Storage | Drayton Valley Storage

What To Consider When Moving With a Pet

July 25, 2024/in Moving Related, Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

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

Spring Cleaning Reinvented

April 5, 2024/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

Spring Cleaning Reinvented

Ah, spring — the season of renewal and rejuvenation. As nature awakens from its winter slumber, so
does our desire to refresh our living spaces. At Drayton Valley Storage, we understand the importance
of refreshing your living space and it all starts with Strategic Decluttering. After all it’s so much easier to
clean away the cobwebs if there isn’t a lot of stuff in the way. Let’s explore some innovative ways to
make cleaning easier and maximize your living space with the help of self-storage solutions.

Seasonal Rotation:
Maximize your living space by rotating seasonal items in and out of a self-storage unit. Discover the
convenience of storing winter sports gear, holiday decorations, and bulky winter clothing during the
warmer months. Then when things cool down in the fall you can swap these items out and put your
summer sporting gear into the unit. This makes for effortlessly seasonal changes at home.

Creating Functional Spaces:
Need a home office, a playroom, or a workout space? Reclaim and live in every square inch of your
home and discover how storing rarely used items, such as off-season recreational equipment or
clothing, can open up new possibilities for organizing and decorating your home.

Couple Spring Cleaning

Home Renovation Solutions:
Are you planning a home renovation project? Self storage offers the ideal solution for safeguarding your
belongings during construction. Explore the peace of mind that comes with knowing your furniture,
electronics, and valuables are secure and protected in self-storage until your renovations are complete.
This April, embrace a clutter-free lifestyle by incorporating self-storage into your long-term organization
strategy. Discover how self-storage units provide a convenient solution for storing seasonal decorations,
sentimental keepsakes, and items with future use potential. With flexible rental options, you can enjoy
peace of mind knowing your belongings are safe and accessible whenever you need them.
Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a more organized and spacious home with Drayton Valley Storage.

If you are doing a large declutter while cleaning, don’t forget we can deliver a portable storage unit right to your door
Cleaning to be ready for a move? Keep in mind we have offices in Lacombe and Medicine Hat

Ways To Save On Self Storage

February 29, 2024/in Moving Related, Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

March into Savings

Maximize Savings this March with Drayton Valley Storage

Are you tired of cluttered spaces? Seeking a secure, hassle free solution to store your belongings? Look no further! At Drayton Valley Storage (DVS), we’re dedicated to providing you with top-notch storage solutions that not only meet your needs but also save you money.

Our Payment System Is Simple To Understand

March into savings with our monthly billing! Unlike our competition that bills on a 4 week cycle, meaning you make 13 payments a year, we offer one monthly payment. That extra payment might seem small, but it adds to the annual cost of your storage.

Transparent Pricing

At DVS there are no hidden fees and unexpected charges! At DVS, we believe in transparent pricing. That means no damage deposit, no insurance charges, no gate fob fees or sneaky additional costs. Avoid financial surprises and make it easy on your budget by storing with us.

Flexible Ways To Pay

You can pay online, in person or over the phone. We accept debit/credit cards and e-transfers. We can also set you up on auto pay so you avoid late fees.

Rent Just The Right Amount Of Space

Don’t pay for space you don’t need. Use our online storage calculator to determine just the right amount of space to store your belongings.

Flexible Move-Out options

Life is unpredictable, and plans can change at a moment’s notice. That’s why DVS offers the same-day notice to move out. Whether you need short-term storage or long-term storage, our flexible move out option caters to your changing needs.

Refer a New Client To Us and We’ll Pay You!

Refer friends and family to us and we’ll apply a $50 credit toward your account with us, or pay you cash. Don’t need the cash or credit? We’ll donate $50 to your favorite charity.

Family putting money into savings

Make the smart choice this March with DVS for all your storage needs. Experience savings, security, and convenience like never before!

Ready to declutter your space and save money? Contact us today to reserve your storage unit and embark on a journey towards a clutter-free life!

Remember, if life takes you out of Drayton Valley, we can pave the way at Lacombe Storage Center and Medicine Hat Storage

~ Gillian Sumpay

Storing Your Off Season Clothing

November 29, 2023/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

Organize Seasonal Clothing

As winter’s crisp air signals the changing season, it’s time to lavish attention on your wardrobe. Safeguarding and storing your clothes properly in the off season extends their lifespan ensuring a seamless transition the next season.
Clean Before You Store:
Before tucking away summer clothes and unveiling winter coats, prioritize cleanliness. Lingering stains
attract moths, and spills can set over time. Launder or dry clean your clothes, paying special attention to
those in direct contact with your skin.

