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Moving or Travel with Pets

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Thoughts to consider when traveling with a pet

What to consider when moving with a pet

At our self-storage facility, many of our staff are proud pet owners. It got me thinking—what should we consider when moving with our beloved furry friends or simply taking them out during these scorching summer days?

Preparing for pets is crucial because they need extra care to ensure they’re comfortable and safe, whether moving homes or enjoying a day out. As the temperatures rise, it’s essential to be equipped to keep your dog cool and protected. Here are some essential items to have on hand for your dog this summer:

  • Collapsible water bowl: A lightweight and portable option for keeping your dog hydrated during walks, hikes, or any outdoor activity. Easy to clean and store, ensuring your dog has access to water wherever you go.
  • Water bottle: You won’t always have access to water, so carry a full water bottle for you and your pet.
  • Dog-safe sunscreen: Protect their skin from harmful UV rays, particularly on sensitive areas like noses and ears.
  • Cooling vest or bandana: Helps regulate their body temperature in hot weather, ensuring they stay comfortable.
  • Paw wax or booties: Shields their paws from hot pavements and rough terrain, preventing discomfort or burns.
  • First aid kit: Include essentials such as bandages, pet-safe antiseptic wipes, and tweezers for any minor injuries or emergencies that may occur during your adventures.

Having these items ready ensures your furry friend stays happy and healthy throughout all your summer outings. Most of these items can be picked up at your local pet store.

Additionally, when near bodies of water, like rivers or lakes, it’s crucial to check for blue green algae before letting you pet into the water. This algae sits on top of the water and is seriously toxic to both you and your pets. If it’s safe to let them swim be sure to check your pet’s ears for any debris that could have gotten lodged during their cooldown.

Where do you prefer to take your pets to cool down?

~ Roberta Gordica

~ Sue Sage

 

Spring Cleaning Reinvented

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Spring Cleaning tips

Spring Cleaning Reinvented

Ah, spring — the season of renewal and rejuvenation. As nature awakens from its winter slumber, so
does our desire to refresh our living spaces. At Lacombe Storage, we understand the importance
of refreshing your living space and it all starts with Strategic Decluttering. After all it’s so much easier to
clean away the cobwebs if there isn’t a lot of stuff in the way. Let’s explore some innovative ways to
make cleaning easier and maximize your living space with the help of self-storage solutions.

Seasonal Rotation:
Maximize your living space by rotating seasonal items in and out of a self-storage unit. Discover the
convenience of storing winter sports gear, holiday decorations, and bulky winter clothing during the
warmer months. Then when things cool down in the fall you can swap these items out and put your
summer sporting gear into the unit. This makes for effortlessly seasonal changes at home.

Creating Functional Spaces: Need a home office, a playroom, or a workout space? Reclaim and live in every square inch of your
home and discover how storing rarely used items, such as off-season recreational equipment or
clothing, can open up new possibilities for organizing and decorating your home.


Home Renovation Solutions:
Are you planning a home renovation project? Self storage offers the ideal solution for safeguarding your
belongings during construction. Explore the peace of mind that comes with knowing your furniture,
electronics, and valuables are secure and protected in self-storage until your renovations are complete.
This April, embrace a clutter-free lifestyle by incorporating self-storage into your long-term organization
strategy. Discover how self-storage units provide a convenient solution for storing seasonal decorations,
sentimental keepsakes, and items with future use potential. With flexible rental options, you can enjoy
peace of mind knowing your belongings are safe and accessible whenever you need them.
Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a more organized and spacious home with Lacombe Storage.

 

*If you are cleaning to be ready for a move?  Don’t forget we have portable storage units we can deliver to your door.

* Does a move mean changing locations? We have self storage offices in Drayton Valley and Medicine Hat.

Should You Store Jewelry and Other Valuables in Self Storage?

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Do not store valuables in self storage

Self-storage is great for household items and non-perishable business stock and equipment, but resist the
temptation to store valuables like jewelry in your unit. Self-storage isn’t a substitute for a vault or safety
deposit box. While self-storage facilities do have security, no security system is completely impervious to
professional thieves. Further your insurance and that of the self-storage operator may not cover valuable
jewelry left in a self-storage unit.

Also consider that jewelry and other collectables often require a special environment to help maintain
their condition. Jewelry, for example, is delicate and needs to be stored where the temperature does not
fluctuate. Temperature fluctuations can cause jewelry to become brittle and warp.

Self storage facilities are also not impervious to things like fires, flooding and tornadoes that can damage
irreplaceable valuables. Safety deposit boxes, however, are designed to withstand these natural disasters.
For these reasons, you are better off keeping jewelry and other collectables in a fire proof safe or safety
deposit box.

