A house only has a limited number of walls available for displaying paintings. When you have run out of space, but don't want to give up buying more pictures, finding a place to store them is on your to-do list. A storage unit is an ideal spot to put art as it is readily accessible without taking up any room at your home. You haven't hired a storage unit before, so you aren't sure how best to go about storing your paintings. These pointers will help store your precious art without them getting damaged.

Climate controlled storage

Climate controlled storage costs more than units which are not. However, since humidity is a major enemy of paintings, this extra cost helps prolong the life of your paintings while they are away from your home. In an uncontrolled unit, constant changes in temperature in the unventilated room lead to moisture. Moisture in a room increases the amount of humidity in the air. Left uncontrolled, excess moisture in the air encourages mould growth on your paintings, and that mould is difficult to remove without damaging the artwork. A climate controlled unit keeps the air at a set temperature, so that humidity and moisture do not get out of hand.

Location in storage

When you hire a storage unit, you must consider how to store the paintings within the facility. For example, concrete absorbs moisture from the soil beneath it, and that moisture damages artwork if you put them directly on the ground. You also want to make sure the paintings are not hung up on the walls of the storage unit. A unit which has an exterior wall absorbs heat, and that heat leads to cracked or warped frames.

Chose an adjustable storage rack for the unit with shelves set to a height high enough to store each picture. By using this method of storage, the picture lays flat on its own shelf without the weight of any other pictures pressing down on and damaging it.

Painting cover

Finally, be sure to cover or wrap each painting, so dust does not get a chance to pile up on the artwork. Use fabric for wrapping as the fibres create enough breathable holes for air to flow through. Plastic wrap is a bad choice for stored paintings as trapped air beneath the plastic cannot breathe. As it heats up and contracts within the storage unit, condensation forms. The moisture will drip directly onto the painting as it has nowhere else to go.

Now you know the best techniques for storing an art collection out of the home, you can start looking for a storage unit facility not too far from your home.