What to look for

Some people may think that all storage sheds are the same, but this is not so. There are many factors to consider when choosing your storage space.

SIZE

If you need to store a caravan or motor car you will need a shed with a wide door and plenty of turning space in front for turning your vehicle.

INSULATION

Keep in mind that a standard steel shed without insulation is much like a car when it comes to heat generation. It is much hotter inside a closed up shed on a hot day than outside under a tree.

If you have no alternative to an uninsulated shed, choose a light coloured shed as the darker the surface the greater the heat that is attracted.

Do NOT choose an uninsulated shed of you plan to store personal effects that can perish or dry out due to exposure to heat.

MOISTURE

If you are storing products that can be damaged by moisture it is important that you establish whether the storage shed has a sealed floor as opposed to a standard concrete floor.

A standard concrete floor is simply poured concrete much like paving and these floors do not protect the contents from rising moisture.

Some time back I rented a storage shed for storing building materials, but failed to ask the appropriate questions regarding the floor. Unfortunately I suffered the consequences, as I had stored a number of sheets of particle board, which over a period of 6 months had grown considerably due to moisture. Not only did I suffer the loss, but then had to pay to take them to the tip.

LINING

When considering renting a storage shed, particularly if it is lined with metal, ensure that there are no sharp surfaces that can damage your property.

If damage is something you want to avoid it is best to rent a storage shed that is lined with timber rather than metal.

Timber lining will negate the issue of sharp edges, with the added bonus that it will not enhance the risk of condensation which is one of the big causes of damage in stored items.

Security

Ensure that the shed is secure with good fences and quality locks.

I remember watching a movie lately that showed a person getting access to a storage shed by simply backing his vehicle quietly into the roller door causing it to buckle resulting in the door coming out of its tracks giving easy access to the contents.

In most instances you will only be storing things of value to you so ensure that the access to the shed both suits your needs but also prevents easy access by others.

Security cameras, while great, are a bit like closing the gate after the bull got out.

It is much better to have your goods securely stored from the get go rather than rely on the police locating the thieves with the help of security cameras. I suspect that most thieves conceal their identity from cameras when going to the trouble of breaking in.

Triple Lock Self Storage sheds are secured by a high quality master keyed lock on the security fence. There is a second line of defence with a master keyed dead lock on an external access door and then yet another master keyed high quality padlock on the internal cubicle. You are supplied with one key that will get you through all three locks, but each key is specially made for your cubicle so you treasures are securely locked away in a timber lined cubicle with you holding the key. Because of this multiple lock entry system you have the security 24 hours a day, so 24/7 access is still secure whilst giving you the maximum in convenience.

Just a push of a button gives you lighting once inside, so you don’t need to bring a torch to try to find your items. No need to worry about the lights, as they turn off automatically and if you need more time you just push the button again. You will never be left in the dark, as there are 24 hour security exit sign lights making it safe for you to move about inside.

Once finished you simply lock your padlock and push the external door closed behind you. It locks automatically. Lock the padlock on the security gate and leave knowing your treasures will be waiting for your next visit.

Packing for storage

Make sure that you know what is going into storage when you initially pack your goods.

Clearly mark the cartons with the word STORAGE so there is no confusion.

Ensure that you know what is in each carton. Refer to What’s what & Where under the Organisation tab .

Whilst good storage sheds reduce the risk of vermin, it is not possible to ensure those little fluffy creatures are not present. Even if the storage unit is free of them on the day you shift in, it is possible that you could be bringing one with you.

I remember on one occasion as we unpacked a carton of books that we found a very flat dry mouse between two heavy books. We can only assume that the upper book was dropped into the carton without looking too much, and Mr. Mouse was passing by at the time.

It is a good idea to put mouse bates into your storage unit just to be sure.

No flammable liquid should be stored in storage sheds, so be sure to drain any motorized equipment of fuel before putting them into storage.

It goes without saying that gas bottles and petrol cans should also be drained.

What cartons to use and where to get them

Many people will pick up second hand cardboard cartons from the supermarket or wherever they can get their hands on them. This reduces the cost of packing, but significantly increases the frustration and most likely the risk of breakages.

If you opt for the use of second hand cartons make sure that the cartons that you pack fragile items in are strong.

Consider what the carton was originally used for. If it was originally used to transport cornflakes it will be too large and too light to pack crockery into. You could use a cornflakes carton for packing pillows or soft toys, but that is about it, and remember that if you put this carton on the bottom of a pile of cartons it will crush, so it must go on the top of the load in the truck &/or storage shed.

If you purchase removalists cartons it will be much easier to pack the truck as they are consistent in size. The other great thing about removalist cartons is that they are not quite square, which means that you can turn them if the gap in the truck is not quite wide enough to fit the carton face on. This means that the load in the truck will more likely be tight, thereby reducing the need for strapping as the load will be to a large degree self supporting.

There are different size removalist cartons available for specific uses. You should take particular note of the cartons designed specifically for books, as they are very strong and much smaller than general “T” chest size cartons.

A third alternative which will reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of packing is to purchase second hand cartons from a second hand carton dealer. You can purchase cartons with strength appropriate to the task, and in many instances you will be able to purchase a quantity of cartons of the same size, which makes it easier to pack and store them.

In Bendigo Victoria the company that I would recommend for second hand cartons is North West Packaging. We have personally dealt with North West Packaging for almost 20 years, and would have no hesitation in recommending them. Not only can they supply cartons, but all of the other packing requirements you will have, such as wrapping paper, tape, bubble wrap, and the list goes on.

You can check out their web site for more info. www.nwpackagingsupplies.com.au or contact them by email sales@nwpackagingsupplies.com or by phone on (03) 5444 4533

As a general guide, it is recommended that cartons be kept to 16 killograms, as this is the recommended weight for a single person to lift alone. This is not always possible, but be sure to mark heavy cartons as such so that 2 people can lift them.

