Did you know there are more than 23 million individual self-storage units in the U.S.? There is about one self-storage unit for every 14 people.
This should make it simple for you to find a storage company that can provide you with a self-storage unit when you’re in need of one in the Kingston, WA area. But you shouldn’t simply Google “self-storage facility near me” and choose the first storage company that appears on your screen.
Instead, you should search for a storage company that can provide the best self-storage security solutions. You’ll feel better about sticking your things into a self-storage unit when you see that a company can set you up with the right storage facility security.
So, what are some of the things you should look for in a secure storage facility? Learn about them below so that you’re able to get access to the self-storage security solutions you need.
Secure Fencing Around the Perimeter
Before you even pull into a self-storage facility and take a tour of it for the first time, you should get the sense that it’s secure from the outside looking in. There should be fencing to provide the entire property with storage unit perimeter security.
The most secure self-storage facilities will have chain-link fences surrounding them. These fences will also have barbed wire running across the top. It’ll make it very difficult for anyone to get anywhere close to the self-storage units in these facilities.
You will want to do more than just check to see that there is fencing around a self-storage facility, too. You should drive or walk around the perimeter of a facility and see to it that all its fencing is intact.
If there is even just a small hole in the fencing, it could compromise self-storage facility security and make all the other self-storage security solutions it has put in place virtually worthless.
Locked Entrance and Exit Gates
The majority of a self-storage facility will need to be surrounded by secure fencing. But there will obviously need to be at least one or two gates that you’ll be able to use for entering and exiting a facility.
Ideally, these gates should be locked at all times so that people aren’t able to enter and exit a self-storage facility whenever they want. The only time they should be opened and closed is when those who have self-storage units within a facility have to access them.
In some cases, these gates will be manned by security guards who will be in charge of opening and closing them for those with self-storage units. In others, these gates won’t be manned by security guards, but they’ll only be able to be opened and closed by those with keys or electronic codes.
Either way, it’s imperative that any entrance and exit gates within a self-storage facility stay closed all the time. If you notice that a facility isn’t on lockdown 24/7, that might be reason enough to look for self-storage units elsewhere.
Heavy-Duty Self-Storage Unit Doors
As long as a self-storage facility has the right fencing and gates surrounding it, there should be next to no chance of anyone who isn’t supposed to be in a facility getting in. But in the event that someone is able to gain access to a facility, they shouldn’t be able to get into self-storage units no matter how hard they might try.
Every single self-storage unit within a facility should have a heavy-duty door on it that will be impossible to break through. Would-be burglars also shouldn’t be able to cut through these doors or find other ways to damage them and get into individual units.
The good news is that almost all self-storage facilities go out of their way to install the most heavy-duty doors possible on their units these days. But some facilities that are on the older side might have doors on their self-storage units that are beginning to weaken. They might not put up much of a fight if someone ever tries to break into them.
Sturdy Self-Storage Unit Door Locks
It doesn’t matter how strong and durable the doors on the self-storage units in a storage facility are. If these doors don’t also have sturdy locks on them, that could compromise storage facility security by allowing outsiders to access units.
Many of the locks that are put onto self-storage unit doors nowadays are built right into the doors themselves. It makes it very difficult for them to be broken.
In a perfect world, you should receive a lock for a self-storage unit from the storage company that you rent it from as opposed to having to purchase it yourself. This company should go above and beyond to secure the best possible locks for their self-storage unit doors so that you can rest assured knowing your unit is safe and sound.
All you’ll have to do is be sure you lock your unit up tight every time you leave it.
Fully Functioning Self-Storage Security Cameras
People can usually lock up almost anything they want in self-storage facilities. From personal possessions like clothing and furniture to vehicles like RVs and boats, there will inevitably be a lot of pricy items stored in these facilities.
For this reason, the best storage companies won’t rely on just fences, gates, and doors to stop people from trying to break into their self-storage units. They’ll also set up an entire system of storage unit cameras to keep a close eye on what’s happening.
When you’re looking around a self-storage facility for the first time, you should look up and see how many cameras you can spot. There will be a camera hiding around almost every corner. It’ll guarantee that no one will be able to break into a storage facility without being detected.
