If you have ever visited a museum and noticed how some of the documents there still have legible handwriting and are in relatively good condition despite being hundreds of years old, perhaps you’ve wondered what the secrets are for keeping your own valuable documents looking good for life. Many people have documents of personal value such as certificates and letters. Furthermore, you may be involved in a business that regularly collects and categorizes paper documents.
The first thing to realize is that environmental influences, such as heat, light and humidity are very damaging to documents. Furthermore, in the case of damage from light, it is both cumulative and impossible to reverse. Additionally, many people don’t even realize the damage is happening until it’s too late to do anything about it. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive rather than reactive when trying to protect important documents.
Ideally, the storage environment should be at or below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and have a relative humidity level between 35 and 50 percent. Fortunately, if you do not have a space in your residence or workplace that is suitable, it’s very easy to transport the documents that are meaningful to you and put them in a secure storage facility.
Going with that option allows you to rest assured the documents will be in a consistent environment that is free from temperature and humidity fluctuations, plus other threats such as moisture. Before taking your documents to the storage unit, make sure to put them in well-organized boxes. You may find plastic containers work best for your needs, since many designs offer a tight seal when the lids snap into place.
Before placing each document in the storage container, make sure it is completely dry. Additionally, bring some pallets or shelves with you to keep boxes of documents off the floor.
If you will need to access the stored documents on a regular basis, organize them strategically so the ones you are likely to use most often will be closest to the front of your storage facility. Furthermore, make sure all labeled sections of the boxes face outwards so you will know immediately what each container has in it.
Finally, when handling the documents, only do so when you have clean and dry hands. Do not touch the papers if you have recently used hand cream or soap and think that some remnants may still be on your hands. For further information about climate controlled storage in Raleigh residents can click here.
The first thing to realize is that environmental influences, such as heat, light and humidity are very damaging to documents. Furthermore, in the case of damage from light, it is both cumulative and impossible to reverse. Additionally, many people don’t even realize the damage is happening until it’s too late to do anything about it. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive rather than reactive when trying to protect important documents.
Ideally, the storage environment should be at or below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and have a relative humidity level between 35 and 50 percent. Fortunately, if you do not have a space in your residence or workplace that is suitable, it’s very easy to transport the documents that are meaningful to you and put them in a secure storage facility.
Going with that option allows you to rest assured the documents will be in a consistent environment that is free from temperature and humidity fluctuations, plus other threats such as moisture. Before taking your documents to the storage unit, make sure to put them in well-organized boxes. You may find plastic containers work best for your needs, since many designs offer a tight seal when the lids snap into place.
Before placing each document in the storage container, make sure it is completely dry. Additionally, bring some pallets or shelves with you to keep boxes of documents off the floor.
If you will need to access the stored documents on a regular basis, organize them strategically so the ones you are likely to use most often will be closest to the front of your storage facility. Furthermore, make sure all labeled sections of the boxes face outwards so you will know immediately what each container has in it.
Finally, when handling the documents, only do so when you have clean and dry hands. Do not touch the papers if you have recently used hand cream or soap and think that some remnants may still be on your hands. For further information about climate controlled storage in Raleigh residents can click here.