Climate-controlled storage for wood, leather, art and paper

What climate control protects your belongings from

Climate control protects household goods from two things: damp air, which feeds mould, and fast swings in humidity, which make wood and paint swell and shrink until they crack. The Canadian Conservation Institute reports that mould can appear in about 100 days at 70% relative humidity and in only about 2 days at 90% or higher, and that wood assemblies exposed to fluctuations may crack, split, delaminate or distort permanently (CCI: incorrect relative humidity).

Dry air does damage too. The same CCI guidance notes that winter heating without humidification can drive indoor humidity very low and raise the risk of furniture cracking. The Northeast Document Conservation Center adds that warm temperatures with low humidity can make wood- and paper-based materials more brittle, and that wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity damage collections (NEDCC preservation leaflet 2.1).

A stay that runs from a Yorkville summer into winter puts your furniture through both conditions, which is why the season matters as much as the length of storage. The moving and storage overview explains how goods get to the warehouse in the first place.

Materials that need climate control most

The materials most at risk are organic ones that take on and give off moisture: wood, leather, textiles, paper, paint layers and the wooden parts of pianos. Most metal and plastic household items are less sensitive, which is why the decision usually turns on what the furniture is made of rather than how much of it there is.

Antiques often combine several of these at once, such as a veneered chest with original paper labels or a leather-topped desk, so they deserve the most attention. Pianos have their own arrangement, covered on the piano storage page; the Piano Technicians Guild notes that extreme humidity swings can eventually crack wood and make glue joints fail (PTG: humidity control).

Why a garage, attic or basement falls short

Spare space at home is usually unconditioned or only partly conditioned, which is why conservators steer valuables away from it. For works on paper, the Library of Congress recommends a cool, clean, stable environment at about 35% relative humidity, and tells owners to avoid attics, basements and other locations with high risk of leaks and environmental extremes (LOC: works on paper).

• Garage. Outdoor air comes in every time the door goes up, so the space follows the weather.
• Attic. Heat collects under the roof in summer, and the space is rarely humidified in winter.
• Basement. The Library of Congress flags basements for leak risk, and a damp corner is where mould starts first.

None of this means every Yorkville basement is damp. It means an unmonitored space is a gamble for anything made of wood, leather, fabric or paper over a long stay. A cedar chest, a grandparent’s rocker or a box of wedding photos parked in the garage for a year is the classic case, and it is easier to plan around than to repair.

Deciding whether climate control is worth it for your items

Climate control is worth it when the items are sensitive, the stay crosses a change of season, or the pieces couldn’t be replaced. If two or more of these describe your load, plan for it:

• The storage period runs through at least one change of season
• You’re storing antiques or solid-wood and veneered furniture
• Leather, rugs, quilts or upholstered pieces are part of the load
• Cartons hold photographs, documents, books or artwork
• A piano or other wooden instrument is going in
• Some pieces carry family value you couldn’t buy back

For a stay of a few days with mostly metal and plastic items, packing quality matters more than the air around the boxes. That’s the usual case for short-term storage between Yorkville closings, while months-long stays are covered under long-term storage.

How climate control works with Amenity's crate storage

At Amenity’s Plainfield warehouse, about 10 miles east of Yorkville, climate control is one layer on top of the crating, not a substitute for it. Furniture is wrapped in pads and cardboard and sealed in 8′ x 7.5′ x 5′ wooden crates, sofas go on sofa racks, and goods are kept in a climate-controlled space that only Amenity personnel can enter. The wooden crate storage page explains the crating in detail.

Amenity’s storage page describes a climate-controlled space but doesn’t list temperature or humidity set points. If an item needs a specific range, such as a painting a conservator has advised on, ask at your estimate and get the answer in writing.

Pianos are handled separately: Amenity describes a fully gated, climate-controlled facility with security-system monitoring, and the piano is raised while stored. The same storage serves households from nearby towns such as North Aurora and Shorewood, since every load ends up in the same Plainfield warehouse.

Preparing sensitive items before pickup

Preparation starts at the estimate, because the estimator needs to see sensitive pieces before moving day, not discover them on it.

1. Point out sensitive piecesShow the estimator antiques, art, leather and instruments during the walk-through so they’re planned for.
2. Crate the fragile onesAmenity’s packers use premium materials, including custom crating for fragile and valuable possessions; see fragile items and custom crating.
3. Dry anything dampRugs, cushions and anything that sat in a damp basement should be completely dry before it’s wrapped.
4. Keep paper togetherPack documents and photographs in sturdy cartons, away from liquids and cleaning supplies, and label them clearly.
5. Record conditionPhotograph veneer edges, leather seams and painting surfaces so any later change is easy to spot.
6. Plan a winter deliveryIf delivery lands in January, read moving in a northern Illinois winter. Amenity lays floor runners and can change dates when weather turns, subject to availability.

Some things don’t belong in storage at all, whatever the climate; the guide to what movers won’t move or pack covers them.

More moving & storage services

Short-Term StorageStorage between closings, leases and builder delaysLearn more →Long-Term StorageMonths to years of warehouse storage with a full inventoryLearn more →Wooden Crate (Vault) StorageFurniture padded and sealed in 8' x 7.5' x 5' wooden cratesLearn more →

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Available across the Yorkville area

• Oswego
• Montgomery
• Plano
• Sugar Grove
• Big Rock
• Plainfield
• Sandwich
• Aurora

Last reviewed November 11, 2026 by the Yorkville Movers team against Amenity Moving & Storage’s published service details and the public sources listed above.