Keep valuables in a bank box not a storage unit

At the very least store your jewelry in a secure location that is climate-controlled and can
provide protection against theft, pests, moisture, and other environmental hazards.
Pro Tip for storing jewelry: pack your jewelry in its original boxes or other soft containers to protect
them from scratches so these valuable retain their value for years to come.

If you are interested in other self storage tips and activities, give us a follow on LinkedIn

Protecting Items In Storage

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Using a Drop Cover for Protection

Protecting Items with Dust Cover

You’ve made the decision to place your items in storage and now that you have everything
ready go, here are some simple tips to protect what you are storing:

Confounded Condensation
Depending on the weather extremes and humidity in your area, it is possible for condensation
to build up on your stored goods which can cause water and mold damage. A good option to
avoid damage from prolonged moisture exposure is to put a plastic drop sheet on the floor of
your storage unit before placing items in the unit. Using pallets to put your belongings on is
even better, especially if you are storing goods for longer periods of time. Also, leave some
‘breathing space’ (about two finger widths) between stacked items so fresh air circulates
between your belongings.

moving furniture

Man with moving boxes

Don’t Over Stack
When placing boxed items in storage, the temptation is to stack as high as you can reach. Boxes
are only designed to take so much weight and over time might give way under the stress of
over stacking. This can result in entire stacks toppling over. If the items in those boxes are
fragile… well, you get the point. You also need to consider your safety. For this reason, stacks
should only go as high as your natural reach…or the natural reach of the shortest adult
accessing the storage.

Dreaded Dust
Nobody wants to open their unit and find that everything inside is now dust covered. All that
cleaning you did to prepare your goods for storage has been potentially wasted – and let’s face
it: dust is inevitable. So why not use a couple of inexpensive plastic drop sheets to help protect
your items? Drop sheets should be draped loosely around items to encourage air flow but offer
protection from fine dust.

By using these three tips, your stored goods should remain intact, dry and dust free. Be sure to
check out the retail items available for purchase
at our locations to assist with your packing needs. We are here to help you through every step
of your rental process.
You can access more information on our blog site such as the importance of cleaning before you store, as well as make use of our handy
storage calculator to determine the correct unit size for your needs.

Extra Help

This YouTube video has a lot of good information on storage for you as well.

Ron Heizelman – Site Manager, MHS

Moving During A Pandemic

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Packing and moving can be difficult at the best of times, but moving during a pandemic creates a whole new set of challenges. If you have to move you and your moving company should put health and safety first. We suggest you call your moving company to discuss your options and they should help you plan as safe (and seamless) a move as possible. This may include: Read more

Feeling Overwhelmed While You Work At Home?

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Feeling overwhelmed while you work at home? Getting organized can help you take back some control and get clear on what work tasks should take priority. Not all of us have Marie Kondo’s instinct for organization, so where should you start?

  • First, find a separate space in you home for your home office. If you have no space choose a corner in the living room or take over the dining room. If you are considering making a work space in your bedroom, I recommend getting a room divider of some sort to separate the work area from the sleep area. Seeing your place of work while you are trying to wind down and trying to sleep is not good for you psychologically.

Read more

Prepping Your Motorbike for the First Ride of Spring

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Author’s Note: In light of our current situation surrounding self-isolation and social-distancing, we ask that you ride responsibly – please ride alone, and avoid large groups.

Everyone knows January 1st is the beginning of the New Year, but for me the year really doesn’t get underway until the snow melts and the open road beckons. When I feel that urge to pull my motorbike from its winter slumber, here is my checklist to make that first run of the year a little more enjoyable: Read more

Seller’s Remorse

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Kids, grandma is moving in. It will be so great to have her living here.
Jill speaking to husband – John: What are we going to do with all of mom’s belongings? It won’t fit in the house and she has so much.
John speaking to Mother-in-law – Ethel: Why don’t we have a garage sale before you move. Jill and I can help, and of course Read more

How Self Storage can help during a new build or a renovation

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Is it time to add a little sparkle to your home? Are you planning to renovate? Homeowners usually plan to do some sort of renovations in their life time.

Doesn’t everyone dream about giving their home a fresh new look?  When it comes to renovation, we don’t talk about the stress that goes with it. We don’t talk about – the mess, people coming and going. Where are we going to put everything? Read more

Should I Store My Stuff or My Car in the Garage?

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Well the answer to that depends on your needs and what you consider a priority. Here in North America we have grown accustomed to storing various items in the garage instead of using it for its intended purpose. With the cost of maintaining a vehicle rising more and more every year you may want to reconsider your priorities for storage! Read more