Invest in Quality Storage Containers:
Opt for storage containers that thwart moisture and mildew. Plastic bins with tight-fitting lids are
optimal for dust and pest prevention. Consider adding an extra layer of protection with garment bags
for delicate items.

Use Natural Repellents:

Shield your winter wardrobe from pests using natural repellents. Place cedar blocks or lavender sachets
in storage containers for effective deterrence without resorting to harsh chemicals found in traditional
mothballs.

Mind the Humidity:
Combat moisture, the nemesis of stored clothes. Ensure adequate ventilation in your storage space and
use moisture-absorbing products, such as silica gel packets, to maintain a dry environment—crucial for
preventing mold, especially in natural fibres like cotton and wool.

Fold, Don’t Hang:
Preserve the shape of your knitwear by resisting the temptation to hang everything. Fold heavy
sweaters, and other knit items to maintain their shape during storage.
Pro Tip: Still prefer to hang your clothing while it’s in storage? Use padded hangers or wrap the triangle
portion of your hangers with bubble wrap before hanging garments. This trick helps prevent clothing
from stretching out of shape at the corners of hangers.

Bubble Wrapped Hanger

Rotate Your Wardrobe:
Adopt the habit of seasonal wardrobe inspection and rotation. Rediscover forgotten gems while
ensuring all clothes receive equal attention. Inspect clothing for damage then store out-of-season items
at the back of the closet or in storage containers.

Pro Tip: Safeguard against colour fading and brittle fabric by choosing a cool, dark storage space. If your
storage area has windows, use curtains or blinds to prevent sunlight exposure.

Being Environmentally Conscious is Good for Clothing:
Ditch plastic dry cleaning bags: they trap moisture that leads to musty odours. Instead choose
breathable fabric garment bags or cotton pillowcases to protect your clothes.
Pro Tip: Simplify retrieval of seasonal clothing by labelling and organizing storage containers by
category. This approach makes locating specific items easy without having to go through every box in
your storage unit.
Taking care of your clothing while it’s tucked away in storage ensures that your favourite cozy
sweater or cotton sundress will be ready when you reunite for a new season.

~ Gillian Sumpay

A Guide to Summer Gear STorage

September 23, 2023/in Moving Related, Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Should You Store Jewelry and Other Valuables in Self Storage

May 18, 2023/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

Keep valuables such as jewelry in a safe place

Should you store your jewelry in a storage unit

While self-storage facilities do have security, no security system is completely impervious to
professional thieves. Further your insurance and that of the self-storage operator may not cover valuable
jewelry left in a self-storage unit.
Also consider that jewelry and other collectables often require a special environment to help maintain
their condition. Jewelry, for example, is delicate and needs to be stored where the temperature does not
fluctuate. Temperature fluctuations can cause jewelry to become brittle and warp.
Self storage facilities are also not impervious to things like fires, flooding and tornadoes that can damage
irreplaceable valuables. Safety deposit boxes, however, are designed to withstand these natural disasters.
For these reasons, you are better off keeping jewelry and other collectables in a fire proof safe or safety
deposit box.

Keeping your jewelry and other valuables safe

At the very least store your jewelry in a secure location that is climate-controlled and can
provide protection against theft, pests, moisture, and other environmental hazards.
Pro Tip for storing jewelry: pack your jewelry in its original boxes or other soft containers to protect
them from scratches so these valuable retain their value for years to come.

If you are looking for other platforms for self storage, check out our LinkedIn page

Jumping The Self Storage Line

September 7, 2022/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

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!

Storage Tetris

July 14, 2022/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

How to pack a storage unit using Tetris ideas

How do you play? you ask. Well, we’re going to try to explain the best we can.
First rule in this game: When you rent a storage unit remember to get the right size. Too small or too large will mean your belongings don’t fit or you will wind up paying for empty space. A quick tip hear is to use our storage calculator.

Pro tip: Once you have rented the right sized storage unit put a plastic drop sheet on the floor to protect your belongings from moisture that can come up through concrete floors or underneath the roll up door.

