20 Jul Why Kamloops Self Storage Units are Still Better than Portable Storage Containers
If you’ve ever considered Kamloops self storage units, you may have also thought about portable storage containers (the kind that are dropped off at your curb and picked up). While we may have a vested interest in suggesting that self-storage units are better, we’ve also heard our customers’ opinions on the subject. Portable storage containers or “pods” (Portable On-Demand Storage) work for some people, but you should be aware of the pitfalls that can be associated with this type of storage.
What is a Self Storage Unit or Self Storage Locker?
The terms “self storage unit” and “self storage locker” are typically used interchangeably. A self storage unit denotes a storage area that is self-contained (fully enclosed) and has its own door. Our self-storage units at Valleyview Mini Storage have full walls, a ceiling and a heavy-gage steel roll-down door.
Each self storage locker is located within our secure, climate-controlled storage facility and monitored by video surveillance cameras 24/7. Only clients with a key card issued by Valleyview can access their self storage unit.
What is a Pod?
A pod is a portable storage container that is dropped off at your location. You load it and it’s picked up and brought to the storage facility, where your items usually remain in the pod, stacked amongst other pods.
Kamloops Self Storage vs. Storage Pods
Convenience
While pods initially provide convenience because they are brought to your door, there are several drawbacks. You cannot leave a portable storage container on the street (where they are often dropped off) for very long, if at all, depending on the local bylaws and/or access to street parking. Your neighbours may also get annoyed, you risk a break in, and with some companies, you may have to pay more if you take longer to load the container for pick up than planned.
With our storage units, you load it when you like, on your schedule. Our storage facility is also located conveniently for Kamloops residents, just off the Trans Canada Highway at the Valleyview Shopping Centre.
Climate Controlled
Pods are not climate controlled. Often made of steel or aluminium, portable storage containers can become very hot in the summer months and freezing cold in the winter. This can cause damage to your valuable contents. Some pods consist of wood or light-duty metal frame construction and/or bases, with vinyl covers that are not very secure, nor suited to extremes of temperature and moisture.
Self storage units at Valleyview Mini Storage are indoors and climate controlled. Our storage lockers are kept dry and humidity is monitored and adjusted automatically to ensure contents are protected from extremes of heat, cold and moisture.
Weatherproof
A typical pod container is constructed with aluminium covered wood walls and roof and may have doors fitted with rubber gaskets. However, they are not water impermeable, which is a real concern during damp weather. If you are considering a portable storage container, be sure to check how weatherproof they really are. Most pod container companies recommend and sell additional contents insurance coverage, which does not instill confidence in the weatherproofing of their storage containers. Be sure to read the fine print because contents coverage does not necessarily cover water damage. Monthly premiums for contents protection can add tens to hundreds of dollars per month to your monthly pod rental, depending on the amount of coverage you purchase.
Our storage lockers are completely weatherproof because they are located within a purpose-built mini storage building.
Secure
Depending on the company you choose, storage pods or containers may not be very secure. Always check the storage container’s security features. Find out what kind of locks they use. The longer your container remains in front of your home the more vulnerable it is to a break in. Also find out whether the drop-off container is stored outside, in a roofed but open hangar, or within a secure warehouse.
Valleyview Mini Storage is a secure building. Our storage units cannot be accessed even if thieves get into the facility, nor are they visible from the streets, or accessible by breaching a perimeter door, wall or window. As mentioned, only clients have keycard access and our storage facility is monitored 24/7.
Easy Access
With many portable storage container companies, you must call 24 to 48 hours in advance to gain access to your stored items, to give the storage company time to locate and move your container out of the stacks of containers. This can make adding or removing your items to or from storage every inconvenient.
Valleyview storage lockers are accessible 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week without notice.
Multiple Sizes
Pods come in a very limited range of sizes, and few, if any portable storage container companies can match the varying sizes offered by Valleyview Mini Storage. We have 45 different sizes of self storage units to accommodate nearly every storage need.
Questions About Self-Storage Units?
If you have questions about our Kamloops self-storage, read our FAQ or contact us and speak to one of our helpful staff.