Tag Archive for: protection

Protecting Items In Storage

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

Porch Pirates, Are They Real?

Porch Pirates

Keep Your Packages Safe
Pirates have always been something that appear in story books. But lately piracy has become
very real for a lot of online holiday shoppers. The name Porch Pirates sounds cute and maybe
you’re thinking of all the kiddies showing up on your doorstep at Halloween, but these are not
your neighbor’s children in costume. Porch Pirates steal packages from door steps and porches.
Sometimes these thieves will even follow a delivery vehicle and scoop the package right after
it’s been dropped on the doorstep.

As of Sept of this year, nearly one quarter of online shoppers have felt the sting of porch piracy.
The average value a stolen package is about $113.

Some shoppers that have fallen victim to Porch Piracy before have taken it upon themselves to
fight back. People are putting out boxes full of glitter, dog poo or the cat litter to “be taken.”
While we admire people’s creativity why even give thieves a chance?

Between 2010 to 2017, there was a 581% rise in reports of packages stolen off doorsteps. With
porch piracy on the rise, we’d like to offer a solution for keeping your packages safe.
Our office is insured to receive your online orders and we offer this service free of charge to
everyone on our community. It’s our way of helping you have a happy holiday season. For other Self Storage ideas and happenings check out our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/lacombestoragecenter/

How Do You Use This Free Service?
Step 1
When you are online shopping use our office address as the shipping address for your package:
Lacombe Storage: 4014 52 Avenue, Lacombe, AB T4L 2J7

Step 2
Call our office and let us know your name, your phone number and when the package is
expected.
Lacombe: 403-782-1455

Step 3
When the package arrives, our office will text you a pic of the package, text back an day and
time when you can pick it up.
Need to keep the package away from prying eyes? No problem, we can hold the package until
you need it. Just let us know how long you need us to hold it. (Please keep in mind our holiday
hours).

If you are looking for other holiday ideas or hacks check out another one of our Blogs

 

Tips on Preventing Property Crime

Prevent Property Crime


Here in Alberta, we’ve seen a significant increase in property crime. It seems like as soon as the warm weather hits we experience a crime wave. Once a big city problem, property crime has come to small town and rural Alberta. Being proactive can save you from the emotional pain and financial loss of having possessions stolen or vandalized. Criminals will always pick the easy target, so don’t be that target: Read more

Event Storage

Spring heralds the season of outdoor weddings, family reunions, and festivals.  If you are planning an outdoor event you are well aware that the logistics are a little different than for indoor events. For outdoor events there is more to consider about how to get supplies to the site, keep them secure, and out of the elements. Because you can’t just lock them up in a storage room. This is where portable storage can be a real boon to event planners. Read more

10 Things Before You Leave for Vacation

When you’re in a rush to leave the house on a trip don’t forget to take care of your home before you go away. With our economy being low it’s a good idea to make it look like someone is home to deter break-ins. In a troubled economy, crime rises and break-ins become more frequent. To keep your home safe and trouble-free, here are ten things our staff do before they head out on their trips.

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The Security of Your Self Storage Lock

Don’t Let Your Last Line of Defence Be Your Cheapest!lastdefense

When you are storing goods at a self-storage facility the facility operator will have a security program in place that includes fences, controlled access gates, light and cameras. These security measures aren’t cheap, but they can only do so much to stop a thief. To truly stop a thief you need a secure lock.

steelpadlock

Least Security

The most frequent lock used is the basic hardened steel padlock found at the big box and hardware stores. These locks are the least secure and easily broken with a bolt cutter. To keep costs down on these mass produced locks the manufacturer only produces a small number of key combinations. What this means is that the person buying the same lock right after you could have the exact same key. These locks are also easy to pick even for amateurs. This means that theft can go undetected until you re-enter your storage unit weeks or months later. This type of lock belongs on the yard shed, not on your self-storage unit.

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