Packing Hints and Tips from the Professionals
Organized living can make life a lot easier by saving you a lot of time and effort searching for things. At times storage can become a big issue even if you own a basement or a store room in your house where you have plenty of space to keep your belongings intact. This usually happens when you are unable to store the goods systematically.
If you're like many Calgarians and live in a small apartment or you've inherited some of the family heirlooms you may need to rent one of our self-storage units, if so our storage experts are always here to help you with packing advice when. Packing and good organization when using a self-storage facility can be an easy task if you learn to pack like a professional.
Below are some of our handy packing tips that will help keep your items safe.
Here's a list of packing supplies that will come in handy:
- Plastic bags and labels for easy identification.
- Foam peanuts, Styrofoam pellets or "popcorn".
- Tissue or craft paper for delicate packing jobs.
- Clean newsprint for general use cushioning.
- Corrugated paper and/or bubble wrap for figurines and fragile items.
- Gummed tape (1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) and tape dispenser.
- Markers and labels for identifying contents of cartons.
- Notebook and pencil for carton identification log.
- Scissors and/or box knife.
- Packing boxes in sizes ranging from book boxes to wardrobes.
- Mattress bags
A Few of Budget Storage's Packing Tips:
- Pressure sensitive plastic, clear or tan - the most convenient and widely used
- Water activated paper tape - the least expensive, put can be a bit messy without a special dispenser
- Pressure sensitive reinforced (strapping) tape - strongest, but more expensive
- Air encapsulated plastic (bubble pack)
- Expanded polystyrene (peanuts) [Note: may not be suitable for heavier products that tend to shift toward the bottom of the package while in transportation.]
- Corrugated dividers
- Dish Pack Box
- Paper (10lb & 25lb) [Note: Paper is only suitable for lighter products. It tends to flatten when used as cushioning for heavy products.]
- Mark each box with the name of the room it came from and a brief description of contents (you'll appreciate this when you're looking for that important something!). It's also a good idea to put an inventory sheet together pin pointing the location of each box on a chart and leave it taped on the door in the storage unit and a copy at home.
- Avoid marking or labeling over a seam of closure or on top of sealing tape.
- Mark fragile boxes to give everyone a clue of which ones they really shouldn't drop or kick around. Identify the "Top" of fragile boxes if the contents might be damaged by storing the box on the sides or bottom. The "Top" should be the most stable orientation of the package as it rests on a flat surface.
- Consider buying a pack of colored stickers and color coding the boxes by room or by type of item (clothes, etc.).
Make sure you call and speak to one of Budget Storage's helpful staff to help you decide the right size unit to fit your storage requirements. Our friendly storage experts will ensure they help you every step of the way. Our indoor storage facility is heat controlled, offers 24/7 security and best of all we offer the lowest rates in town for any comparable storage facility in the Calgary area.
Call us today to find out more details (403) 274-1413.