If you’re planning a move to Houston, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to rent a storage unit along your way. What’s likely not part of your plan is picking your things up from said storage unit and finding that they’re covered in mold, mildew, and rust. You rent a storage unit to keep things safe, not to abandon them to the elements. One way to ensure their safety is by renting a climate -controlled storage unit. However, a climate-controlled unit is more expensive than a normal unit, so the question comes down to this: if you’re searching for a storage unit in Houston, is climate control a necessity?
It all depends on two things: the climate and what you’re storing.
The Dangers of Heat and Humidity
High temperatures can damage a variety of important household belongings that you might place in a storage unit. Electronics in particular are susceptible to heat: you wouldn’t want to find a fried plasma screen TV when you open up your unit. In order to prevent this, climate-controlled facilities keep temperatures inside their units between 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The real big danger, however, is humidity. At above 55 RH (relative humidity) mold and mildew will start to grow and release spores that can spread throughout your unit. Anything made of organic materials is at risk: canvas, leather, or wood furniture, clothing, carpets and rugs, anything made of fur, documents, paintings, and photographs—you name it, if it’s made of something that was once alive, mold and mildew can and will destroy it under high levels of humidity. Additionally, rapid changes in humidity (like those that produce morning dew) cause condensation to develop on all surfaces. These tiny water droplets will not only damage the above-listed organic materials, but can also destroy electrical circuits and rust metal objects.
Houston’s Climate
Now that we’ve established which objects are at danger from heat and humidity, it’s time to look at Houston’s climate. Our questions are: does the average RH top 55 RH, the mold and mildew danger zone? Do temperatures approach extreme degrees? And does the level of humidity swing wildly throughout the day enough to cause condensation problems?
| Averages | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Temperature high/low | 62/43 | 66/46 | 73/52 | 79/59 | 86/67 | 91/73 | 93/75 | 94/74 | 89/69 | 82/60 | 72/52 | 64/54 |
| Humidity in RH Morning/Afternoon | 85/68 | 86/65 | 87/65 | 89/64 | 91/66 | 92/65 | 92/63 | 92/63 | 92/64 | 91/62 | 89/65 | 87/67 |
As you can see, at no time throughout the year does the average level of humidity in Houston drop below 55 RH, the mold and mildew danger zone. This means that mold and mildew are seriously threats throughout the entire year. Also, we can see that those humidity levels swing widely over the course of the day, making condensation a concern as well. While Houston is hot, extreme heat shouldn’t be too much of a concern—but the enormous threat of humidity outweighs that.
The bottom line: if you’re considering a storage unit in Houston, and your items are mentioned in our above list, we seriously recommend renting a climate-controlled storage unit to keep your things cool and dry.
Brian Shreckengast is a writer at SelfStorageDeals.com, a leading price-focused search engine for finding cheap self-storage units in your neighborhood. For more wisdom on the world of storage, check out the SSD blog.
