TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 10:26:02 GMT -5
Malarky actually gave me a great idea for the basement (my wife swears she actually also suggested it)... Putting pallets in the basement and storing stuff on top of them not directly on the floor (I am still buying a dehumidifier next week).
What would be best: wood pallets or the plastic ones?
I could also buy the padding or wood to put on top of them to make it an even surface for storage etc.
Thanks
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 10:45:27 GMT -5
Well, wood ones you can probably get for free. Around here people are giving them away all the time. We use them for awesome bonfires. Unless you get a lot of water in the basement it shouldn't matter either way. Even the wood ones will hold up fine. I use wood ones on the gravel barn floor for hay storage and the things are 14 years old or more.
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plugginaway22
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Post by plugginaway22 on Sept 6, 2014 11:16:43 GMT -5
I just bought a dehumidifier to replace the 10 year old one that died. Frigidaire from Walmart, ordered online, free delivery, all totaled $205. Had great ratings. Just FYI.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Sept 6, 2014 11:52:37 GMT -5
Go to your local HD, Lowes, or Costco and buy shelving units. We bought the metal ones with wheels under them. Great space savers and movable.
We would buy a couple at a time so it didn't damage our budget or our backs too much. We also bought some of the cheapie plastic shelving units and used the shelves at pallets on the floor for the larger/heavier items. Our basement had flooded a couple of times and wooden pallets would wick the moisture so for us plastic was better.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Sept 6, 2014 11:54:05 GMT -5
pallets are great because they are free. I don't think you will find free plastic ones, though. So wood it is.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 12:03:22 GMT -5
pallets are great because they are free. I don't think you will find free plastic ones, though. So wood it is. I manage a grocery store
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 12:26:55 GMT -5
pallets are great because they are free. I don't think you will find free plastic ones, though. So wood it is. I manage a grocery store Well, if you can get plastic ones for free go that route. I don't know that there are any huge advantages or disadvantages to either one, although getting rid of plastic ones might be harder. Wood you can just burn (well, technically, the plastic does too, but living in town that might not be a good option!) But, if you're managing the store I imagine you have a method to get rid of them.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Sept 6, 2014 12:38:49 GMT -5
When I worked at a warehouse, there was a deposit on pallets. I'm surprised that you can get unbroken ones for free. I would go with the shelving units. You spend all this $$ to impeccably decorate your house and then store stuff on pallets in the basement? I thought you folks didn't have a lot of extra stuff anyway.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 13:13:26 GMT -5
Shelving units would require that we actually opened the boxes and see that was in them.
With pallets I can just leave them in the boxes... Yes lazy! Lol!!!
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 13:19:23 GMT -5
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Sept 6, 2014 13:33:32 GMT -5
Shelving hints would require that we actually opened them and see that is in them. With pallets I can just leave them in the boxes... Yes lazy! Lol!!! Take this from someone who's been there--go through the boxes when you can find the time.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 13:49:49 GMT -5
Shelving hints would require that we actually opened them and see that is in them. With pallets I can just leave them in the boxes... Yes lazy! Lol!!! Take this from someone who's been there--go through the boxes when you can find the time. I know, I know... I just don't want to (saying it in a pouting voice).
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Sept 6, 2014 13:51:10 GMT -5
The grey locking foam is nice but if the floor gets damp underneath it will mildew. BTDT ETA: We put rugs down and put the foam on top at the bottom of the basement stairs because some of us periodically fall down the stairs
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Sept 6, 2014 13:52:15 GMT -5
We just make sure the bottom row of boxes is only plastic storage tubs. If there are cardboard boxes they get stacked on top. Wood pallets would still wick up water to your cardboard boxes.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using proboards
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 13:55:11 GMT -5
The grey locking foam is nice but if the floor gets damp underneath it will mildew. BTDT I don't believe it gets damp. Ok I am thinking maybe 2 plastic pallets to start and 2 storage racks from Home Depot or Lowe's. I just checked and they are surprisingly not that expensive.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Sept 6, 2014 13:58:01 GMT -5
Take this from someone who's been there--go through the boxes when you can find the time. I know, I know... I just don't want to (saying it in a pouting voice). I know. Trust me, you don't want to end up like me. (Milizard hides the door to her large unfinished basement filled with boxes, totes, old baby gear, sports equipment, etc., etc.)
