Most homeowners know how to prepare their home and belongings for the winter months, but what do you do with your backyard furniture? Warm summer nights out under the stars, enjoying a family barbecue or roasting marshmallows over an open fire – all those chairs, couches, lounge chairs and tables sure came in handy when you were hanging out outdoors. You owe it to yourself and your investment in your furniture to protect your belongings in winter.
Tips for Protecting Outdoor Furniture
There are a few things you can do to protect your outdoor furniture. Even if the first snowfall has already occurred, there is still time to prevent your furniture from getting damaged in the snow and ice of winter. Start by cleaning off your furniture, removing any leaves (or snow) that might have accumulated already for the season and stack everything up in a dry spot. Some people will store their items outside or in a garage, but a self-storage unit is really the best option for storage to fully protect your investment.
Covering your furniture is the next step. Purchase a tarp or a special cover made for the type of furniture that you have. You can usually get these at your local home improvement and hardware stores, or by ordering special covers direct from the dealer. The more that you can do to protect your belongings in winter, even if they are in a self-storage unit, the longer life you will get out of your investment.
Keeping them free of dirt, dust and debris in the fall and when you transport them for furniture storage in Fall River, will also make retrieving them and setting them up again when the weather warms up that much easier. You can do the same thing with other items that you normally keep outside in the spring and summer months. A self-storage unit can be used to hold lots of things that you won’t be using in the winter to make room for other things that you will want close at hand.
Making Room at Home
Even if you already have a garage or shed at home, transferring your winter items and summer items back and forth to your self-storage unit can be extremely beneficial. Equipment, such as snow blowers, shovels and outdoor heaters, won’t be very useful in the summer. On the other hand, equipment that is used in the summer, such as a lawn mower, edger and other landscaping equipment, will be in your way when you need to quickly gain access to your winter weather tools.
Planters and pots, as well as other gardening items, can also be safely stored along with your furniture storage in Fall River. Empty out the pots, adding the dirt and plant remnants to your compost pile. Clean them out, dry them and prepare them to put into your self-storage unit. Ceramic pots and planters should always be stored indoors. However, even larger planters that are sold as being all-weather, should be cleaned and put away if they are not in use.
Other Seasonal Items
In addition to outdoor furniture, there are other outdoor items that should be considered when you protect your belongings in winter. A barbecue grill can get ruined if left out in the elements unprotected for any length of period. Before storing, your grill should be cleaned, covered and the propane tank or any other fuel source should be disconnected and removed. While you cannot store a fuel tank at Affordable Storage in Fall River or any other type of self-storage unit, you can keep this in your garage, which will take up much less space than the entire grill.
Holiday decorations for the winter months can be swapped out to make room for lawn decorations used in the summer. Keeping your garage and shed free of these items will make it easier for you to access all of your equipment year-round whenever you need it without having to empty the entire space just to get to that snow blower or lawn mower when the seasons change. Hoses, bird baths, fountains and other items that could freeze up, crack or become damaged in the freezing temperatures should also be cleaned, covered and put away.
Best Furniture Storage in Fall River
Store your outdoor furniture, equipment and other residential items at Affordable Storage in Fall River. Choose from a wide variety of self-storage unit sizes and shapes – you can even take advantage of RV, vehicle, boat and other large item storage opportunities. Protect your belongings in winter and keep them safe from all the punishing weather of Southeastern Massachusetts. Visit Affordable Storage in Fall River or take a look at their self-storage unit rentals and truck rentals options online.