Put tools away clean and dry, keep their batteries separate and arrange the unit so your crew can find what they need. You should also avoid making the contents obvious and check the facility's rules before you move anything in.
Your van gets tools from one job to the next, but it does not have to store everything overnight. Large cases, ladders, spare parts and equipment can quickly crowd out the things you use every day at home or in the workshop. A unit can also help when a site has nowhere to lock tools away, or when one job ends before the next begins.
Keeping everything in one place also means you can load only what the next job needs. Keep the set you use every day together near the door, with specialist and seasonal equipment further back.
Before you rent, write down how often each item moves. Something loaded every morning needs a different place from something used twice a year. A simple inventory can also stop you buying another drill bit or fitting when you already have one somewhere in the unit.
Facilities often accept hand tools, power tools in their cases, ladders, spare parts, consumables, workwear, signs and equipment waiting for the next job. Every facility has its own excluded-items list, so read it before you load the van.
Ask specifically about petrol, diesel, gas cylinders, solvents, thinners, pressurised containers and petrol-powered equipment that still has fuel inside. You should also ask about anything that contains a battery, is pressurised or contains a chemical product.
Do not simply tell the facility that you have equipment. Name each unusual item and describe its condition so the staff can give you a clear answer. Our guide to what you cannot store covers the wider categories. Once the facility has accepted an item, you can decide how to pack it.
Start preparing tools as soon as the last job ends, not when you reach the unit. Brush or wipe away dust, cement, grease and other dirt, which can trap moisture against metal and hide damage. Dry the tools completely, including their cases, handles, hinges, blades and the spaces around switches.
Once a tool is clean, check its cord and plug so you can deal with visible damage before it sits unused. If the instructions recommend it, apply a light, suitable oil to bare metal such as drill bits, saw blades, chisels and moving parts. Coil cords loosely and secure each loop instead of wrapping a cord tightly around the tool and leaving it sharply bent for months.
Put tools back in their fitted cases when you can, because the case supports the tool and keeps its parts together. Use sturdy, lidded bins for smaller loose items, add clear labels and include a moisture absorber when the items need one, especially for a long stay. Keep cases and bins off the floor on shelving or pallets that the facility allows. Store heavy equipment low, where one person can move it without lifting awkwardly.
Check the tools every few months for moisture, rust, damaged packaging, leaking products or bins that have shifted. Use the same short list after every job: clean, dry, inspect, treat, pack and record. Doing it the same way each time helps prevent one rushed return from damaging several tools.
Take removable batteries out of cordless tools before storage. Keep the packs together in a suitable case and away from loose metal parts. Before moving them in, tell the facility what type of batteries you have, how many packs there are and whether any equipment has a battery you cannot remove.
Heat can shorten a battery's life. Ask how hot the unit may become during Bahrain's hottest months, and do not assume that every indoor unit has the same conditions.
Storage guides do not agree on the best charge level for a long stay. Some recommend a partial charge and others a full charge. Check the manual for your battery. It may also tell you how often to check the pack and what storage temperature it needs.
Do not leave a flat battery forgotten for a full season. Label chargers and matching packs, and add the batteries to the same inspection list as the tools. Record the date on each pack so the crew can check the oldest date first instead of opening every case.
Tools need extra thought because one person can carry them, many keep their second-hand value and similar models can look identical once they leave their cases. Mark each valuable tool with an engraving, stamp or durable paint mark that would be difficult to remove without leaving damage. Mark its fitted case too, so you can see at once if a battery, blade or attachment is missing when the case comes back.
Record the serial number, purchase details and photographs for every expensive item. Keep this record somewhere outside the unit.
Do not advertise what the unit holds. Keep branded cases and trade signs where no one can see them from the door during a normal visit. If the facility allows it, put the most valuable portable tools in a lockable steel chest or cabinet so the unit door is not the only barrier.
If a crew shares the unit, give each person separate access details when possible and cancel a person's access when they no longer need the unit. Keep a simple sign-out record so you know who took a tool and which job it went to. Our storage security guide explains the gates, cameras, lighting, locks and other questions that apply to every unit.
Keep the tools you use regularly nearest the entrance, with specialist and seasonal equipment further back. If the facility allows shelves, put them along the walls and leave a clear route to the back. Make sure that route still works when the van brings back a complete set from a job.
Store heavy cases and equipment low. Lighter bins can sit higher as long as their labels are easy to read. Use matching bins for small parts and consumables, and label more than one side so the words are visible from the aisle.
When the facility allows it, store ladders flat on suitable supports. Leaning them against loose stacks wastes space and makes nearby tools harder to reach.
Set aside a marked area for equipment returning from a job. Clean, inspect and record each item before putting it back with the tools that are ready for the next job. Keep an up-to-date list of what the unit holds and where to find each item, and photograph the shelves after a major change.
Another crew member who is allowed into the unit should be able to load the right tools without calling the person who arranged everything. Test the layout with one complete job load. You will soon see whether the bins, ladders and heavy cases can all move through the aisle without blocking one another.
Planning a working unit for your trade? See Wadaya's storage units and check the route for the equipment you move most often.
Judge the facility by a normal working day, not an occasional quiet visit. Ask these questions before you rent:
Walk the full route while thinking about the largest item you normally carry. Measure the doors, corridors and lifts, and check the available height before you sign. Get the answers about access, power, deliveries and batteries in writing. These details decide whether the unit will work on an ordinary day.
Compare the location with the areas where you work most often. A long detour costs time every morning you load the van and every evening you return the tools.
Many facilities accept hand tools, power tools, ladders, parts and cases. Check whether the tools and equipment you plan to store appear on the facility's list of excluded items.
It depends on the tool, its battery, the season and how long you will store it. Ask about the conditions inside the unit and follow the instructions that came with the tool.
Remove them if the instructions allow it, store them separately and ask whether the facility accepts that type of battery.
Clean and dry them, treat bare metal as the instructions recommend, use suitable cases and inspect the tools while they are in storage.
Ask whether approved people can have separate access details. Keep a current list of who may enter, and remove access when someone no longer needs it.
Every few months is a useful starting point. Check more often if the tools are sensitive, you plan to leave them for a long time or the conditions change.