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Sept 6, 2014 14:19:52 GMT -5
pallets are great because they are free. I don't think you will find free plastic ones, though. So wood it is. I manage a grocery store I've never seen plastic pallets yet, but there are some wood ones in our basement storage area. It does help with the occasional flooding, but I'd expect even plastic ones would have mildew issues if the water remains too long.
So just clean off the plastic after the water recedes if it gets that high. Remember to clean your stuff or replace cardboard boxes just as a FYI.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 14:55:20 GMT -5
No flooding issues, just the humidity one. I went digging around in my backroom and I think this will be perfect: Smaller than usual pallets but still better because the top surface is "flat" already (no holes). 2-3 of those and I think we will be set. Should I still get the storage racks??? Mmmhhhhh... Decisions /decisions lol!
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Sept 6, 2014 15:12:33 GMT -5
No storage racks yet. I've seen your house. You don't own enough crap to justify them.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 15:24:34 GMT -5
No storage racks yet. I've seen your house. You don't own enough crap to justify them. LOL!!! Give us a couple of years... I told my wife we are starting to develop a bad habit where anything/box we don't want to deal with, we just throw in the basement. If we keep it up, before long we will have the basement filled up! And my MIL is already talking about moving her stuff from her sister basement to our basement. Same issue as us when it comes to humidity so a lot of her stuff are getting destroyed there but at least us we are doing something to deal with the issue. I said no but we will see. My MIL is a pack rat!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 15:30:09 GMT -5
Iron Pallets
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 15:31:04 GMT -5
Iron Pallets? Never seen one.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 15:34:24 GMT -5
Plastic Pallets
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 15:36:37 GMT -5
Iron Pallet.. My neighbor has them. I think he ordered them from a building supplier.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 15:46:09 GMT -5
I used to have a water problem in my first home. I learned the hard way not to ever put anything directly on the floor. I still don't, though my lower level is powder dry. In my first home I sat everything on brick or pavers to maintain air flow.
The foam locking mats are a big no no. Make sure whatever you decide to place under your belongings is rust proof. I ruined a carpet when I placed boxes on pipes. It was not good.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 15:57:12 GMT -5
Iron Pallet.. My neighbor has them. I think he ordered them from a building supplier. Nice!!!! Never seen one in real life!
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Sept 6, 2014 16:00:29 GMT -5
I learned the hard way not to ever put anything directly on the floor. I am learning that now unfortunately
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 18:00:46 GMT -5
If you have an Ikea near you they have cheap wooden shelving, and you can add more as time goes on and you have more stuff to store. And trust me, you can put boxes on shelves without going through them first ... just ask my DH! ETA: This is the system we have, but just plain shelves, no drawers or doors. www.ikea.com/fr/fr/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/11703/
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Sept 6, 2014 18:11:12 GMT -5
First rule of thumb when placing things in boxes for storage, is to label the contents on the outside of the box - so you don't have to rummage through them later to see what's in them.
That said, I wouldn't go with plastic pallets. They're either too flexible (bending from weight placed on them), or brittle - will crack with a lot of weight placed on them.
Those sturdy metal ones look like they're the cat's pajamas!
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Sept 6, 2014 18:45:00 GMT -5
While the pallets would help a little, I think the big thing is to get a dehumidifier and get into the habit of dumping out the collected water daily. I ran a dehumidifier, (came w/ the house) in my last home because of humidity and slight water issues.
I think the wooden pallets might be better if humidity is an issue, only because some of it might be absorbed into the wood and they are open versus the plastic ones in the picture which would only be slightly better than being on the concrete floor.
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