Heated or unheated storage: what actually needs the heat.

Some things need a heated building to survive a winter in storage. Others are perfectly happy parked outside. Here is how to tell which is which.

What cold does

Two things happen to belongings in an unheated space over a Boundary winter. Anything containing water freezes and expands. And every time the temperature swings, moisture in the air condenses on cold surfaces, then dries, then condenses again. Freezing cracks things. The wet-dry cycle warps wood, spots fabric, corrodes metal and gets inside electronics. A heated building holds the temperature above freezing and takes most of the swing out of the cycle. It is not a humidity-controlled vault, so you still pack sensibly, but it removes the two forces that do the damage.

Belongs in a heated unit

• Anything with a screen or a circuit board. Televisions, computers, printers, stereo equipment, power tools with batteries. Condensation is what kills them.
• Wood furniture and instruments. Solid wood, veneer, pianos and guitars move with temperature and humidity. Joints loosen, veneer lifts, finishes crack.
• Upholstery, mattresses, leather and clothing. Damp plus cold plus time equals mildew and a smell that does not leave.
• Paper and photographs. Documents, books, photo albums, artwork. They absorb moisture, stick together and foxing sets in.
• Business records and inventory. If you would be upset to open the box and find it damp, it goes inside.

Fine outdoors in the compound

• RVs, boats and trailers that have been winterized. See the winter checklist.
• Cars, trucks and work equipment.
• A shipping container you own, and whatever you have packed inside it to your own standard.

Some things shrug off the cold but still need a roof and a lock: metal tools, plastic bins of hardware, camping gear, patio furniture, tires. They do not need heat to survive, but they do not belong in an open yard either. Our indoor lockers are all heated, so they go inside with everything else.

Packing for a heated unit, so it stays that way

Heat keeps the building above freezing. Your packing does the rest.

1. Boxes off the concrete. Pallets, a plastic sheet, or a layer of two-by-fours.
2. Wrap upholstered furniture and mattresses in breathable covers, not plastic. Plastic traps the moisture already in the fabric.
3. Leave an inch between stacked items and the wall so air moves.
4. Drain and dry anything that has held water before it goes in: washers, coolers, garden hoses.
5. A couple of moisture absorbers in a sealed unit go a long way for the cost.

The honest answer

If it has wheels or a hull and it has been winterized, it belongs in the compound. Almost everything else belongs indoors, and every indoor locker here is heated, so there is no cheaper cold locker to weigh it against. Most households have a mix, and the answer is a heated locker for the boxes and furniture plus a compound spot for the vehicle or trailer. Both are behind the same gate here, with level drive-up entry to the indoor units.