The Best Ways To Store Items In A Basement

Many families use their basement as a storage area that is often accented by more living space. While using the basement is a great way to free up space in the rest of the house, it can also be risky. Even if your basement has not flooded in the time you have owned it, you never know when conditions will change and your basement will be filled with water. Instead of having your possessions ruined, you can follow these simple tips to keep your items safe while storing them in the basement.

Use Polyethylene Containers

When people put items into storage in the basement, they will usually put their items in cardboard boxes for safe keeping. The problem is that the items in those cardboard boxes are usually the first to get ruined when the flood waters arrive. If you are going to store items on your basement floor, then use polyethylene storage boxes instead. They are not sealed to be waterproof, but they offer a lot more protection from the moisture than cardboard.

Wooden Pallets

If you do insist on storing items on the floor of your basement, then get some old wooden pallets and put the items on the pallets instead. Pallets are convenient because they will support a good amount of weight, and they will keep your belongings directly off the cold and wet basement floor.

Shelves

When it comes to protecting items in your basement, few solutions are more effective than shelving units. Set up plastic shelves in your basement and put concrete blocks or metal weights at the bottom to keep the shelving unit stable. From there, you can safely pile up your items on your plastic shelves, and keep them away from the rising waters that could someday fill your basement.

Hanging From The Ceiling

A majority of basements have wooden ceilings, which can be used as an anchor for overhead storage. You can build shelves that hang from your basement ceiling, or you can put up hooks and use baskets to protect your belongings. Not only will you be getting your items out of harm’s way, but you can also use decorative baskets to give your basement some color.

The idea of using the basement as storage space can help to free up the rest of the house and solve a lot of problems. But if you do not take the proper precautions to protect your items from possible water damage, then storing your possessions in your basement could wind up being a very bad idea.