We’ve talked about tidying, organising, and minimalism in other posts. However, we undoubtedly still have stuff we need to put away in storage so it would be useful to figure out the best way to store it all, right? Okay, let’s have a look at some options for loft storage boxes.
Based on our years of experience in the loft business, we’ve found it best to categorise and properly label stored items. This makes it easier to locate things later on when the need arises. But what should we actually use to store those items in and what would offer the best protection? Ideally, you should use good-quality boxes because they are easy to stack and locate. Let’s have a look at exactly what kinds of boxes we are actually talking about here.
There are 4 common types of loft storage boxes that you can use:
1. Cardboard boxes
These are a cheaper option but are really only designed for temporary use. For instance, for when you’re moving house or doing a renovation and your stuff will only be in storage for a short period. We don’t recommend using them for long-term storage, for three reasons. Firstly, cardboard isn’t that sturdy so your stuff will not be protected well and can be easily squashed. Secondly, they are prone to fire or water damage including dampness (and therefore mould!). And thirdly, creepy crawlies like to inhabit them and could damage your stuff (and potentially give you a scare the next time you open them… yes I’m scared of spiders!).
2. Wooden storage boxes or crates
These are a reliable and environmentally friendly option. Your stuff is well-protected as they are very sturdy. We recommend these if your loft is very wide so your weight capacity is high. The disadvantage of using wooden boxes is their weight, they are pretty heavy so this is really only a suitable option if you don’t have too many things to store. Also, some types of wood when untreated or stored for too long with lots of moisture, get inhabited by tiny wood bugs. We recommend that the area you are going to use these wooden boxes is well-insulated. Argos and Ikea have a good selection of wooden boxes.
3. See-through plastic boxes
These are ideal because you can see some of the contents of the box plus they are easy to label and are stackable. You must ensure that if you are going to stack them, that the box is made of sturdy material otherwise it will break underneath the weight of another one on top. We found boxes from Ikea to be of decent quality as long as you are only stacking them of up to 3 for the smaller ones and up to 2 for the larger ones. Don’t be tempted to stack them up over 2-3! They might fall over when you try to retrieve something or the bottom boxes could start to crack and eventually become unusable. Wilko stores have a good selection of plastic boxes with lids too.
4. Heavy-duty plastic boxes
If you’re planning on storing items for really long periods then you might want to consider going for this type of box. They are generally more sturdy than see-through boxes, made from thicker plastic and have a stronger structure. The lids are also usually better quality and less likely to crack over time. Some varieties come with wheels for ease of transporting plus they can be fully water-resistant which makes them ideal for important documents or photos. We found a good selection on Amazon by simply searching for “Heavy-duty plastic boxes”. Plus there’s a site with a wide selection of what they call “super tough” boxes called: www.plasticboxshop.co.uk
So there you have it. We hope these ideas for loft storage boxes are helpful to you when you’re figuring out how to store your items in your loft or garage.
We’ve got a shelving solution for lofts which you might be interested in!
Ever heard of web shelving? It’s an awesome way to get even more from your loft space and offers an ideal place to store those boxes! Read more about web shelving here…
Alternatively, if you’d like to know more about how to turn your loft into a usable storage space our ultimate guide to loft boarding is an excellent place to start: read more here.
And lastly, we’ve contributed some of our expertise to a great blog post about attic storage ideas from our friends in the US, Budget Dumpster, that you should get some further tips – read that post here.
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