Never Store These Things in Your Garage
The garage is a wonderful, large space that can hold a lot of items. In fact, a lot of people choose to park their cars in their garage, which shows just how much storage space you have to work with. If you’re someone that wants to utilize your garage for storage to keep the rest of your home clutter free, there are some items that you may want to skip in this area. A garage can fluctuate in temperature and humidity pretty dramatically, so you should give some thought to the items that you want to protect. Here’s a few items you definitely don’t want to store in your garage.
Paint
It’s a great idea to store any leftover paint that you have once you’ve completed a project inside of the home. This provides you with the opportunity for easy access when you need to patch a spot that has been scratched or dented. Unfortunately, the garage isn’t the best spot for paint. Paint doesn’t hold up well to extreme temperatures or large fluctuations in temperature. It will end up drying up much quicker, making it unusable. A better place for your paint cans would be your basement or a utility closet.
Books
If you’re an avid reader and have a lot of books that you want to hang onto, keep them inside of your home in an area that provides much more climate controlled storage. Temperature fluctuations in your garage are an issue, but moisture is a big issue when you’re dealing with storing something made of paper. Most garages aren’t very well insulated, and there are varying degrees of humidity over the course of a day, let alone as the months go by. Your books could end up growing mold, forcing you to toss them in the trash.
Important Papers and Photographs
For the same reasons that you don’t want to store books in your garage, you’ll want to keep important photos and papers, like birth certificates and passports, out of your garage as well. Moisture and temperature fluctuations pose a danger. There may also be pests that come into your garage and could end up chewing through some of these items. Instead, keep a small filing cabinet in your home where you can keep all of your papers and photos organized and protected.
Clothing
It’s tempting to store some of your off-season clothing in the garage, but this isn’t the best way to protect your wardrobe. There are all kinds of pests that are attracted to fabric, especially mice that are looking for a cozy home. Mold and mildew can also grow on your clothing inside of a garage, so opt for a closet in your home instead. If you don’t have the closet space, put your clothing into secure bins and place them somewhere safe like the bottom of your closet, under beds, or in the basement.
Propane Tanks
If you like to store additional propane tanks for use with a grill, your garage isn’t the best choice. If there is a valve that isn’t fully closed, vapors could escape from the container and infiltrate your indoor area. An area outside, like a shed, is much better. Just make sure it’s out of the way of direct sunlight.
Firewood
When you stock up on firewood for the long winter ahead, keep it out of the indoors until you’re just about ready to use it. This includes your garage, which can be a great location for pests and rodents to make their home in the piles of wood that you have. There may also be less than optimal moisture levels in your garage that could compromise the integrity of your wood. It’s best to keep it outside and only bring in a few pieces at a time when you’re going to have a fire.
Here at Commonwealth Garage Door, we offer a variety of services that can help you ensure your garage is a safe and protected area. Even with routine maintenance and ongoing repairs, there are still items that we recommend you find another location for. While your garage does offer great storage solutions for easy access to a variety of items, it’s not always the best location for certain things. If you have any questions about what you can keep in your garage versus opting for climate controlled storage, reach out to our team for more information.