Take care and protect your valuables!

I run a mobile storage company and once in a while I get to see what customers are storing in their units -- and I've seen everything, from the hilarious to the tragic. Often times people are willing to pay money to store their belongings and keepsakes but don't take the time or effort to properly protect or pack their belongings. Moisture is usually the biggest contributor to damage and there are a couple ways to combat it. Here a series of tips to keep your valuables safe:

• Appliances: A refrigerator or freezer should be thoroughly dry and stored with its door slightly ajar. Some items can be stored inside large appliances. Cartons can be stacked on top of stoves, refrigerators and freezers. Make sure that stove and cooking equipment are cleaned before they are stored.
• Bicycles and other metal items: To retard rust, wipe all metal surfaces with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil. One of the best features of wooden containerized storage (mobile storage) is that they are covered and weather proof when outside and then when the storage units are returned to the warehouse, wood breathes so the moisture can escape from the unit.
• Books and documents: Pack books flat to protect their spines. Do not place boxes directly on the floor. Use pallets or skids to prevent moisture. Use packing to fill out empty pockets in the cartons. Do not pack fragile items in the same carton with books. Do not overload.
• Bedding, Clothing, Curtains, Drapes & Linen: Clothing, curtains and drapes should be stored on hangers. If hanging facilities are not available, such items should be carefully folded and stored in dresser drawers or cedar chests along with bedding and linen. Some facilities sell wardrobe style, cardboard cartons which help protect you clothes. Food crumbs or stains should be removed before storage. Avoid storing anything that will attract rodents.
• Dishes and Glassware: Place a layer of packing inside the bottom and top of the cartons containing glassware. Label all cartons. All glass items should be individually wrapped. Nest cups and bowls and stand plates, saucers and platters on edge. Wrapped glasses should be placed toward the top of the carton.
• Furniture: Place a pallet, cardboard mat or plastic sheet on the floor and stand sofas and mattresses on end. Disassemble beds and tables and wrap the legs in paper. If a table will not disassemble, place padding on the floor and place the table on its top with the legs pointing up. Use dresser tops for stacking cartons and dresser drawers for linens or small, delicate items. Keep upholstery off the floor. Most lightweight chairs should be stacked "seat to seat" or placed upside down on tables which cannot be disassembled. Place a light dust cover over your furniture.
• Holiday Decorations: Save original cartons which contained delicate ornaments and pad the ornaments with packing paper or newsprint. Wrap strings of lights around a piece of cardboard before placing in a carton lined with packing paper.
• Lamps: Wrap large lamp bases in padding. Wrap smaller lamps and place them in cartons. Pack delicate lamp shades separately. Do not use newsprint to wrap lamps shades or any other goods which may be damaged by ink stains. Do not store heavy items atop cartons containing lamps or lamp shades.
• Mirrors, Windows and Screens: These items should be stored on edge not flat.
• Records and Phonographs: Records should be stored on edge to prevent warping. When moving a record player, the tone arm and turntable should be secured to prevent bounding.
• Tools: Metal tools should be cleaned and wiped with a rag containing a few drops of machine oil to retard rust. Long-handled tools such as rakes, shovels and hoes should be clean, lightly oiled and tied in bundles.

A lillte care and preperation when loading your belongings into long term storage can go a long way to protect your valuables. Happy storing!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (888 463-5392)

Pack right! It's easy with the right supplies.

You’ve found a new place to live, you’re rented a truck or mobile storage units, and you have set a moving date. The last step you will have to take is to buy the right boxes for your stuff. Most people think that any old box will do as long as it is big enough to hold the items, big and small. But this is not true. In order to have a successful move, you will need to buy boxes and other supplies that will ensure that nothing is damaged, broken, or destroyed when it is being loaded, unloaded, or during transport. Even if you are only moving a few blocks away, you will have to take the time to buy the appropriate boxes.

