse—in a crawl space.  Follow the water line from the refrigerator and see where it goes.  It may just go under the sink, but it will probably go through the floor to whatever is below.  If it is a crawl space, then you may need a flashlight, your dirty clothes, and the will to climb through the dark and muck.  When you find the T-valve, turn it so it is crosswise to the water line.  This should turn it off, but IMPORTANT: also tighten the bolt immediately above!  Many have failed to do this and even with the T-valve turned—water has dripped into the house, and those drips add up!

For more technical information about refrigerators,  see the link under “Vendors’ in the column to the right to “The Fridge Doctor.”

A New Moving Hazard

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garden-hose-on-spindle

I experienced a new “moving hazard” today, but it is something a California-and-Atlanta-boy–I was born in California and lived there until age 31, and have been living in Atlanta ever since– would run into.   The customer wanted us to move his garden hose.  No big deal–just as long as you make sure there is no water leaking!  The hose was on a spindle and I turned it this way and that.  I shook it up and down;  I shook it sideways–no water leaking!  I left it on the ground so I could look it for awhile–no water leaking!  So I put it in the load, on top of a fully padded armoire.

Three hours later, while doing the unloading at the destination, I NOTICE WATER LEAKING OUT OF THE HOSE!  What gives?!  Where did the water come from?  Then I remembered that it was 18 degrees when we started the job this morning, and now its 39 degrees.  This morning there was no water leaking out of the hose, because it was FROZEN!  Only someone who only does a few moving jobs per year in freezing temperatures, would make that blunder.  I still kept the hose away from any mattresses or upholstery,  so only a relatively small amount of water dribbled down the pads.