Posts

What To Consider When Moving With a Pet

/in , /by
Travel with pets Moving with pets

What To Consider When Moving With a Pet

At our self-storage facility, many of our staff are proud pet owners. It got me thinking—what should we consider when moving with our beloved furry friends or simply taking them out during these scorching summer days?

Preparing for pets is crucial because they need extra care to ensure they’re comfortable and safe, whether moving homes or enjoying a day out. As the temperatures rise, it’s essential to be equipped to keep your dog cool and protected. Here are some essential items to have on hand for your dog this summer:

  • Collapsible water bowl: A lightweight and portable option for keeping your dog hydrated during walks, hikes, or any outdoor activity. Easy to clean and store, ensuring your dog has access to water wherever you go.
  • Water bottle: You won’t always have access to water, so carry a full water bottle for you and your pet.
  • Dog-safe sunscreen: Protect their skin from harmful UV rays, particularly on sensitive areas like noses and ears.
  • Cooling vest or bandana: Helps regulate their body temperature in hot weather, ensuring they stay comfortable.
  • Paw wax or booties: Shields their paws from hot pavements and rough terrain, preventing discomfort or burns.
  • First aid kit: Include essentials such as bandages, pet-safe antiseptic wipes, and tweezers for any minor injuries or emergencies that may occur during your adventures.

Having these items ready ensures your furry friend stays happy and healthy throughout all your summer outings. Most of these items can be picked up at your local pet store.

Additionally, when near bodies of water, like rivers or lakes, it’s crucial to check for blue green algae before letting your pet into the water. This algae sits on top of the water and is seriously toxic to both you and your pets. If it’s safe to let your pet swim be sure to check your pet’s ears for any debris that could have gotten lodged during their cooldown.

Where do you prefer to take your pets to cool down?

~ Roberta Gordica

~ Sue Sage

 

A Guide to Summer Gear STorage

/in , /by
Storing Summer Toys

Guide to summer gear storage

As the sun-soaked days of summer fade on the horizon, they leave behind the simple joy of outdoor pursuits, from pedaling along scenic trails, to setting up camp, or gliding gracefully atop shimmering waters—summer gifts us with a multitude of cherished experiences.

Whether you are a biker, camper, or paddler, summer gives us great pleasure. All these wonderful activities lead to an accumulation of outdoor gear. What is your plan for storing it during the off-season?

In this guide, we delve into preserving these cherished adventures—cleaning, organizing, and storing your summer gear. It’s a journey that involves not just safeguarding your possessions but also ensuring that the magic of summer continues for years to come.

Summer Gear Storage Tips:

  1. Clean Your Equipment

After every summer adventure, it’s essential to clean your equipment thoroughly. Use warm water and mild soap to cleanse your gear, including tents and sleeping bags. Removing any dirt and ensuring they’re completely dry before storage is vital, particularly for preventing mold and mildew.

  1. Choose the Right Storage Containers

Long-term storage of tents and sleeping bags should be in breathable mesh bags or cotton bags like old pillowcases. Loosely fold these items for long-term storage instead of tightly rolling them. This allows airflow, preventing mold and mildew growth. Remember, compressing a sleeping bag for extended periods can damage its fill.

  1. Organize Smaller Items

Store smaller items like flashlights, matches, eating utensils, plates, cookware, and more in clear storage containers. This way, you can easily identify and access them when needed.

  1. Organize Water Gear

Choose a large container to hold wetsuits, life jackets, water shoes, and other water gear. This ensures they’re kept together and protected during the off-season.

  1. Follow Manufacturer Recommendations for Watercraft Storage

Store paddle boards, canoes and kayaks indoors so the winter weather will not degrade fiberglass, plastic, fabric or specially-coated wood hulls.

 

Pro Tip: keep a checklist stored with your equipment so you don’t forget anything for your camping trips. Your list should include all items you will typically want to bring along.

Many of our clients store their summer gear in the garage or a spare closet so they can quickly pack up the car for a weekend getaway. But if these items are filling your halls and other living spaces self storage is an option that comes in many sizes to accommodate these items in the colder months.

