6 Rules to Remember When Storing Photos and Photo Albums

Old photos and photo albums are the true treasure of any family, but there is no denying that they take up quite a bit of precious real estate within the home. You may be considering freeing up space by moving these family mementos to a local storage facility but, before you do, it’s important to keep in mind these 7 rules.

As one of Sydney’s most trusted storage facilities, we know all the tips and tricks to ensure your photos are protected and can be enjoyed by you and your family for years to come.

1. A Climate Controlled Storage Unit is a MUST

Photographs require proper care when stored in a unit. It is critical (and we cannot stress this enough) that your unit maintains consistent humidity levels, and this cannot happen if your unit is exposed to outdoor elements. If the air in your unit is too dry your photos may crack. If it is too humid, your photos could succumb to mold and mildew.

The same is true for the temperature within your unit. High temperatures can damage photo paper and cause colors and images to fade.

In order to ensure your photographs look as good coming out of storage as they did going in, you must rent a climate-controlled unit so that your photos and albums enjoy consistent temperatures and humidity levels. Climate-controlled units often cost more, so it’s always a good idea to call a few storage facilities in your area and ask for pricing…companies will often price match in order to gain your business.

2. Say No to Self-Adhesive Albums

You likely remember the old photo albums with the thin, sticky film that held photos in place. Though they seemed ingenious back in the day, it turns out the adhesive does a real number on photo paper…as in it completely ruins photographs.

Over time that adhesive will adhere to the photograph, damaging the paper and ruining your pictures, so you’ll need to remove photos from any self-adhesive albums and place them in an archival album instead. Such albums are made with acid-free materials that won’t damage your images and will preserve them for decades.

If you have a box of loose photos to store, consider purchasing archival-quality plastic photo sleeves.

3. Choose the Right Container

As you pack up your albums and photos, be sure to use boxes made specifically for photographs. Most are light-proof, well-constructed, and come with lids, allowing you to stack them easily.

Avoid cardboard boxes which are the equivalent of critter catnip and are sure to attract roaches, mice, and other creepy crawlies that will chew right through the cardboard and make a quick meal of your beloved photos.

4. Don’t Forget to Label

Now that you have all your photos properly stored, it’s time to label the exterior of your boxes. Most people opt for labels according to year rather than occasion, but the choice is yours.

However you choose to do it, having clear labels on each box will make it much easier to locate specific photos should you ever need them.

5. Consider Going Digital

No one likes to consider worst-case scenarios, but there are events that occur which are beyond your control like natural disasters or theft (you may be wondering why someone would want a stranger’s family photos and all we can tell you is that it happens).

Creating digital copies of your photographs will give you peace of mind knowing that, should the worst happen, you can reprint any photos that are damaged or lost.

If the idea of scanning all of your photos is unpleasant, consider retaining the services of a local or online scanning service. These companies make quick work of creating digital images of your photos and can store them for you in the cloud or send you home with all your images on a thumb drive.

6. Choose the right storage facility.

There’s a reason Holloway Storage is one of Sydney’s most trusted facilities. We’ve built our reputation by keeping our clients’ belongings safely stored for decades. And our mobile storage units couldn’t be any more convenient. Simply let us know you’re ready to store items and our team will deliver your unit…right to your front door. All you have to do is load it up with your photo boxes and give us a call when you’re finished. We’ll pick it up and store it in our climate-controlled facility for as long as you need.

Contact us today to reserve your own Holloway storage unit. We’d be honored to keep your family photographs safe and well.