When looking for strong, durable boxes, you should contact your moving company to see what they would recommend. You can also find boxes online or from the storage company moving rental truck company you will be using if moving yourself. You should keep in mind that if you are using a moving service, many times the company will not insure boxes that you packed yourself and they may even refuse to move items if they are boxed incorrectly. Contact your moving company today to find out more information.

For example, you’ll probably need the following types of boxes for your next move:

• Book boxes
• Dishpack boxes
• Wardrobe boxes
• Mirror cartons
• General purpose moving boxes

If you are planning to load and unload yourself, be sure not to pack the boxes too heavily. This will only make it more difficult to move when the time comes and you do not want to injure yourself in the process. If you will be using a moving company and getting your boxes from them but doing the packing yourself, tell them how many rooms you need to pack up and they will be able to bring the appropriate boxes. For items that require extra padding or an odd shaped box, make sure to tell the moving company in advance so they will bring the right boxes.

Moving can be a lot easier if you have the right supplies. Boxes that will protect your belongings, quality packing tape, markers, and packing materials are what you will need in order to have a successful moving experience. If you cannot lift heavy boxes, or if you do not have the time to pack boxes correctly, you consider incurring the extra expense of having your moving company do the packing for you. This will give you peace of mind and also protect your valued possessions from damage during your move. Best of luck and happy storing!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Plan ahead for a great move!

Moving from one place to another can be stressful, particularly because most people don't get much practice at it (Thank goodness?). Moving all the heavy pieces of furniture, keeping an eye on the workers to make sure they don’t break anything, packing all your things, then unpacking them, arrange everything… these can turn out to be a heavy ordeal. But this whole moving operation could be completed without big headaches if you plan it carefully in advance. Here are a few tips you should apply whenever coordinating a move.

The planning should start a month ahead the moving day. Start gathering all kind of necessary moving supplies like tape, boxes or rope. Get some newspapers for the breakable things if you don’t want to spend money on bubble wrap. You can generally buy all of these supplies from your moving company so this might be a good time to kill two birds with one stone. There are a lot of options and they have different price for different services. You can hire a full service mover, rent a truck and drive yourself or mobile storage is becoming more and more popular everyday as a smart way to move (You can find a local company through the
Mobile Self Storage Association).

As important, you should arrange for your mail to be delivered to the new residence. Contact all your friends, relatives, family etc to inform them on your new address. Inform the bank and other financial institutions on your new residence details. Ask the post office to forward your mail to the new address. Inform your utilities companies of your change of address. And contact the utilities companies at your new residence to sign up for their services. Confirm the moving or travel arrangements and start packing all the things that can be packed in advance. Label all these boxes well and it will save you time and effort when moving into your new house. Look for a new doctor/dentist/vet in the new area that you are about to move into.

The day before the moving day, make sure you haven’t packed the moving supplies (meaning the tape or the bubble wrap). Make sure you have put the most important things (documents, checks, money or jewellery) in a bag that you will keep with you at all times.

And, during the furniture removal day, remember that losing your calm will not help. So try to stay calm, breath deep whenever an unfortunate accident (like breaking your favorite china) happens. Good luck with your move, a little preperation can go a long way!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

A POD is made of wood!

And it should be! The whole point of storage is to protect you belongings and mobile containers, specifically wood ones, have advantages that help protect your belongings and make sure they are in the same condition that you left them in. We use a different style of wooden containers (see related post Many options for portable storage) Here are a couple reasons why wood is good:

• Wood breathes which helps protect items inside from changes in temperature and humidity. Rising humidity can create condensation inside storage containers made from different materials, such as metal. This condensation can then cause water damage to stored belongings.
• Weather proof covers protect your valuable from rain, wind and snow while giving you easy access to you all of your belongings. Our units also sit on pressure treated "feet" to protect against ground water seeping up through the bottom of the unit while still allowing ground level loading.
• Wood is also a great building material and easily modified. You can easily add or move tie downs in a wooden so that you're items are secure and safe in transit.

Mobile storage saves a lot of time and effort, but it's important to remember that it, first and foremost, should protect your belongings. And in that vein, wood is good! Happy storing!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (888 463-5392)

Fall clean up -- Make it easy with Mobile Storage!

