Your attic seems like the perfect place to tuck away all those items you don’t want cluttering up your house. From seasonal clothing and holiday decorations to old yearbooks and family photo albums, we all have items that we aren’t ready to part with and are in need of a permanent home. Thanks to the roomy space they provide, an attic may seem like the perfect place to stash these belongings.

However, because of the temperature fluctuations, humidity, and critters that might be lurking up there, the attic is not an ideal storage space for a number of items. If you want your personal belongings to survive, you need to be cautious about where you store them. 

Here are a few items that should never be stored in the attic.

Photographs

Photo albums, portraits, and any special pictures should never be stored in the attic. That means your box of priceless family photos needs to be relocated. The temperature variations in most attics range from extreme heat to extreme cold and this fluctuation can be damaging to photographs and film. Instead, your photographs should be stored in a dry, climate-controlled environment such as in a closet or under a bed.

Books, Magazines, and Important Papers

Your old book collection, magazines, and important documents are off limits for the attic. These items are sensitive to heat, humidity, bugs, and even light. Heat and humidity can cause the pages to warp and the book covers to crack. Light and humidity can also cause discoloration and even mildew on papers. Books and papers can also attract moths, silverfish, and even mice looking to chew through the pages. When looking for a place to store your books, you should look for a climate-controlled unit. 

Anything Made of Fabric or Leather

Many people choose to store meaningful fabrics such as old dresses, baby clothes, quilts, or out of season clothing in the attic. However, the heat and humidity can seriously damage these items, not to mention moths and mice might chew through them. Stuffed animals, mattresses, rugs, upholstered furniture, and even leather furniture fall into this category as well. Leather will crack and discolor in these conditions while other fabric and upholstery can fall victim to moths, bugs, or rodents looking for a place to hide.

Wooden Furniture

Are you looking for a place to store Grandma’s antique table? Unfortunately, the attic is not the ideal storage space for wooden furniture. Heat and humidity can cause the wood to expand, crack, mold, and mildew. You want to find a cool, dry space to safely store your wooden furniture.

Records and Musical Instruments

If you are a vinyl record collector, you want to protect your unique collection. That means you want to avoid storing your old records in the attic. The extreme temperatures and humidity can damage the records and their album covers. Likewise, you never want to store musical instruments in your attic. While it may be tempting to stash your old drum set or guitar in the attic, the fluctuation in temperature will cause the wood to expand and contract which can seriously damage it over time.

Electronics

Perhaps you have an old computer or TV that you aren’t ready to pitch. Unless you plan on them never working again, you should avoid storing them in your attic. Electronics are not built to withstand extreme temperatures and their inner workings will overheat and warp if left in intense heat.

Paint

If you want to save that extra paint for future use, you better avoid storing it in the attic. Otherwise, your paint job might turn into a disaster. Both heat and cold can change the consistency of paint. It requires a dry, climate-controlled environment for proper storage.

When it comes to the items listed above, climate-control is the key ingredient. In order to preserve those items, they need to be stored in a dry, climate-controlled space. Understandably, not everyone has loads of extra space in their closets and under their bed. That’s why it can be beneficial to utilize a climate-controlled portable storage unit. Smartbox Moving and Storage provides the perfect solution for your storage needs. You can still enjoy the beauty of a clutter-free home while also ensuring your personal belongings are safely stored out of the way.

If you’re looking for a solution to properly store these items and more, consider temperature controlled portable storage.