Whether you've recently inherited some furniture after the death of a loved one or you're constantly changing the look of some of the rooms in your home, you might have a selection of furniture that exceeds your storage capabilities. The simple answer is to rent space at a local self-storage business and relocate the furniture items to this temporary new home for short- or long-term storage. While the process is easy, it's not as simple as just loading the unit with your items. For optimal longevity, here are some storage tips that are worth keeping in mind.

Ensure You Can Control The Humidity

When you're selecting a storage unit at the facility, make sure that it has the ability to have its humidity set. This is integral when you'll be storing wooden furniture. If the air is too dry or moist, the wood can shrink and expand, which can result in cracking. Ideally, you should ensure that the humidity in your unit can be kept within the 25 percent to 35 percent range.

Take Apart What Items You Can

You'll be able to maximize your available storage space by disassembling as many of your pieces of furniture as possible. Begin by taking apart newer items; they're often easier to disassemble than furniture that is older. Carefully inspect older items before disassembling them so that you're sure you'll be able to put the pieces together again. Set all the hardware from each item aside, place it in a zipper-top bag and tape the bag to the underside or back of the appropriate furniture item.

Use Protective Materials

To ensure that your furniture doesn't get damaged while you're moving things around in the unit, use a variety of different protective materials to keep each item safe. Many self-storage businesses sell packing material, so you can get bubble wrap, moving blankets or clear plastic wrap from the facility's on-site rental office. Each of these materials can help to protect the finish on your furniture, especially things such as tables, shelves and desks that could get easily scratched when you're loading the unit.

Keep Items Directly Off The Floor

While the risk of a flood in your storage unit should be low, you want to take precautions to reduce the chance of water damaging your furniture. A simple solution is to buy some wooden pallets and line the floor with them. Stacking your furniture items on the pallets keeps several inches between the floor and your items, which means that even if there were to be a minor flood, your furniture would stay dry. Contact a company like AAA Flying Trolley Self Storage to learn more.