| Category | Requires Climate Control | Safe for Standard Storage |
| Furniture | Solid oak or mahogany antiques, leather sofas, and upholstered armchairs. | Plastic garden furniture, metal bed frames, and flat-pack MDF. |
| Electronics | Laptops, DSLR cameras, and LED TVs (prevent internal damage). | Kettle, toaster, and basic power tools (if oiled). |
| Media/Hobby | Vinyl records, acoustic guitars, oil paintings, and stamp collections. | Board games, plastic toys, and ceramic crockery. |
| Linens & Fabrics | Curtains, winter coats, wedding dresses, and wool rugs. | Sleeping bags and synthetic sports gear in vacuum bags. |
| Paperwork | Original deeds, family photo albums, and degree certificates. | Catalogues or non-essential books in lidded plastic crates. |
| Personal Effects | High-end cosmetics, perfumes, and designer handbags. | Kitchen glassware and stainless steel cutlery. |
Stopping the “Damp & Dry” Cycle
The biggest problem with the UK weather isn’t that it rains a lot and is gloomy; it’s that it’s inconsistent. You will see significant fluctuations between damp, wet conditions and dry conditions, which can damage a wide range of items.
- Condensation: When warm air comes into contact with cold surfaces, water droplets form. This is how you end up with mildew on clothes or mould on the back of picture frames.
- Expansion/Contraction: Wooden items such as furniture and instruments will warp or crack because the wood fibres swell and shrink.
Which Items are the Most Susceptible to Damp and Dry Conditions?
Natural wood is particularly susceptible to damp and then drying. This warps the material and causes damage. Typical wooden items include furniture, musical instruments, outdoor items being stored, and sculptures.
Electronics can be completely damaged and unusable if they are left in hot and then cold conditions. Cold conditions can damage batteries and the internal components of electronics. Damp and dry conditions can cause condensation to form on parts, damaging or destroying sensitive, functional parts.
Why Isn’t a Standard ‘Dry’ Unit Enough For My Items?
You can still have dry storage units, but if they aren’t temperature-controlled, then you can still have high relative humidity. The damn maritime climate in the North East means that even if there isn’t a leak in a regular storage unit, moisture can still settle on your stored items. When temperatures drop at night, that moisture condenses. This “cycling” is what causes wood to warp, metal to rust, and the dreaded “musty” smell in fabrics.
I’m Only Storing for a Few Months. Do I Still Need This?
Yes, especially with the change of seasons. Significant humidity swings are the perfect conditions for damaging your items if they aren’t stored in a secure, controlled environment. If you have high-value items or sentimental items, it’s always worth storing them professionally rather than risking them. You may also run the risk of insurance problems over “preventable damage” depending on your home insurance policy. This is where damage is deemed “avoidable”, so you can’t make a claim on any items that lose value or become damaged over time without intervention.
Is Climate Control right for you? Ask yourself:
- Can it grow mould? (Clothing, Paper, Leather)
- Can it rust or corrode? (Electronics, Tools, Silver)
- Does it expand or contract? (Wood furniture, Pianos)
- Is it irreplaceable? (Family photos, Antiques)
Do You Provide More Than Just the Storage Space?
Absolutely. As a full-service removals company, we can handle the entire process. We offer collection and delivery: we can pick up your items and bring them to our facility. Professional Packing: Our team uses high-quality materials to ensure items are “storage-ready.”Furniture Disassembly: We can dismantle large items to save you space (and money) in your unit, then reassemble them when you move out.
Storage in Northumberland is very important to keep your items safe. Specifically with perishable and vulnerable items, you will want to keep them secure but in a controlled environment.
Ashington Removals says: “When you’re storing items in the North East, you aren’t just fighting for space; you’re fighting the elements. Our purpose-built facility is specifically designed to be clean, dry, and humidity-controlled. We ensure that every unit is monitored for temperature and moisture to prevent the damp and condensation that typically plague standard outdoor containers. Whether it’s family heirlooms or business items, ‘dry’ isn’t enough; they need to be in a humidity-controlled environment that protects them from both damp and dry conditions, as well as humidity fluctuations.