Now it’s time to start packing your unit: Placing items like furniture and appliances should be considered first. The best way to play Storage Tetris is to put appliances and large furniture like couches against the far back wall first. Take the backs off loveseats and chairs (if they are designed to do so). This makes it so these furnishings can be stacked. This museum blog has some great ideas on packing.

Once you have those heavier items along the back wall of your storage unit it’s now time to place things like mattresses along the side walls.

Pro tip: put in mattress in mattress bags to protect them from damage during storage.
Place bigger heavier totes or boxes just inside where the mattresses are leaning against the wall. Next stack lighter weighted boxes onto of the larger ones.

Pro tip: to keep everyone accessing the storage unit safe only stack things as high as the shortest person can safely reach.

This is an unplanned storage unit

Work toward the center of the unit flowing forward. Remember to put items you will not be needing toward the back and items you will frequently need toward the front of the storage unit. As in the game of Tetris, fill gaps with similar shaped items to create tight stacks that maximize the space. Shelving units can be used to store boxes. This also helps free up the floor space for more awkward shaped items. Tis moving company blog has some great ideas too.

Pro tip: make sure to leave yourself a center isle.

Pro tip: Try not to place cardboard boxes near the front of the unit as rain and/or snow can leak in. Once you’ve got the unit loaded cover as much as you can with a dust cover to keep it clean and ready to use.

Now you are ready to pack and store your belongings successfully. Remember heavy items at the back along with items you won’t need any time soon and lighter or frequently needed items at the front.

Protecting Items In Storage

June 6, 2022/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

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.

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

Preparing Belongings For Storage

May 27, 2022/in Recent Posts /by SusanJane Sage

Prepare your belongings for storage

Before you pack your belongings into storage, you need to get them ready. From cleaning to taking inventory, here’s how to best prepare.

Purge
If you haven’t used something in a while or no longer want an item don’t waste money storing it. Sell it or donate it to someone who will make better use of the item.

Clean everything that’s going into storage
Before you put things into storage make sure they are clean. Why is this important? If you store something while it’s dirty, it’s only going to be worse for wear when you unpack it two, four, or twelve months later. Over time things that are stored dirty can acquire a musty smell, and stains can damage fabrics. A thorough cleaning will ensure that items don’t deteriorate while in storage. Our friends at the Uptown Laundry will have more info to help you too.

Pro tips:

Wash clothes and linens then store them in plastic bags to prevent mold and mildew.
Vacuum out the crevasses and wipe all furnishings then use an appropriate protective spray on leather and fabric upholstery. Wax wood furniture.
Wipe the inside and outside of appliances. If applicable, run a final wash cycle with vinegar. If you are storing a washer, make sure all tanks and hoses are drained. For fridges and freezers add a moisture absorbent substance like charcoal to help prevent odors.
Wipe all sporting goods and kids’ toys including plush toys. Store plush toys in plastic bags.

Inventory what you’re storing

Person taking inventory for self storage

Take inventory for self storage

While you are cleaning your belongings, write down what’s going to be stored. Why is this important? An inventory will help you determine what size storage unit you need and how to organize that storage unit.

Pro tips:

Our storage calculator web page allows you to enter an inventory of your belongings and calculates what size storage unit you need. You can also email this list to yourself right from our storage .
Add a brief description including the item’s brand, serial number, model number, and if there is any damage to your inventory list.
Email a copy of your inventory list to your property insurance agent and advise them that you are putting these items into storage. This will help ensure that you have coverage for these possession’s and speed up the claims process should disaster make this necessary.

Make sure you get the right size of storage unit
Our easy-to-use storage calculator does the math for you. Once you’ve entered an inventory of your possessions into the calculator the graph on the right side of this web page tells you what size storage unit you need. You can then go ahead and book your storage unit either by clicking on the button on our website, or if you need help you can call us and talk to someone in our office.

Pro tip:

Right now, we are experiencing high demand for storage units and have a waiting list for many sizes. Renting online allows you to quickly see and rent any size that is available. This is kind of like a gamer’s cheat code for self-storage. If the size you want isn’t available don’t give up. People come and go from self-storage units daily. So, call our office and get on the waitlist right away.
Self storage calculator

Now you will need to pack your belongings. How you pack an item determines how well it survives a move, storage and then being unpacked. Watch for our next blog — How to pack your belongings like a pro so they are in good condition when you take them out of storage.