Call us now at Drayton Valley Storage where we prioritize your storage needs — 1-877-514-7525

 

How To Store In Dusty Climates

/in /by

 

Storing in a Dusty Climate

How To Store In a Dusty Climate

In Alberta we live in one of the driest climates on earth and a dry climate means dust — it’s in our homes
and inevitably it finds its way into our storage units. This year is particularly bad because of ash in the air
from the forest fires. No matter how well sealed a home or storage unit may seem, air circulation means
ash and dust will find its way in.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t protect your belongings from this hazard. With some planning and
protection, furniture items like couches, chairs, and tables can safely be kept in a storage unit.
If it’s wood furnishings you are storing, think carefully — if the item is made of delicate tropical wood or
it’s an antique then it’s best to store it somewhere with climate control. Old wood and tropical woods
are highly susceptible to cracking, warping, splitting, and breaking in extreme temperatures. The rule of
thumb is if it would be challenging and expensive to repair, find someplace with a consistent
temperature to store them. Once you have your delicate wood furnishings in a climate-controlled
environment place dust covers over them to minimize the amount of cleaning these items will require
when brought out of storage.
What’s the best way to store upholstered items? While this type of furniture doesn’t need climate
control for storage it is particularly susceptible to damage from ash and dust. Proper furniture covers
like sofa and chair covers are preferable but plastic dust covers also work. These covers can be
purchased for little cost and provide good protection for your belongings. Place one dust cover on the
floor to protect furniture legs from moisture. Then, cover the furniture with another dust cover.
Depending on the size of your dust cover you may need more than one to cover all furnishings,
particularly larger pieces like sofas, tall shelving units, or entertainment units.
These simple steps give furnishings some protection from ash and dust in the air as well as any potential
moisture leaching up through flooring or coming in under a door.

As our climate are becoming more volatile it is best practice to follow your local town/city office and Environment Canada for update information.

 

Pro Tips for Spring Cleaning

/in , /by

 

Tips for Spring Cleaning

How to get started Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning on Your Mind?

But Where to Start?

Experts say spring cleaning has several benefits — a clean home can improve your health and make you
happier. But were to start? Decluttering is the first step, but can be a daunting task. Here are a few
decluttering tricks from the staff at Drayton Valley Storage to help you get started.
1) Start by decluttering small spaces like a drawer or cabinet and as you gain confidence tackle
bigger spaces.
2) Set yourself up for success by tidying your home slowly in short, manageable spurts. For
example, aim to spend 20 minutes cleaning each day instead of doing it for an entire day or over
a weekend.
3) Honor your natural pace by cleaning as you go about your day. This can look like doing the
dishes immediately after cooking dinner or decluttering your closet while you put away your
laundry.
Do you have a sentimental attachment to items? As such, the thought of decluttering
your possessions may feel overwhelming. Here are some tricks to help you come to terms
with letting go of some belongings:
1) Try the one in, one out rule. This principle is simple yet surprisingly effective: For every new item
you bring into your home, something you already own must go.
2) Use the inverted decluttering technique coined by author Gretchen Rubin in her book “Outer
Order, Inner Calm.” Instead of focusing on items you want to keep, identify the worst or least
useful things you own. You’ll find clarity and satisfaction in singling out what no longer serves
you.

Spring Cleaning

Pro Tips for Spring Cleaning

 

3) Take a cue from author Emily Ley and ask yourself if an item is the best, favourite or necessary.
This will encourage you to ditch duplicates, hold on to the necessities, and appreciate the
fabulous stuff you already own.
4) Ask yourself if your possessions spark joy. Popularized by Japanese decluttering expert Marie
Kondo this strategy will help you evaluate whether to keep an item or get rid of it based on how
it makes you feel.
5) Use a cut-and-dry trick like the “90/90” rule. Coined by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan
Nicodemus of The Minimalists, with this rule you to ask yourself two questions: Have you used it
in the past 90 days? If not, will you use it in the next 90 days? If you answer “no” to both
questions, it’s time to let it go – gift it, donate it, or through it out.
What tip works to get you started on a decluttering or cleaning spree? Share those tips on our Facebook page.

Jumping The Self Storage Line

/in /by
Steps to storage

Planning your storage rental

Self storage businesses across Alberta have been getting busy. So, finding a storage unit at the
last minute has become much harder.
Here’s how to get a leg up on your fellow storage unit hunters.
As soon as you are aware that you need storage, start looking. It costs nothing to look around.
Remember price isn’t everything
Check reviews and also see how the business connects with its customers. Is communication
strictly online? Do calls go to a remote call center? Are staff knowledgeable about storage and
the local community?

