I moved into a “new” house last spring — a 1923, one-story bungalow with a full basement. The full, dry, clean basement was a big selling point, as I have a lot of stuff in boxes — years (generations) worth of books, scrapbooks and other mementos. I was thrilled to know I could store these treasures in a safe, dry location.
Have you noticed I used the word “dry” a couple of times? Well, that would be the issue — whether the basement really was dry year round. And, no, it was not (as we found out after the first big rain storm). A lovely little stream runs from one corner, across the floor and pools in the area where the old coal furnace used to sit. Hmmmmm
The best solution for me was to put the boxes up off the floor. We occasionally have a pile of wooden pallets at work. I hauled six of them home, laid black plastic on top of each pallet and piled on the boxes. The plastic prevents any moisture that seeps into the wood from getting into the cardboard boxes. A great solution until I can build permanent shelving.
The pallets were free and have served me well. How have you used pallets or pallet wood? Tell us about it in the comments section below.