Your decorating kit, yes: ladders, trestles, clean dust sheets, wallpaper, hand tools and brushes, rollers and trays once they’re cleaned and dry. The paint itself stays at home, along with white spirit, thinners, brush cleaner and spray paint.
Why the paint stays out
Paint is one of the things our storage terms name among combustible and flammable substances, and that covers every kind, water-based emulsion included, however small or well sealed the tin. Solvents and anything that gives off fumes are kept out for the same reason. It’s about keeping everyone’s belongings safe: in a shared building, one leaking tin or a pile of spirit-soaked rags can affect the units around it, so every customer keeps to the same rule.
What can go in
| Item | In the unit? |
|---|---|
| Ladders, trestles, platforms | Yes |
| Clean dust sheets, masking tape, wallpaper rolls, scrapers, hand tools | Yes |
| Brushes, rollers and trays, cleaned and dry | Yes |
| Corded sanders and heat guns | Yes |
| Cordless tools | Yes, within our battery limits |
| Any paint, tester pots and spray paint | Keep at home |
| White spirit, thinners, brush cleaner, paint stripper, wood oil | Keep at home |
| Rags or dust sheets soaked in paint, oil or spirit | Keep at home |
For fillers, sealants and adhesives, check the label: if it shows the flame symbol or says flammable, keep it at home. If you’re not sure about a product, call us on 0800 2545585 before you pack it and we’ll tell you straight away.
Decorating room by room
A unit makes decorating room by room much easier. Move a room’s furniture, boxes and pictures into the unit, paint the room, bring everything back, then start the next. The paint, the brushes you’re using and the spirit stay with you indoors, somewhere dry and frost-free.
Decorators and landlords between jobs can keep ladders, dust sheets and tools in a unit too; paint stock and solvents stay in a workshop or garage.
Old tins from a clearance
If a loft or garage clearance turns up old paint, usable tins can go to a Community RePaint drop-off point, where leftover paint is passed on for reuse. For anything else, your council’s household waste and recycling centre can tell you what it accepts.
When you’re ready, get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585.
Related questions
- What goods are prohibited from being stored at Wigwam?
- Can I store a lawnmower, petrol tools, gas bottles or a barbecue?
- Can I rent a storage unit for a week?
Further reading