The coronavirus pandemic has impacted human activity around the world. Ontario’s construction industry is no different: with all non-essential projects shut down early in April, and no set date to re-open, thousands of sites are unable to move forward during what should be peak season.
Obviously this reality presents many challenges for both construction businesses such as project managers, general contractors and trades, as well as residential and commercial property owners throughout the Province. One of the most pressing problems is temporary onsite storage construction and renovation: what to do with the items that are displaced or need to be stored at the project site while we wait for the green light…. The impacts will vary depending on the specifics of a given project – type, scale, timeline and stage – each will play a role in determining what the shutdown means.
And different stakeholders will face unique challenges. You could be a homeowners caught in the middle of a renovation, unable to return home, limited to using only part of your dwelling, and/or forced to complete the work yourself. While this is going on, where are your possessions being stored? Maybe you had a short-term solution that won’t do for the added weeks or months.Or perhaps you are a tradesperson who uses large and heavy tools and machinery, or large quantities of construction materials. These things can be very costly to relocate and store, but leaving them at site adds risk of weather damage, vandalism and theft. The need for temporary storage solutions for construction and renovation is both real and immediate.
If you are seeking temporary onsite storage during a construction or renovation project that is shut down due to Covid-19, portable storage pods could be a great solution. Portable storage containers can be delivered right to your site, are available in a range of sizes, and come with different features and benefits which are important to consider. For example, if your site is small or crowded, you may want to source a vendor with an agile delivery system and smaller portable storage units. If you have plenty of space and need storage for larger materials like full sheets of plywood, you’ll want a larger portable storage container, and may want to prioritize one with easy access (hinged doors instead of roll-ups, and low profile entrance step). In all cases, durability is important: your storage pod should be resistant to damage (ideally metal) and the elements (caulked and weather stripped).