Tips On How To Store Things Safely In Your Basement
The most common uses for a basement is storage. After all, if you have a basement that is the entire size of your home’s floor plan, that can add some serious space to where you live! But nothing is worse than going to the basement to grab something, only to find it sopping wet, resting in a pool of water that has been there for an indeterminate amount of time. Basement waterproofing services from AA Action Waterproofing can definitely help prevent these types of situations, but it’s also useful to store your belongings in a smart way to avoid moisture, mold, and unwanted bugs to get into them.
Elevate Your Belongings
Instead of resting your things right on the floor of your basement, look into shelves or at least risers to keep things a few inches off the ground. If and when small amounts of water pool in your basement, they will likely end up on the ground. By setting your boxes directly on your basement floor, you’re also openly inviting water to soak through your boxes, belongings, furniture, and other items. Additionally, if you ever run into serious flooding (such as when Maryland experiences thaws from cold winters), you are less likely to experience issues with your items.
Use Air-Tight Plastic Containers
This seems like an obvious choice, but many people try to save money in their storage by using cardboard boxes. Obviously, cardboard soaks up water in an instant, thus making anything inside of it soaking wet. Plastic containers come in all sizes so you can keep most anything safe from moisture. They also have the added benefit of being clear, so it can essentially be easier to locate items you need.
Perform Routine Maintenance
We also encourage you to prepare rather than repair—it will save you considerable time and money in the long run. And one of the best things you can do is to continuously check in your basement and look at your belongings to make sure they’re still in pristine condition. If you go months or even years before taking a look at one part of your basement, you’re increasing your chances of being met with an unwanted surprise of moisture or mold.
Your belongings will also remain the safest in a basement that has been waterproofed professionally. If you’d like to get a free quote, give AA Action Waterproofing a call at 877-344-9654.