The Importance Of Septic Tank Maintenance

« Back to Home

Remodeling The Office? 3 Tips For Storing Your Office Equipment

Posted on

If you're planning to have your office remodeled, it's best to get your office equipment out of the way while the workers are knocking down walls, building, or painting. The machines that you rely on every day are delicate, and could easily be damaged by stray drops of paint, construction dust and debris, or any kind of accidental impact. If you have room in your own building to store your equipment, it's best to get the equipment out of the office entirely until the work is done. A commercial self storage unit could be the right choice for your office. If you're worried about the safety of your equipment in a storage unit, check out these tips for packing your electronics so that they stay safe.

Before You Pack

When it comes to office equipment, you can't just throw things in boxes and hope for the best. Instead, you'll need to take the time to prepare your electronics properly. If you are packing laptops or computers, check the disk drives to make sure that you remove any disks inside of them. Your disks can warp if they're left inside the drive for too long.

Next, unplug all of the peripherals from your devices. Leaving a keyboard, a mouse, or a webcam attached can seem like a time saver, but it's not good for your computer. Put the peripherals in their own plastic wrap, and label them so that you know where they go when it's time to move your computers back in. You should also detach any power cords and store them separately as well. Once all of the cords are unplugged and labeled, you can remove any batteries from your devices; they can corrode when left in an unused machine. Finally, tape paper over the fans and vents of your office machines. This will prevent dust and debris from entering the machine.

Packing Material

The best way to pack electronics is to use the original box, with the original Styrofoam inserts. This way, you can fit the device and the cables and batteries into their appropriate spots, and your device won't move around during transportation. However, you can still pack your devices safely even if you don't have the original box.

When you choose a box other than the original box for an electronic device, it's best to choose a new cardboard box, rather than one that's been previously used. Many storage facilities sell new boxes of all sizes. You'll need foam packing peanuts in order to keep the devices from moving around inside the boxes. You'll also need bubble wrap. Computer monitors, television screens, and any other glass surface should be wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap before packing.

Another thing that you should have is a supply of silica gel packets, or another desiccant. Desiccants are the little white packets that you see in bags of beef jerky or bottles of medicine. They prevent moisture from damaging the items inside a container. In order for the desiccant to be effective, you need to make sure that you use the right amount of it. For example, if your box measures 2.5 cubic feet, you need 60 grams of desiccant for maximum effectiveness.

Unusual Shapes

Some things may not fit neatly in boxes. For example, if you have very large television screens or monitors for displays, they may not fit into standard moving boxes. For unusually shaped items or unusually large items, you should first wrap the item in bubble wrap, then cover it with padded moving blankets for protection.

Large screens should be stored by a wall for support, and they should never be stacked or stored flat, no matter how well padded they are. Doing so can destroy the screens.

Once you have your items carefully packed, you're ready to transport them to the mini storage units. Then, your office remodel can proceed with no risk to your valuable office equipment. 


Share