Should you keep a lawnmower your my garage? What about a riding mower – or a leaf blower? How about fishing supplies, kite wire, and old vinyl records? While the open sprawl of a garage is a tempting place to put just about everything that you don’t have room for in the rest of your house, some things should get their own storage. Unlike the rest of your home, garages tends to be more closely connected to the outdoors and thus more exposed to the elements. As many garages are still not insulated, small cracks can allow moisture to pour in. Other dangers present themselves for the things you store in your garage, which may actually be posing a danger to your garage itself!
So what can you store in garages, compared to a shed? What should go in garages, and what should go in your home? Read on, and we’ll help you avoid some common mistakes.
DON’T Store in the Garage
Fuel
Let’s start with the one that could save your life. You might not be too surprised to see somebody storing their grill in the garage between cookouts, but if it’s a gas range, you’re asking for trouble. Propane stored indoors presents a real and explosive danger. Your garage, especially if it has electricity running to it, presents many opportunities for sparks. This can be deadly if a propane tank seal is even slightly off – never put a propane tank in the garage. Instead, keep these in the shed, away from any sparks and moisture that could cause the tank to rust.
Paper
Paper is another one to avoid. Sure, the pages can get wrinkly and warp in the extreme temperature changes some garages are exposed to, but the biggest risk of storing paper so close to the outdoors is that all the starch and glue provides a veritable buffet for all sorts of nasty critters that can be expensive to get rid of. Speaking of expense, avoid putting a refrigeration unit in the garage if it isn’t a temperature-controlled building. As the space around the refrigerator heats up, it has to run more frequently to keep its contents cool.
Clothing
Clothing is a bad option for similar reasons – If one mouse finds your favorite Winter flannels, you can bet the whole family will move in and make a mess. Bugs, mildew, and all sorts of nasty things can occupy clothes that are kept in even the cleanest garage. It just isn’t worth the hassle!
GOOD Items for your Garage
Tough Items
Generally speaking, if it’s sturdy, inert, and meant to stand a little weather, you can put it in the garage. Large gardening tools such as rakes and shovels are right at home on a pegboard, and outdoor toys such as push cars and wagons can generally hang around garages, no problem. Extension cords can be iffy, but outdoor extension cords for your leaf blower and mower can do just fine here. So can the leaf blower and mower, for that matter. As long as you’ve got space, heavy items like these that are meant to be used outside are good to store in the garage.
Seasonal Items
Garages are also home to some hidden storage space. If you’ve got an old Christmas tree, holiday decorations, or things you just don’t see too often, the rafters above your garage door are a great place to store bulky, less dense items. Be careful not to overload the rafters, though – this can impede your garage door from opening or closing and even cause damage! The best bet for your garage is to keep things there that you will use in or around the garage – lawn supplies, car supplies, portable basketball hoops. Things you don’t want to carry very far will go a long way when you put them in your garage.
