I can tell you from 32 years experience that basement storage is to be avoided for all the reasons mentioned. Mold, mildew and varmints and pests are dramatically worse below grade.

The basement is where all the contaminated water in a fire accumulates.

In all my years, we have only had two fires and neither caused the clients problems. But flooding in the best of circumstances is a nightmare. Piping is guaranteed to leak over time. 

The clean up cost is monumental.

If you are in a basement as your only storage space you should have a vault and a clean agent system. You should develop drainage protocols, sump pumps and such and start accumulating money for the clean up because flooding is much more prevalent than fire in my experience.

So many places in New England such damage from snow melt, broken pipes and so on.

Start shredding and storing electronically and limit your volume so yu can keep a file room or vault on grade or above level.  Point out that flood waters can be considered spoliation. 

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

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