Storage units are great for many types of people and families, providing a simple solution for an over-cluttered home or to keep your belongings secured either temporarily or long-term while in the middle of a move. With the boom in popularity of shows like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, more and more people are being introduced to the world of stored goods and the treasures within. People love the idea of finding something valuable among the belongings of someone else’s left-overs. Storage units are great for this sort of thing, but not so much when it comes to storing precious recorded memories on media like VHS tapes and film.
The main danger that storage units pose to your media comes in the form of heat and moisture build-up. Often times, storage units are not insulated the same as you’d find in an office or home, so they can get pretty hot, especially during the summer months of the year. Small leaks in the roofing can lead to moisture buildup within the unit, which can cause mold and other pollutants to flourish, which can spell the death of magnetic tape, film, and photographs.
Another potential danger of storage units is the fact that if, for some reason, you’re unable to pay your storage rental fee, your goods can be auctioned off to the highest bidder, including your important family media! Needless to say, if this happens, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to track down your collection of priceless video tapes, photos and film.
We always recommend against using storage units for important family media, especially for one of a kind video and audio tapes and photographs. Instead, try to see if a family member can hold on to them for you, or a close friend.
Even one video tape transfer can potentially save decades of memories, and it may be easier and cheaper than you think. Having your media digitized before placing in storage will prevent the risk of losing everything forever! If you absolutely must use use a storage unit for your important family media, we highly suggest obtaining an indoor unit, where the climate can be under better control, and less prone to moisture buildup.