Some items are not as affected by heat or cold as others, and can be safely stored in garages or storage facilities with no real damage. However, it is best for most belongings to be stored in climate controlled storage. Heat can warp anything with wood or wooden parts, it can damage photos, it can cause clothing to grow mold or mildew, and it can ruin electronics. Cold can cause leather to crack. It can also damage electronics, and anything with moisture could crack or burst from freezing and expanding.
As you’re deciding if you need climate controlled storage for your possessions, ask yourself some of the following questions.
What is the variation in temperature where you live?
If it ever drops below 32 degrees or gets warmer than 90 degrees, you should definitely consider climate controlled storage, as those extremes in temperature can cause damage to many different types of items.
Do you live in a humid environment?
If so, you need climate controlled storage to avoid mold and mildew growth, as well as moisture damage to wood, paper products (books, files, etc.), or photos.
How long will you be storing your items?
The longer items will be in storage, the more important having a climate controlled environment will be to ensure your items are not damaged.
Answering these questions will help you decide what options are best for you. If you’re not properly storing things that are valuable to you, they will likely be damaged over time, which defeats the purpose of having stored them. Take care of the things you own, and they will last much longer.