Steel does not corrode because it gets hot. It corrodes because moisture in the air settles on it. That is the variable worth paying to control, and it is the one we control.
We hold 43–50% relative humidity
Not “climate controlled” as a phrase on a sign. A measured band, held year round, in a purpose-built warehouse on our Pasadena site.
That band is chosen deliberately. Above roughly 50 to 60% relative humidity, atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel accelerates sharply. Below it, the reaction all but stops. Holding 43 to 50% keeps stored equipment under that threshold with margin — while staying wet enough that elastomeric seals, gaskets and timber crating do not dry out and crack, which is what happens in a space run too dry.
For context: Gulf Coast summers routinely sit between 70 and 90% relative humidity. Equipment in an uncontrolled Houston warehouse is sitting in that, month after month.
“Climate controlled” or “humidity controlled” — which do you actually need?
The two phrases get used interchangeably, including by people selling storage. They are not the same thing, and the difference decides whether your equipment comes out in the condition it went in.
Humidity control manages the moisture in the air. It is what stops corrosion, condensation, mold and the slow degradation of anything with bare metal, windings or sealing faces.
Climate control usually means temperature as well — heating and cooling to hold a set point.
Most people asking for “climate controlled storage” are actually describing the first one. For stored industrial equipment, that instinct is right: moisture does the damage, not heat. A warehouse air-conditioned to 70 degrees with uncontrolled humidity will corrode your equipment. One held at 43 to 50% relative humidity will not, whatever the thermometer says.
What we do, precisely
- Humidity held between 43 and 50%, year round. This is the core of the service.
- A temperature floor. We heat when we need to, so the building will not drop below a set point — ruling out condensation cycling and anything with a freezing concern.
- We do not cool below outside ambient. On a 95 degree afternoon in Pasadena, the inside of that building is warm.
For nearly everything our customers store, that is the correct trade. Spending money to air-condition a warehouse while leaving humidity uncontrolled protects the wrong variable — and plenty of storage sold as “climate controlled” does exactly that.
If you genuinely need full climate control
Some equipment carries a real maximum temperature specification — certain electronics, calibrated instruments, some chemicals and coatings. If that is you, say so.
We can convert a building to full climate control on request. It is not our standard offering, and it is not something we would do speculatively, but if the requirement is real and the volume justifies it, it is a conversation worth having rather than a reason to look elsewhere.
And if we are not the right fit, we will tell you that too. We would rather turn away work than take equipment we cannot store properly.
What belongs in humidity controlled storage
Anything where corrosion, not impact, is the thing that will write off the asset:
- Electric motors, generators and rotating equipment
- Machined and bare-metal surfaces, flange faces, sealing surfaces
- Instrumentation, control panels and electrical assemblies
- Compressors, pumps and skid-mounted packages
- Spare parts held against a turnaround or an outage
- Long-term lay-up of equipment between projects
If it would be expensive to replace and slow to re-source, it is worth storing somewhere the humidity is a known number.
Getting it in and out
An overhead bridge crane and certified riggers, so heavy and awkward equipment can be set down and picked up without improvisation. We arrange the loading and unloading — with our own equipment, or with crane companies we know well when a lift needs more. You are equally welcome to use your own crane company of choice. More on rigging and handling.
Over forty years storing industrial equipment for oil and gas, aerospace, renewable energy and heavy manufacturing across the Houston area.