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1. All gear should be "water free" prior to its storage – moisture in storage can wreak havoc on all of your toys; it can mildew and weaken rubber inner tubes and synthetic rafts. Be certain you allow your toys to "dry out" prior to considering how and where to best store them;
2. Convenience – although you will not need to retrieve your rafts or jet ski until next spring, ease of accessibility remains a factor year round. For example, if you are thinking about storing your jet ski on a trailer in your garage, will your car fit, too? Or will one of those valuable vehicles have to remain parked outside, in the elements, for the next six months? Are you considering storing those tubes and rafts in the attic? Will you have to maneuver around them when its time to get the holiday decorations down?
3. Safety – will your jet ski, sitting in your driveway, on a trailer hitch with a tarp over it, be the smartest, safest option?
4. Temperature – dry-rot is the enemy of all things fun, including water toys. Temperature fluctuations in attics and garages can adversely affect everything from your water skis (warping) to your rafts and tubes. Climate and/or humidity-controlled storage is the ideal choice for ensuring your gear "re-emerges from hibernation" in the same, pristine condition it was in the previous season;
5. Space – can be a premium in any home. Many things are relegated to the garage for storage: bicycles, lawn care equipments (mowers, weed whackers, etc.), and of course, cars. And, these things generally take priority over the water toys for the simple reason they are used throughout the year. So…where do summer's water toys go for the winter months? ch_client = "articlealley"; ch_type = "mpu"; ch_width = 590; ch_height = 250; ch_color_title = "006699″; ch_color_site_link = '006699′; ch_noborders = 1; ch_vertical ="premium"; ch_sid = "590x250_Article_New_2nd"; var d = document.getElementsByTagName('span'); ch_queries = []; for(var x = 0; x < d.length; x++) { if(d[x].className && d[x].className.match(/^yell$/i)) { var a = d[x].getElementsByTagName('a'); for(var i = 0; i < a.length; i++) { var v = ''; if(a[i].textContent) { v = a[i].textContent; }else{ v = a[i].innerText; } v = v.replace(/(^s*)|(s*$)/g,''); v = v.replace(/^([W]*)/,''); if(v && !v.match(/^home$/i)) { ch_queries.push(v); } } break; } } ch_selected = Math.floor(Math.random() * ch_queries.length); if(ch_selected == ch_queries.length) ch_selected–; ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected];
Consider self storage. Your local self storage facility can address all of the concerns outlined above, because "extra space solutions" is their business! Many offer 24-hour accessibility and security, as well as on-site management, which provide you with convenience, safe storage and peace of mind. In addition, an increasing number of these facilities now offer climate controlled (and in some cases, humidity-controlled) units, making all of Mother Nature's "threats" (rain, heat/sun, wind, etc.) a moot point.
In addition to the safety and convenience, you can lease the exact space you need – no more or less – ensuring your gear will remain scratch/dent free…something you cannot get from that sliver of space you were considering in the garage!
So, once you've dried those tears – and your water toys – visit your conveniently-located self storage facility and find out what kind of space they have to offer!
Tony Gonzalez has enjoyed a prosperous career in general contracting but has decided to complete his college degree in – of all things – sociology – and enjoys blogging about his daily observations of our "human society" and other musings about life and people. He has a particular interest around the shifting economy and how society reacts to downsizing changes, not only in the "contracting" world, but in the areas of moving/storage/rental, etc.
Tony has an interest in all things storage. Tony is an expert on self storage in
Houston.
