For some time the self storage industry has been moving toward climate controlled self storage in their steel and metal buildings. Climate control costs about $1 to $1.50 more to install per square foot, as opposed to a regular self storage building, but it also can be rented out for more per month. People will be a lot more willing to leave their sentimental family heirlooms in your possession when they know there's no danger from extreme heat or cold.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're building your facility.
Climate control differences
Not all self storage buildings are created equal, and especially not where climate controlled buildings are concerned. People will have to come indoors to access their units; they won't be available from the outside.
Where regular self storage buildings use a 2-inch vapor barrier to prevent moisture and condensation from getting into the units, climate controlled self storage units have actual insulation. Just like with houses, if there's not enough insulation, the energy bill can be high. Many companies like to install 6 inches of insulation in the roof and 3-4 inches in the walls. American Steel Buildings recommends installing 6 inches of insulation in the roof and walls. This gives you 15-16 R value. There just isn’t that much of an increase in costs to justify the smaller amount.
Where to put the air conditioning units
You really don't need an AC unit every 15 feet, no matter what you might think. When you're determining how much you'll need to cool, think about a ratio of 1 ton of air conditioning to every 700 square feet. A single 5-ton air conditioner is plenty for a steel building that's 30 ft. by 100 ft. If your building is larger, an air conditioner at both ends will work.
Climate control is all about airflow. If you have a good HVAC guy doing your installation, they should put several returns in the building to help out with that. Some people have even put in ceiling fans in the hallways to increase the circulation. There are a few who put a duct in every unit, but that is rare and it's extremely expensive.
Temperature control
It's also expensive and unnecessary to try and keep the units between 68 and 72 degrees. Nothing your customers are going to store at your steel building is going to be that sensitive to temperature. Climate control is just supposed to keep temperatures under 90 degrees in the summer and above 40 degrees in the winter, and maintain humidity below 60 percent.
Climate control self storage is one modification to your self storage steel and metal buildings that's well worth the price. It's not that much more expensive per square foot, and it earns much more in rent for each unit, so it won't take long for it to make back what you spent on it. Get started with climate control in your self storage buildings today.
Darren Newberry is the general manager of American Steel Buildings, the Midwest's premier supplier of self storage steel and metal buildings. They pride themselves on their customer service, so let them help you get started with climate control self storage today. Just visit them online at
http://www.gosteelgo.com and see what they can do for you.