You should also make sure you ask about the cameras and see to it that they’re fully functional. The last thing you want to do is assume that these cameras are working only to later discover that they don’t work at all.
More Than Enough Bright Lighting
When you’re visiting a storage facility and considering using it, you’ll typically check it out during the day. But you shouldn’t be shy about going to sneak a peek at it at night, too.
Why? Well, you want to be sure there is bright lighting all throughout a storage facility. If a facility gets very dark at night, it might prevent you from wanting to go to it to grab something from your self-storage unit.
At the same time, a very dark facility without much lighting is also going to turn into a breeding ground for bad behavior before long. People might be able to break into this facility without anyone noticing and either steal things from units or do damage to the facility itself.
You’ll want to see to it that a storage facility has its fair share of lighting. If you decide to move your things into this facility, you’ll also want to let management know if you ever see that any lights have gone out. Lighting is one of the simplest yet most effective self-storage security solutions.
Attentive Security Guards
If a self-storage facility doesn’t employ security guards, it might not be a dealbreaker for you. Not all facilities have security guards in place because of all the other self-storage security solutions they use.
But there are more than 1 million security guards working throughout the U.S. today. This includes those who spend at least some time patrolling self-storage facilities. If you’re lucky enough to land on one of these facilities, you should think about taking full advantage of the fact that they have security guards patrolling the premises.
At the very least, it would be nice to see that a storage company brings in either armed or unarmed security guards at night to watch over their property. It’ll put your mind at ease if you choose to store your things at this storage facility.
Concerned Staff
Whether a self-storage facility has security guards on its payroll or not, the rest of its staff should keep storage facility security at the forefront of their minds. They should always be monitoring their facility and keeping tabs on who comes in and out of it throughout the course of a day.
They should also reach out to those with self-storage units if there are ever any security-related concerns. They should do this not to scare people who have these units but to put them on high alert and have them looking over their shoulders for the time being.
Additionally, the staff at a self-storage facility that takes security seriously should always welcome any questions, comments, complaints, etc. from those with self-storage units. They should look for ways to beef up storage facility security even more than they already have based on the feedback they get from others.
Easy-to-Use Intercom System
In this day and age, about 95% of Americans own cell phones. This has helped make things like intercom systems obsolete in many cases.
But there are still some self-storage facilities that have intercom systems set up in them, and for good reason! Not everyone who is walking around in a storage facility will have their cell phone on them if a security issue comes up. They also might not know how to contact the front desk at a storage facility on the fly with just their cell phone.
It’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to find out if a storage facility has an intercom system before renting one of its self-storage units. There might come a time when you’ll wish your facility had an intercom system if you ever face a security threat.
An intercom system will enable you to contact the front desk at a storage facility at the drop of a hat. It’ll make you feel more secure when you’re wandering around inside a storage facility.
Working Fire Alarms and Smoke Detectors
According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost 1,500 fires take place at warehouses in the U.S. every year. At least some of these fires occur inside commercial properties that are used as self-storage facilities.
If a fire were to start in a storage facility that you’re thinking about using, what exactly would happen next? Would a series of fire alarms and smoke detectors go off to let people know they need to leave immediately? Would the local fire department also be contacted right away about what’s going on?
A facility can put all the proper self-storage security solutions into place. But if they don’t have something as simple as working fire alarms and smoke detectors, a fire could wreak havoc on a facility. It could possibly destroy everything you have stored in it.
With this in mind, you should keep your eyes peeled for fire alarms and smoke detectors in a storage facility. You should also ask about how these things work so that you get a better idea of how much they’re automated.
You might also want to inquire about whether or not a storage facility has any kind of fire suppression system set up. A system like this could help put out a fire before the local fire department even shows up. Or at the very least, it might be able to knock down a fire temporarily and stop it from spreading as fast as it would otherwise.
We Can Provide You With All the Necessary Self-Storage Security Solutions
When people store items in self-storage units, they want to know they’ll be safe. At Ideal Storage, we’re committed to providing our customers with the best self-storage security solutions in Kitsap County, WA.
We also offer insurance on every single self-storage unit that we have on our property. You’ll sleep so much better at night knowing that all your things are safe and secure when they’re locked up in one of our units.
Would you like to discover more about our storage company? Go take a tour of our facility and contact us with any questions you may have.