If you actually think about the daily use a couch receives, you start to get an idea of how durable it has to be. It supports the weight of multiple people on a daily basis, for many hours at a time (those Netflix binges take up quite a bit of time, after all). Its upholstery can handle sweat and the occasional spill, and while it might need to be cleaned every now and then, it bounces back easily enough. It's easy to forget that when you might not be sitting on it for awhile, your couch might need some extra protection. What happens to your couch when it needs to go into a storage unit?

Not Quite Invulnerable

The durability of a couch makes it easy to forget that it's not quite invulnerable. So when it needs to go into self storage for an extended period of time, what do you need to do? Maybe you need to place it on a wooden pallet so it's not in direct contact with the ground and put a plastic drop sheet over it to make sure that it's protected from dust. Yes, you certainly should do these things, but this might not be enough.

The Elements

Many self storage units are susceptible to damage from the elements. Sure, they're protected from the sun and rain, and this is kind of the point, but what about the humidity? It can be more humid inside an enclosed space with no ventilation than it is outside. The humidity simply becomes trapped inside, and while your couch is robust, it's not so though that it can handle months inside such an environment.

Relative Humidity

A climate-controlled storage unit is going to be a little more expensive than a traditional one, but it's a worthy investment. Controlling the relative humidity inside a storage unit that will contain an upholstered item over a wooden frame (so this can include other items of furniture too) will ensure that the item is not slowly degraded due to mold and mildew, which can easily arise as the result of trapped moisture in the very air inside the unit. 

As Good As When It Went In

When your upholstered furniture is stored inside a unit where the temperature and humidity is regulated, it's going to come out in the same condition as when it went in. This cannot be guaranteed with a traditional storage unit. Yes, it's slightly more expensive, but it's not as expensive as having to replace all your upholstered furniture.

No matter how durable your couch might be, it might not quite be strong enough to spend several months inside an enclosed space without climate control.

To learn more about climate-controlled storage, contact a self storage facility in your area.