Attic Storage Safety Hazards
In our last two posts, we’ve talked about storage safety hazards in the garage and your closets. Hopefully you found some insights in those posts and were able to rearrange your home to make it safer and easier to find what you need, when you need it. At EZ Storage® in Detroit, we’re to provide an affordable self-storage unit whenever you need, and we can help you find the ideal space for your belongings.
In this post, we’ll look at some attic storage safety hazards and how you can store things safely in the topmost level of your home. If you’re interested in moving some things out of your attic and into a local storage space, please feel free to contact us right away.
Too Much Weight in One Spot
A chief hazard in many attic storage spaces is not distributing the weight of your items. If there’s too much weight in one spot, or you have heavy items stored where there’s not enough support underneath, you could risk items falling through the ceiling of the room below. It can be better to store heavier items in the garage or basement, especially if you don’t have easy access to your attic.
You always want to check the integrity of the attic floor to make sure it can withstand anything you store. Heavy boxes, furniture, and other items might put too much strain on the floorboards, so be very careful when setting things down. If the attic doesn’t have a floor — and many don’t — you may want to put down some plywood or temporary flooring to help hold the weight of any items kept in the attic.
Water Damage
One hazard every homeowner should be aware of in their attic is a roof leak. If it’s been quite a few years since you’ve had the roof replaced, or a recent storm came through and took some shingles off the roof, it’s imperative that you check for any leaks. Water that gets inside your home can not only compromise the integrity of your roof and walls, but can also damage any items you have stored in the attic.
Many people store family heirlooms, photographs, and other sentimental belongings in the attic, and the last thing you want is to go up there after a thunderstorm to find boxes of mementos soggy with water. Plastic tubs are often a much better option to protect against water damage, as long as they seal tightly. The best way to avoid any issues is to patch any leaks as soon as possible.
Traversing the Attic
The third hazard to consider when storing things in your attic has more to do with your personal safety than with the safety of your belongings. It’s important to be very careful when accessing and traversing the attic, since one wrong step can cause you to put your foot through the floor, or worse, fall through completely. If all you have are beams to walk on, consider putting down more plywood or flooring that you can use while navigating the attic. This can reduce the risk of injury, and it will make it easier to get to the boxes or tubs you need.
If your attic isn’t easy to access, think about adding a set of pull-down steps or a pull-down ladder. This can be much safer than bringing in a step ladder and trying to climb through a small hole in the ceiling of your hallway or bedroom. You may need to widen or elongate the access point to accommodate the new steps or ladder, but this can make it much safer to carry boxes up into the attic or bring things back down when you need them.
Find Self-Storage Today
If you have things stored in your attic, take the time to assess how safely they’re stored and how easy they are to access. You might feel that the attic is starting to get a bit cluttered, and if that’s the case, then EZ Storage® can help you find the right self-storage solution. When you visit one of our many Detroit-area locations, you can choose the appropriate unit size for your belongings.
Once you’ve rented a storage space, you can access it on any day of the year. Our staff members and resident managers are always available to answer any questions you have about our facilities, our storage units, and more.
We look forward to seeing you soon!