Philly has turned chilly and I can feel the change in the weather and the change in people's attitudes when they call us for storage. Everyone is battening down the hatches and cleaning up before winter sets in. Here are some ideas to make winter simpler and clutter free:

• Clear out seasonal tools Prep your lawnmover and weedwacker for its annual hibernation and store it away for the winter months. No sense in tripping over hedge clippers until you need them again in the spring. Your garage and storage space will be nice and clean with easy access to your snowblower and shovels.
• Exchange decorations Swap Easter and Halloween items for your Christmas and holiday lights. Yard displays and lights have gotten bigger and better but they take up more space in the off-season. Rotating them in a storage unit can free up a lot of space and open up your closets.
• Clean out your closets Put away bathing suits and short sleeve shirts and replace them with sweaters and jackets. Closets space is always at a premium and it's silly to crowd the clothes and items you need with summer dresses and sandles that you won't use for months.

A little effort now can make your house feel bigger and more livable all winter. I'm a believer in the convenience and ease of mobile storage and we have lots of customers rotate their belongings every spring and fall. Get organized now and have a great fall and winter!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Storage tip: Baby your Breakables

Avoid telling horror stories at your next cocktail party and carefully pack your breakables when storing or moving. Pictures, mirrors, electronics and china all have special packing needs that you can do easily with the right supplies and a little care.

• Pictures and Mirrors Wrap pictures that are small and stand them on end in boxes. For larger ones, buy special picture moving boxes. Use foam or bubble wrap. It is cheap compared with reframing, damaged art or on a new pane of glass.
• Crystal, China, and Fine glassware Buy the boxes especially designed for these items with built in dividers. Pad and wrap each item with newspaper or foam. Label boxes with glass items and stack these on top. And add packing material to both the bottom and the top of the moving boxes.
• Electronic EquipmentUse the original boxes. If you don't have them, pack these items carefully and use cushion material. Bubble wrap, cushion foam, and even wadded up newspaper will help. Pack items separately. Tie down tone arms for record players. Stack record albums on end to prevent warping and use small boxes to hold down the weight. Consider the temperature as heat can warp CD's and record albums.

Most importantly, make sure everyone handling your belongings, does so with care. Research your mover or do it yourself. There are more options than ever that make self packing easy. The Mobile Self-Storage Association can help you find a local company and many offer some assistance. You can take your time packing the smaller, fragile items and get some help with the heavy stuff! Happy storing!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)

Storage tip: Save your furniture from unnecessary damage!

When you're moving or need to use a self storage facility, there are a couple tips to protect your furniture that will save you money and a headache in the long run. It painful to pay for storage only to find that your dining room table is ruined from dry rot or overrun with mold and mildew. These tips will help make your storage a success:

• Consider using climate-controlled self storage. Depending on your locale, wild temperature swings can be brutal on wood furniture. Many of the glues used are organic and can breakdown in high or low temperatures causing the joints fail.
• Disassemble bed frames and tie them together. Use zip- lock bags to store screws and bolt and tape them (with a high quality masking tape) to the items that they belong to.
• When you stack furniture, use blankets and pads to protect them from scratching.
• Moisture is a particular concern. Do not use plastic to cover items, especially in non-climate controlled units, as moisture can condense under it. Consider using sheets or cotton cloth. If you're using mobile storage, make sure the unit is built out of wood -- wood breathes and won't trap moisture like metal units or cause rust stains.
• Stand a mattress on its end with pallets or cardboard under them. Wrap mattresses in mattress bags or cover them with paper or cloth. This allows some air to circulate and prevents moisture problems and allows the mattress to "breathe"

Furniture has special needs. You may find free storage in a friend or family member's cellar, but there are hazards if you ignore the special needs of furniture and wooden pieces. Happy storing!

Christopher Johnston

FlexBox Mobile Storage

www.GoFlexBox.com

888 GoFlexBox (463-5392)