Store documents and memories flood-safe

When cellars flood after a storm, a few hours are enough to reveal what is truly irreplaceable. Furniture, washing machines, tools – all of that can be replaced, if necessary through insurance. Grandparents' photo albums, birth certificates, children's drawings: not a chance. Heavy rain and flooding in recent years have shown even in Eastern Austria how fast it can happen. High time to take your most important items somewhere water can't reach them – such as a secure storage unit in Vienna.

What is irreplaceable – an honest stocktake

Take a moment to go through your cellar and storerooms in your head. How much of it would be lost forever after water damage?

• Photo albums and analogue memories: Once soaked, photos stick together and are almost impossible to save.
• Certificates and contracts: Birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, land register extracts, insurance policies – replacing them is laborious, sometimes impossible.
• Heirlooms and collections: Stamps, coins, old books and letters react extremely sensitively to moisture.
• Children's drawings, diaries, keepsakes: financially worthless, emotionally priceless.

Why the cellar compartment is the wrong place

Out of all things, the most delicate items in many households are stored in the most dangerous place: the cellar. Yet it doesn't take a flood of the century – heavy rain with a backflow from the sewer, a burst pipe in the building or a neighbour's faulty washing machine can flood cellar compartments. Added to this is the insidious danger: permanently high humidity that warps paper, causes mould to grow on photos and corrodes metal. If you store irreplaceable items in the cellar, you're playing for time.

How to store documents and memories properly

Make your most important items weatherproof with a few basic rules:

• Waterproof plastic boxes instead of cardboard boxes: Cardboard soaks up water like a sponge. Lockable plastic boxes keep out splash water and moisture.
• Store raised off the floor: Never place boxes directly on the floor – a shelf or a pallet creates those decisive extra centimetres.
• Digitise important items: Scan certificates and your favourite photos as well. The original remains valuable, but total loss is excluded.
• Add desiccant packs: Silica gel bags in the boxes absorb residual moisture.
• Keep an inventory list: Note down what is stored in which box – invaluable in an emergency and for insurance. A photo of the contents of each box complements the list perfectly.
• Check regularly: Have a look inside the boxes once or twice a year to spot damage early.

Important note: Not everything belongs in storage. Passports, health insurance cards, current contracts and everything you need regularly should remain within easy reach at home – ideally in a single, waterproof document wallet that you can grab in an emergency. What goes into storage is the archive: everything you rarely touch, but never want to lose.

Self storage: the dry Plan B for what matters most

The most effective protection, however, is the right storage location. Self storage in Vienna offers what a home cellar cannot: dry, clean storage units in secure buildings, protected from moisture and with controlled access. Even a small unit is enough to safely store document boxes, photo albums and heirlooms – and with around 29 locations across many districts, everything remains close to you. You can find the right location on our page all self storage locations in Vienna, and transparent prices on our self storage costs overview.

Thanks to a 30-day minimum rental period and monthly cancellation, you can also start small first: store your most important boxes, get a good feeling – and expand later if you need to add more.

Summary: Memories cannot be replaced

Floods, burst pipes or creeping cellar moisture – there are many dangers to paper and keepsakes, and only one effective answer: a dry, secure storage unit. Take a weekend, sort your irreplaceable items into waterproof boxes and bring them to safety. A suitable small unit is easily found: Simply book online – and your most precious memories are on the safe side from now on.