Christmas Tree in Self Storage

Does your family enjoy having a live Christmas tree in spite of the work, the mess, and the fire hazard? Do you love driving to the cold, slushy tree lot bundled in your Christmas sweaters? You spend countless hours choosing the best tree, tying it to the car, and bringing it home only to find out that it’s too big, too small, too wide, too skinny, too crooked, etc., etc., etc?  

Maybe, in the interest of family unity, you’d like to avoid mishaps, arguments, and dry pine needles? If so, you’re more of an artificial tree family. You enjoy ordering online from the endless array of shapes, sizes, and colors and wait for UPS or Amazon to drop the box on your front porch. You can assemble, decorate and enjoy the beauty of your tree, all while drinking hot cocoa and watching Christmas movies. Sounds like a plan.

Whichever tree you choose, from a 7.5 ft. National Tree Company Pre-Lit ‘Feel Real’ Artificial Nordic Spruce to a 24 in. Charlie Brown Christmas tree, the best place to keep it safe and protected is a climate-controlled self storage unit. Here at Handy Storage, we have the perfect sized space for your artificial tree, your giant lawn decorations, and all of your other Christmas trimmings. You can hide your gifts in your unit, too!

In reality, there are a few pros and some cons to using an artificial tree that you might want to consider. Before we discuss these, check out this Christmas tree history and a fun fact that you might enjoy.

A Brief History of the Christmas Tree

Decorated Christmas trees are still a well-loved tradition, and play a very special role in the holiday season. Christians began the tradition of bringing live evergreens into their homes to decorate in the 16th century. This custom wasn’t recorded in the U.S. until the 1830s when German settlers in Pennsylvania decorated trees in their homes for the holidays. 

Fun fact:  The first artificial Christmas trees in the U. S. was made in the 1930s by Addis Brush, a company that was in the business of making toilet brushes. These trees were actually manufactured using the same equipment that was used to make toilet brushes. 

Christmas trees continued to be manufactured right alongside toilet brushes until 1950 when Addis Brush received a patent for the aluminum tree. It was called the “Silver Pine,” and, if anyone reading this is old enough to remember, it had a rotating light source that changed the color of the tree as it revolved. Aluminum trees are still sold today for people who want to recreate the nostalgia of that post-WWII era.

Artificial trees don’t create the mess and inconvenience of the real thing. Nevertheless, there are a few factors you might want to consider before making your Christmas tree decision.

Pros and Cons of Artificial Christmas Trees

Pros

Artificial Trees Mean Less Work: You don’t have to water them, many are pre-lit, and you don’t have to worry about dried-up needles destroying your carpet and impaling your bare feet.

Less Expensive: In the long run, artificial trees are less expensive because they are typically kept long enough to pay for themselves. In fact, with proper care, they can last a lifetime. The cost for live trees has been increasing steadily and is up 10 to 30 percent for 2021, making the average cost $78. The reasons for the rise in prices are increased demand, lower inventory, and supply chain problems. 

Complement Your Style: If you want a tree that’s tailored to your taste, with accessories to match, an artificial tree is for you. They are available in a broad range of types and sizes and have garlands, wreaths, door swags, and many other attractive add-ons to match.

Easily Maintained in Self Storage: An artificial tree can be easily packed up at the end of the season and placed in your safe, secure storage unit. If the vehicle your using to move your tree is large enough, you don’t even have to disassemble your tree. Cover it with a sturdy canvas tree bag, and you are good to go. 

Cons

Artificial Trees Can Be Unhealthy: Artificial trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, aluminum, and steel. PVC contains harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic, and phthalates. It’s nearly impossible to know which chemicals your tree contains because of minimal oversight. Considering the short time that you’re living with your tree, this is not worth too much worry unless you have a family member with significant allergies.

Artificial Trees are not Environmentally Friendly: People have the misconception that chopping down a live tree is bad for the environment, but artificial trees leave a huge carbon footprint. They’re produced in factories; travel by ship, plane, and truck to retail stores; and they’re packed in cardboard boxes. One artificial tree adds about 100 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Of course, considering that a well taken care of tree can last more than 10 years (even a lifetime, depending on quality) this isn’t as concerning as it seems at first glance.

Artificial Trees Can be a Fire Hazard: Over time, an artificial tree that has become dusty can be a fire hazard. Even though manufacturers spray artificial trees with fire retardants, they can still ignite. If you’re careful about keeping your tree in climate-controlled storage, as well as using a good-quality storage bag, you can eliminate concerns about dust.

Takeaway

Artificial trees are less expensive over time than live trees, and they require much less effort. In the final analysis, however, the type of tree that you choose is your decision. If the natural beauty and nostalgia of a live tree are important to you and your family, by all means, embrace the experience and make some beautiful memories.