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Keeping Your Storage Units Moisture- And Pest-Free With Proper Overhead Door Maintenance

If you are a storage unit manager, you know the importance in providing a secure area for your customers to store their belongings. Making sure your units are free from moisture or a pest intrusion is key in making sure your customers continue using your facility for their storage needs. Here are a few tips to use when doing routine maintenance of the overhead doors on your storage unit so your customers' belongings stay safe.

Check For Areas Of Wear

The doors on your storage unit are the most likely area to let in moisture. If a door is not closing properly, water will seep in underneath the door into your customers' units. Regularly check the seals on each of your storage unit doors to make sure the gaskets are not cracked or decayed. Replace any gaskets in question. 

Your door should be flush with the ground when it is in a closed position. If the tracks are obstructing the closure of the door, your customer may experience a void underneath that can let in insects or moisture. Check the doors by opening and closing them several times to make sure they are working freely. If the door has difficulty moving properly, use some lubricating grease on the rail to help keep the springs and other opening mechanisms from seizing. Check that a door is level by opening it about halfway from the ground. If the door does not stop at the half-way mark and continues to open all the way, it may not be balanced properly and will need servicing to distribute the weight evenly.

Clean Doors Properly

You will want to maintain the aesthetics of your storage unit doors to retain customers and attract new ones into your facility. Add a protective layer of paint each year to keep your doors bright so they are noticed from roadways, perhaps gaining new customers as a result.  

It is best not to use a power washer to remove dirt from doorways as they tend to chip away paint as well as force moisture toward the enclosure. Instead, wipe down each doorway with a commercial-grade cleanser mixed with water. Use a piece of microfiber cloth to scrub each door by hand to remove oils from fingerprints, exhaust markings, and other debris. If you have hard water at your facility location, do your cleaning during shady times of the day. Sunlight will harden water on your doorways, leading to unsightly water spots.