Do you have some extra office furniture on hand? Are you moving offices and don’t have the new office set up quite yet? Regardless of the reason, you need a spot for your office furniture. A good solution is to have your office furniture stored in a Texas storage unit where it can be protected while you focus your time on the big office move, finding somewhere to sell it, or both.
Either way, you’ll want your office furniture to come out the way it went in, and to do that, you need to prepare to make sure everything comes out in working order. Amy’s Attic Self Storage has some tips and tricks to make sure your stored office furniture is prepped and ready to sit for as long as you need it to.
Preparing Office Furniture for Storage
Wooden Office Furniture
Wooden furniture can be tough and durable, but in the wrong environment it can end up with severe damage that can’t be fixed. You could see mold, warping, scratches, splintering, or weakened joints if you store it away for a long time without taking the proper care. Here are some tips to keep your desks, chairs, supply holders, mailboxes, or more in good shape.
- Paint the wood with a fresh coat of paint
- Coat it in a protective sealant
- Store it with a fabric cover to prevent scratches
- Take it apart, if possible, for easy storage and moving
Plastic Office Furniture
Plastic furniture is more resilient than other office furniture types when it comes to humidity, but cold weather (or cold temperatures inside a storage unit) can make it brittle to the point of cracking. Some care is needed when storing plastic office furniture such as chairs, storage bins, desks, and more.
- Clean and rinse with soap and water and let air dry.
- If it has weaker legs do not stack on top of it in case it bends out of shape.
- Do not keep it in an area where it will go below freezing.
Upholstery
Upholstery can be fragile with a lot of factors that can lead to it being ruined so it’s essential to store it right. Upholstery can be prominent in your office and you don’t want to have to throw out what may be your most visually pleasing assets. This can include chairs, sofas, and throw pillows.
- Vacuum your items to get any debris off.
- Wash the office furniture with a bleach-detergent mix or soap and water if you are dealing with cloth furniture.
- Wrap them in old sheets and keep a tarp over them to keep the dust from settling
What to Avoid
You can’t always get a fabric cover for or disassemble all your furniture. While it may not be possible to prepare for every situation, you can prevent some of the worst kinds of damage if you keep an eye out for:
- Humidity and moisture
- Almost nothing destroys furniture faster than excess moisture. Not only can it cause mold, but it can warp wood, deteriorate upholstery, and stain metal in ways that can never be repaired.
- Keep an eye out for facilities that have rainwater dripping down the walls or collecting on the floor, as well as non-climate-controlled and/or outdoor spaces.
- Extreme temperature changes and high heat / cold
- Many pieces of furniture use adhesives to hold together joints or attach fabric. High heat can melt those adhesives, and if it gets hot enough, can even start to melt the finish on wood or bend metal out of shape!
- Metal expands and contracts with heat and cold, so any metal fasteners, joints, screws or other pieces can start to damage the furniture with enough time.
How to Dispose of or Recycle Office Furniture
While it might be tempting to throw a bunch of old furniture in or near the dumpster, many regular garbage pickup services are not equipped to handle large pieces of furniture, which may need to be broken down first. Many disposal services might charge a large fee to handle it, or even ignore it entirely and leave you to deal with your new resident moldy couch or warped desk by the dumpsters until someone else gets rid of it!
The most ideal solution to get rid of old office furniture that’s still in good condition is to sell or donate. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or other online local marketplaces can be a good and secure way to get rid of furniture and make some additional money in the process. The quickest, easiest, and kindest way to remove lightly-used furniture is to donate it to charity. Many charities are always in need of good-quality furniture items.
Please consider the excellent Texas charities below that may accept office furniture donations:
If the furniture isn’t salvageable, then dismantling it or breaking it apart before putting in the dumpster can be a viable option. Recycling old furniture can be difficult due to the materials and its construction, however mostly-metal furniture, or those with metal pieces, can easily be sold or recycled as scrap metal.
Recycling and Waste Disposal Services in Central TX
Killeen Recycling Center
Address: 111 E Avenue F, Killeen, Texas
Phone: (254) 554-7572
Harker Heights Recycling Drop Center
Address: 1761 FM 2410, Harker Heights, Texas
Phone: (254) 953-5600
Temple Iron and Metal
Address: 815 N. 14th Street, Temple, Texas
Phone: (254) 773-2700
Cobbs Recycling Center
Address: 2021 N. 44th Street, Waco, Texas
Phone: (254) 751-8536
Where To Buy Office Furniture in Central Texas
Furniture Row
Address: 825 W Central Texas Expy, Harker Heights, TX 76548
Phone: (254) 501-4836
Perry Office Plus
Address: 1401 N 3rd St, Temple, TX 76501
Phone: (254) 778-4755
Office Furniture Concepts
Address: 3883 TX-53, Temple, TX 76501
Phone: (254) 213-5324
Total Office Solutions
Address: 216 Schroeder Dr Waco, TX 76710
Phone: (254) 235-8200
Central TX Self Storage Facilities – Amy’s Attic Self Storage
Amy’s Attic Self Storage offers a safe storage environment for your office furniture and commercial equipment. With climate-controlled storage units and awesome service, we are a great option for Texas businesses looking to store office furniture and business equipment. If you are a business or entrepreneur interested in renting a storage unit or have any questions, then please contact Amy’s Attic Self Storage at 855-426-9728.
