How Do You Keep Sensitive Items Safe from the Cold?
Wrap temperature-sensitive items in protective covers and store them off the floor on pallets or shelving to protect against cold damage. Electronics, musical instruments, vinyl records, photographs, and certain fabrics like leather and silk can all be affected by sustained cold temperatures. Batteries drain faster, LCD screens can develop dead pixels, and leather can dry out and crack when exposed to prolonged cold. In a storage container during a Northumberland winter, temperatures can drop significantly overnight even if the days are mild. The good news is that our modern newbuild containers at EXO Storage in Cramlington are weatherproof and draught-free, which means they hold a more stable temperature than an old garage or garden shed. To give your sensitive items extra protection, wrap electronics in bubble wrap or moving blankets, store clothing in vacuum-sealed bags, and keep everything elevated off the container floor. If you’re storing musical instruments, loosen the strings slightly and use hard cases rather than soft gig bags.
How Can You Protect Stored Belongings from Damp and Mould?
Make sure everything is completely dry before it goes into storage, and use moisture absorbers inside the container to keep humidity levels down. Damp and mould are the biggest risks to stored belongings during winter, and they’re almost always caused by moisture that was already present when items were put into storage — not by the container itself leaking. If you pack damp clothes, towels that haven’t fully dried, or furniture that’s been sitting in a humid room, that moisture gets trapped inside a sealed container and has nowhere to go. It condenses on cold surfaces and creates the perfect environment for mould growth. Before storing anything at EXO, dry it thoroughly. If possible, move items on a dry day rather than during rain. Use silica gel packets or moisture absorber tubs (available from any hardware store in Newcastle or Cramlington) placed on the container floor. For fabric items like sofas, mattresses, and curtains, consider using breathable furniture covers rather than plastic sheeting, which can trap moisture underneath. Leave a small gap between stacked boxes and the container walls to allow air circulation.
What Seasonal Equipment Should You Store Over Winter?
Garden furniture, barbecues, lawnmowers, strimmers, pressure washers, bicycles, and summer sports equipment should all be stored in a container over winter to protect them from frost damage and free up space at home. Most people in Newcastle and Northumberland have a garage, shed, or patio full of summer equipment that sits unused for five or six months of the year. Leaving garden furniture outside through winter — even under a cover — leads to rust, rot, faded fabric, and cracked plastic. Lawnmowers left with fuel in the tank over winter can develop carburettor problems. Barbecues corrode. Bicycles rust. A [personal storage](/personal-storage) container at EXO gives you a dedicated space to store all your seasonal items properly. Clean and dry everything before storing it. Drain fuel from petrol-powered equipment. Apply a light coat of oil to any metal tools or garden implements to prevent rust. Stack items intelligently — heavy and durable items at the back, lighter and more fragile items at the front where they’re easy to access when spring arrives.
How Does Storage Make Winter Moves and Renovations Easier?
A storage container acts as a flexible buffer during winter house moves and renovations, allowing you to move items in stages without exposing them to rain, snow, or frost damage. Moving house in winter across Newcastle and Northumberland comes with additional challenges that summer moves don’t: shorter daylight hours, icy roads, wet weather, and the risk of mud being tracked through both properties. Renovating is even worse — tradespeople working on external projects like roofing, rendering, or window installation are weather-dependent, which means timelines slip and your belongings are at risk for longer. Using a [moving home storage](/moving-home-storage) container at EXO lets you move non-essential items out of the property early, giving tradespeople clear access to work without navigating around your furniture. If a renovation overruns due to weather — which is common in Northumberland winters — your belongings stay safe and dry in Cramlington while you wait. Our minimum one-week hire and flexible monthly contracts mean you only pay for the time you actually need, even if the project takes longer than expected.
How Should You Prepare Your Container for Winter Storage?
Organise your container with frequently needed items at the front, use pallets or shelving to keep items off the floor, and leave airflow gaps between stacked boxes and the walls. Preparation is the difference between items coming out of storage in perfect condition and items coming out damaged. At EXO Storage, our containers are modern, weatherproof, and built from Corten ‘A’ Steel, so the structure itself is sound. But how you pack inside matters enormously. Start by placing a layer of pallets or boards on the floor. This creates an air gap beneath your items and protects against any minor condensation on the concrete base. Stack boxes in rows with a few centimetres of space between them and the container walls. Put heavier boxes at the bottom and lighter, more fragile items on top. Label everything clearly so you’re not rummaging through boxes in the cold when you need to find something. If you’ll need to access certain items during winter — Christmas decorations, winter coats, ski gear — put those at the front of the container where you can reach them without unpacking everything else.
Why Choose EXO Storage?
- Modern weatherproof Corten steel containers
- 24/7 access even in winter — no restricted hours
- CCTV-monitored, gated site with electronic fob entry
- Flexible hire periods — one week minimum
- Competitive rates, easy to reach from Newcastle and Northumberland
