Whether you collect old newspapers or new, the collection can quickly begin to take up more space in your home than you can sacrifice. If your collection is growing too large for your home to properly store the newspapers, a rented storage unit can make it possible for you to continue to save the newspapers that you find worthy of your collection. Here, you will learn how to properly prepare and store your newspaper collection to ensure it comes out of storage in the same condition in which it went in.

Storage Location

Your newspaper collection should never be stored in an attic, basement or garage. These spaces don't have the climate control that is needed to protect the newspapers from damage. Look for a storage facility that offers climate controlled units. These units maintain a steady temperature and perfect humidity level to keep collectibles safe from damage for as long as you wish to store them.

The managed humidity level is important because your newspapers will quickly grow mold and be ruined if the ambient humidity is too high. Also, the temperature control is important because extreme hot and cold temperatures could cause the paper to become brittle.

Preparation

If you have never taken the time to prepare your newspapers for storage, you could be putting them at risk of serious damage. Due to how easily the newspaper ink transfers, you want to separate each page from the other with a sheet of acid-free tissue paper. This paper doesn't contain the chemicals that traditional tissue paper does that could expedite the decaying process.

After you have the pages separated, wrap the newspaper in one more sheet of acid-free tissue paper and lay it flat in an acid-free storage box. Avoid using plastic bins to hold the newspapers because those bins will trap the moisture that is in the newspapers and could cause the mold growth you are working hard to prevent.

If your newspaper collection is clippings stored in a scrap book, make sure to separate each page of the scrap book with a sheet of acid-free tissue paper. Any newspaper pages that touch will transfer the ink from one to the other and may become illegible.

Storage

Before you begin putting the boxes in the storage unit, you must put something on the floor first. Use a wood pallet or shelving unit to keep the boxes up off of the concrete floor. Although the floor may appear perfectly dry, moisture can wick up through the concrete into the boxes that the newspapers are stored in.

Taking the time to properly prepare, pack and store your newspapers in a secure and controlled environment will help to ensure that they will be legible and in good condition when you retrieve them. Contact a business, such as Koch St Mini Storage, for more information.