Pro Tip:

Is there someone onsite if you need help? Moving and storing your belongings can be stressful
and having knowledgeable help available can make or break your storage experience.
Be flexible
Could you take a slightly bigger or smaller unit? Using an online storage calculator will help you
choose the right size for your belongings.

Pro Tip:

If there isn’t a storage unit in the size you need ask about making up the size you need by using
two smaller units.
Get your name on a waiting list
A good self storage business will call if you are on a waiting list and a storage unit comes
available.

Pro Tip:

There will be times when a unit comes available before storage staff get to people on the
waiting list. That is why keeping an eye on their website can be a huge advantage. Using the
storage company’s online rental platform can help you skip the waiting list, because you can
often move yourself in online before the storage unit is taken by another renter.
Start a conversation with the storage staff
Storage staff can take care of you over email or text to help you make the most of your time.
Also, don’t be afraid to call the storage office. Most offices don’t mind if you call and check in
from time to time. A good storage operator is there to do what they can to help you!

Protecting Items In Storage

/in /by

You’ve made the decision to place your items in storage and now that you have everything
ready go, here are some simple tips to protect what you are storing:

Confounded Condensation
Depending on the weather extremes and humidity in your area, it is possible for condensation
to build up on your stored goods which can cause water and mold damage. A good option to
avoid damage from prolonged moisture exposure is to put a plastic drop sheet on the floor of
your storage unit before placing items in the unit. Using pallets to put your belongings on is
even better, especially if you are storing goods for longer periods of time. Also, leave some
‘breathing space’ (about two finger widths) between stacked items so fresh air circulates
between your belongings.

Don’t Over Stack
When placing boxed items in storage, the temptation is to stack as high as you can reach. Boxes
are only designed to take so much weight and over time might give way under the stress of
over stacking. This can result in entire stacks toppling over. If the items in those boxes are
fragile… well, you get the point. You also need to consider your safety. For this reason, stacks
should only go as high as your natural reach…or the natural reach of the shortest adult
accessing the storage.

man holding up a pile of boxes

Protect your belongings in storage

Dreaded Dust
Nobody wants to open their unit and find that everything inside is now dust covered. All that
cleaning you did to prepare your goods for storage has been potentially wasted – and let’s face
it: dust is inevitable. So why not use a couple of inexpensive plastic drop sheets to help protect
your items? Drop sheets should be draped loosely around items to encourage air flow but offer
protection from fine dust.

By using these three tips, your stored goods should remain intact, dry and dust free. Be sure to
check out the retail items available for purchase at our locations to assist with your packing needs. We are here to help you through every step of your rental process.

You can access more information on our blog site such as the importance of cleaning before you store, as well as make use of our handy storage calculator to determine the correct unit size for your needs.

This YouTube video has a few great ideas on organizing a storage unit
Ron Heizelman – Site Manager, MHS

Christmas Storage Hacks

/in /by


It seems as though Christmas has only just arrived, but here we are thinking of ways to organize your decorations as you put them away.
Of course, our first answer would be to send it to us for safe keeping. But we know not everyone can do that, so we are happy to share some holiday storage hacks we use in our own homes. Read more

Protect Yourself – Fraudster’s Tricks and How To Avoid Them.

/in /by


I just received a phone call from Ontario, saying it was Servus Credit Union calling and that my SIN has been compromised and not to hang up as I would end up in JAIL!
I hung up. . .
In this day of heightened cyber crime being aware of how to protect yourself has become critical. Here are some tips to avoid falling into a fraudster’s trap.

Protect yourself

Read more

Seller’s Remorse

/in /by


Kids, grandma is moving in. It will be so great to have her living here.
Jill speaking to husband – John: What are we going to do with all of mom’s belongings? It won’t fit in the house and she has so much.
John speaking to Mother-in-law – Ethel: Why don’t we have a garage sale before you move. Jill and I can help, and of course Cathy and Cindy being teenagers can also help. This will teach them how to negotiate. Read more

How Self Storage can help during a new build or a renovation

/in /by


Is it time to add a little sparkle to your home? Are you planning to renovate? Homeowners plan to do some sort of renovations in their life time.
Doesn’t everyone dream about getting a fresh new look.  When it comes to renovation, we don’t talk about the stress that goes with it. We don’t talk about – the mess, people coming and going and where are we going to put everything. Regardless of what is being redone we can make your renovations a breeze.  Nobody ever thinks about self storage or even our Portable Storage containers. Don’t we just throw it in the other room and figure it out later? Read more