Home
Our Mission
Why TC & ME?
About TC & ME
Storage
Security
Our Process
8mm Film & Video Tape to DVD
Our Pricing
Preferred Scrapbook Retailers
FAQ's
Site Map
Site Search
Acknowledgments
Services Summary
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 |
Storage Primer |
|
Storage
Most people who think of long term, secure storage think of safes. And with good reason. Just about every form of secure storage out there is a type of safe. Safes designed for protecting documents are typically rated as fireproof and most people assume that a fireproof safe can protect tapes, DVDs, and CDs from fire as well as they can paper. This is not true!
Paper can withstand temperatures up to 350 degrees. Tapes, DVDs, and CDs become unusable when exposed to temperatures of 125 degrees. This temperature difference is why you cannot simply store tapes, DVDs, and CDs in safes that are rated as fireproof safes. These safes are intended to store paper products, not computer media or audio/video tapes. In order to protect magnetic tapes, DVDs, or CDs from fire damage they must be stored in a media rated fireproof safe.
Even in a media rated fireproof safe, the fireproof
rating only indicates that a safe can provide shelter from an intense fire for a
short amount of time, typically one hour. So to properly protect stored media, the safe needs
to be in an area equipped with an automatic fire suppression system so that the
safe is not exposed to fire for a period of time longer that its rating.
Most media rated fireproof safes are not watertight or waterproof.
So, the fire suppression system should not be liquid based. This also
means that your media should be stored inside a waterproof container while
inside the storage safe.
Bank safe deposit boxes are normally fire and water resistant, but they
rarely meet media storage criteria.
Storage Packaging
Many people don't think about the packaging that the media is stored in. Having a safe that protects your media isn't any good if the packaging melts onto the media because it has a lower melting point than the media does. The packaging itself should not break down over time and should not deposit material onto your media like paper or cardboard containers and sleeves can. Also the packaging should breathe to prevent moisture build up and repel moisture and light. Always use a type of packaging that is designed for long term storage, that has a higher melting point than your media, that doesn't break down over time, that doesn't deposit material onto your media, that is breathable, and that repels moisture and light.
Storage Organization
Correctly storing and protecting media is one thing. Being able to find it when you want it is something else. Every item stored should be organized and indexed in a way that it can be located immediately without having to search through a drawer or shelf to find it. This is usually done with a combination barcoding and computerized tracking. To protect an individual's and family's privacy it is also recommended that no personal information, such as name and address, be stored with the media. The only traceable feature should be the barcode.
Back to TC & ME's Storage page.
If you have any questions or concerns about our Storage Primer page please email us.
This page last modified 11/29/07 16:59