If you’ve ever lived with a skater, you probably know what a tripping hazard skateboards can be. We know what it’s like to step on a stray skateboard around and see your life flash before your eyes. So let’s avoid the flash scare and talk about skateboard storage!
Skateboarding is one of the most popular sports in the United States, with nearly 9 million daily skaters. Skateboarding is perfect for urban environments and is extremely popular in big cities. You’ll find skaters everywhere you look in New York City, San Francisco, and especially Atlanta. But the real mecca of skateboarding is LA! Street skating got its start in Los Angeles. Today LA is still home to many of the top professional street skaters in the world like Paul Rodriguez, Chris Cole, and Torey Pudwill.
If you’re a pro or a novice skater, it’s a good idea to think about better skateboard storage. If you need to store just one skateboard or an entire collection of them, read on. We’ve got the Top Tips and Ideas for Proper Skateboard Storage below to help you do it right!
Tip 1: Indoor Skateboard Storage
Here’s the thing about skateboards; they’re super tough and durable – but only when they stay dry. That goes for the deck, the trucks, and the wheels. You shouldn’t store your skateboard outside because it can get wet. This can lead to rust on the truck and wheels. Lots of rain can even warp the deck of your board. So, even if you live in sunny LA, it’s better to keep your skateboard dry and inside.
Experts recommend never leaving your board outside, even just for one night. Why take a chance with a skateboard you love? You never know if a thunderstorm will pass through and you don’t want to risk warping your board. If one night is bad, a whole winter would be even worse.
Depending on where you live, it’s possible you can skate outside all year long. San Diego, for example, is perfect for year-round skating. So are Houston, Miami, and Las Vegas. But in Midwestern and northern cities, winter snow means you can’t skate for a few months. If you live in one of these cities, you need to find somewhere to store your skateboard for the winter.
Tip 2: Dry and Temperate Skateboard Storage
Since we know you can’t leave your board outside, you’re first thought might be to put your skateboard in your garage. A garage is a perfect right, it’s inside and dry and secure? Actually, your garage is not a good place to store your skateboard! How you store your skateboard is all about how skateboards are made. Skateboards are sensitive to changes in temperature. If you put your board in your garage, your attic, or your basement, you’ll be exposing your skateboard to temperature fluctuations. Most American skateboards are made of 7 layers of maple pressed together. This is what makes them so durable for doing tricks. But it also makes your board sensitive to the temperature.
Water and temperature fluctuations are the worst enemy of your skateboard. If the humidity is very high, like a basement, or there are heat spikes, like an attic, that spells trouble. In winter, even your home’s garage can get cold enough to damage your skateboard deck, trucks, and wheels.
The trucks of most skateboards are made of aluminum, but they can also be steel, brass, and nylon. The wheels are usually a synthetic rubber polymer called polyurethane. Under the wrong conditions, all these materials will corrode, degrade, dry out, or all three at once.
Our Advice: Always put your skateboard somewhere dry, warm, and safe. Proper skateboard storage will save you from the damaging effects of weather, water, and severe temperature fluctuations. A skateboard rack on your bedroom wall works excellently and keeps the board off its wheels. Plus, if you always put your board back on your rack, you’ll always know where it is.
Tip 3: Before you Store your Board
If you’re planning to store your skateboard for a few weeks or even a few months, you need to follow our checklist first. You’ll want to do a check over your board to make sure everything is working before you store it.
- Check the deck and deck tape to ensure it’s still holding well.
- Check your wheels and trucks and make sure they don’t need to be tightened or oiled.
- Give your board a thorough once-over and, if something needs it, repair it.
It might seem silly because you’re putting it away for a while; it’s true. But this way your board will be ready to go when you venture out to skate again.
Tip 4: Use Hanging Board Storage
It’s best to use hanging storage for your skateboard because it takes the pressure off your wheels when you’re not using them. (Not to mention, it reduces any tripping hazards in your home). There are a lot of affordable hanging skateboard storage options. You can also make your own DIY skateboard storage with simple materials. Below are a few of the best hanging storage options:
- A skateboard rack is designed specifically to hang skateboards on the wall. There’s a wide variety of prices and styles available, so make sure to find the rack that suits your needs.
- A hanger for guitars is a cheap option that is great for hanging individual skateboards.
- If you’re into DIY projects you can use large hooks and two beams to make a custom skateboard hanger.
- If you want an even easier option, you can mount pegs onto a beam to hold your boards.
Skateboard Storage With iStorage
If you’re worried that all of your skateboards won’t fit in your home, we have the perfect solution for you! Store your skateboards with us at iStorage in a temperature-controlled. They will be safe from humidity and temperature changes with us. You can access your board whenever is convenient for you and keep them safe during the winter. Whether you own one skateboard, a collection of them, or even a skateboard shop, you can safely store your boards at iStorage. All of our self-storage locations are clean, safe, and secure, with 24/7 video cameras and an on-site manager.
If you have a small collection of skateboards, a 5×5 storage unit would probably be perfect. Do you own a skateboard shop in your town? If yes, a 10×15 storage unit would work perfectly. Not only will you have room to store stock, but you can also turn it into your skateboard repair area.
If you have questions about storing a skateboard, or anything else, you can chat with us online. Want to see a storage unit in person? No problem! You can visit the iStorage center nearest your town or city. The onsite manager can show you around and answer any storage questions you have. Until then, be safe out there and always have a great skate!