REMEMBER!! Each person is only issued with one back, and back injury is a very real risk for people shifting their own belongings, particularly if your normal day does not include much lifting.

Sealing cartons

In most instances you will get cartons that have been flattened. I have seen people intercross the flaps of the cartons so that they save on the cost of packing tape. I would recommend that you avoid this as it is only going to bring heart break and frustration.

It is essential that the carton be strong so that when it is picked up the contents stays in the carton rather than falling to the floor through the weak bottom of the carton.

Step 1

Turn the carton upside down so that you are joining the flaps at the bottom of the carton. The bottom can be established by the direction of any writing on the sides of the carton. If this is not distinguishable you should put arrows on the sides of the cartons to ensure that it is put in the truck the correct way up.

Tape along the long joint of the flaps of the carton with 50mm (2”) good quality packing tape. Then tape across the ends of the carton to secure the sides of the carton flaps to the body of the carton. This will add a great deal of strength to the carton and help prevent the carton coming undone during the process of packing into the truck.

Step 2.

Pack the contents into the carton ensuring that there is NO air space. For those concerned about the emotional and physical wellbeing of Teddy bears packed for transport, I can guarantee that teddy bears packed in paper are OK, but do not pack them in plastic as suffocation may occur. In addition, if there is any moisture in the teddy bear, plastic can cause mould to grow.

Seal the top of the carton in the same manner as the bottom of the carton. If the carton contains fragile items I recommend you seal the top of the carton with “Fragile” packing tape.

Ensure that you immediately mark the carton with some means of identifying the contents of the carton. This is particularly important if you are putting some cartons into storage.

If a carton is to go into storage you should clearly mark the carton with the word STORAGE. Refer to What’s what & Where under the Organisation tab for a method of ensuring easy identification of carton contents.

What’s What & Where

There is nothing more frustrating than looking for an item required for the continuation of life when you have 60 cartons and are not sure which carton it is in. There are several things you can do to overcome this issue.

Firstly, you should pack one room at a time. In most instances you will have some, if not a vague idea of what room the item was in before packing occurred, which narrows down the search as long as you have the cartons marked with the room they came from.

Marking the cartons with room names also reduces the work when you arrive at your destination, because the carrier can take the carton to the appropriate room. For example, the illusive can opener would most likely be in a carton marked Kitchen. The carrier should have delivered all cartons marked Kitchen into the kitchen, so not only have you narrowed down the search, but you have a good chance that the appropriate carton is actually in the room that it needs to be in for unpacking.

There may be 5 cartons from the Kitchen, so which one contains the can opener. Many people will write on the outside of the carton some of the contents of the carton, but it is not possible to list everything. I have also heard people express concern about this approach, as they may fear that the men transporting the goods might have a fetish for can openers. This could in some people’s minds resulting in the demise of the treasured can opener as its ownership is inappropriately and without authority transferred to the until now trusted transporter of your treasured possessions. I think this is most unlikely, however there is a better way that gives you more control and less exposure to can opener thieves.

On about the 5th shift, we have had 17, we came up with the idea of having a book in which we listed the goods packed. When packing the cartons, we would number each carton on all 4 sides. At the top of each page in the book we would have a carton number and then the list of contents of the carton. This enables you to have a more detailed list, but it still needs to be in room lots, and to put next to the carton number the room that it was packed from helps a great deal. You should still mark the carton with the room name so that the carrier can deliver the carton to the appropriate room.

Carton numbering is especially helpful when you need to put your belongings into storage as it makes identification of what is in what carton a quick and easy process. When you have accessed a carton that is in storage, remember to reseal the carton as this will help keep the contents clean and provide some resistance to bug entry.

How to pack fragile items

Whilst not wanting to state the obvious, it warrants mentioning that if you are packing to shift goods from Darwin to Bendigo you will need to be more pedantic with your packing method than if you are shifting from Castlemaine to Bendigo.

You have no doubt noticed that glaziers have specially designed trucks to transport glass on its edge. There is just one reason for this; glass is stronger on edge. Consequently I would recommend that all picture frames, and wherever possible crockery be packed on edge, but ensure that the edges of crockery are sufficiently protected, particularly from the bottom of the carton if they are the first items to be packed.

Glasses can be packed by wrapping them in clean butchers paper. You can use newspaper, but remember that it is likely that the print will come off onto the item you are trying to protect, so don’t use newspaper if this will cause you a problem.

Washing crockery once it is unpacked is one thing, but trying to get newspaper print out of great great grandmothers tapestry inlay on a jewellery box is another. Wrap each class separately, but then insert one into the next to form a stack of glasses. By doing this you will get the compound strength of the packing and glasses thereby reducing the risk of breakage. This approach should also be taken for the packing of crockery.

Once you have the stack of glasses or crockery they should then be placed into the carton with extra paper packed around them. Crunch this paper up into balls, as this provides cushioning in the case of impact during transport.

When packing fragile items that are very precious you may consider packing them in bubble wrap instead of paper. You can then wrap the stack of glasses etc with bubble wrap and then finally wrap corrugated cardboard around the stack. This is normally not necessary, and some would consider it extreme, but sometimes it is worth it.

From personal experience, it needs to be considered that even with the greatest care there is always the risk of breakage. Whenever we have shifted we will always have a small carton of irreplaceable treasures carefully tucked into the corner of the boot of our car. These may be fragile items or items that are just simply too important to you to put in anyone else’s hands.

Clearly mark the outside of cartons containing fragile items. You can do this with a red marker pen, but I think that is one instance where it is worth paying a little bit extra for packing tape with FRAGILE printed on the tape. This way there is no way it can be mistaken.