Items to Avoid Storing In Your Garage

Your custom garage has many useful purposes, with storage being one of the top. However, not all items belong in a garage and some should never be stored there for safety reasons. 

From pests to fire hazards - be sure to keep the following items out of your garage at all costs:

• Canned Food
• Pet Food
• Firewood
• Books
• Clothes
• Paint
• Photos
• Items Sensitive to Temperature Changes
• Hazardous Materials (Propane Tanks, Gasoline, etc.)

If you are curious why these specific items do not belong in your garage, read on!

You may think that if you properly store certain items like dried food or vacuum-sealed clothing in your garage that they will be safe from pests. The reality is that even when stored in airtight containers, pests, including rodents, can still be a problem. No amount of storage will stop a rat from making a meal or a nest out of the following items!

Pet Food

Although, you may want to store your pet’s extra food, treats, or bones in the garage - you can bet that the neighborhood possum, raccoon, rat, or mouse will likely snack on Fido’s dinner. Even wild bird seed should be kept elsewhere to prevent visits from unwanted critters. The same rules apply for storing canned food. Keep those items in your house!

Firewood

At first thought, the garage seems like the perfect place to store firewood. It's dry, covered, and easy to access. However, it's actually the opposite. Certain types of bugs love to make homes in firewood including ants, termites, roaches, and beetles. A better solution is to stack it on a pallet outside and off the ground. You can then cover the wood with a waterproof tarp to keep it dry.

Books

In addition to books, most paper products attract certain types of pests. Rats and mice love to make nests out of newspapers. Familyhandyman.com notes that silverfish especially love to make a meal out of the sticky binding that holds books together. 

Clothing

Even when stored in airtight containers, clothing is not something you want to store in your garage for many reasons. For instance, if a slight hole appears in one of your containers, your clothes could be ruined by moisture or insects.

Due to the heat and being completely enclosed, garages tend to produce humidity levels that can easily damage certain items. According to BobVila.com, excessive heat and humidity can cause irreversible damage to:

Paint

It seems like your garage would be the perfect place to store paint, but alas it is not. Extreme temperatures, whether cold or hot, can cause paint to separate or gel to the point of being unusable. Save yourself the hassle and money by storing your paint cans somewhere other than your home garage. Try looking for space in a spare closet. 

Printed Photographs

Due to the moisture, heat, and humidity levels found in most garages, treasured printed photographs should not be stored in that location. Not only can the temperature affect the quality of your photos, but it can also discolor, crack and warp them. 

Electronics

A good rule of thumb for garage storage when it comes to heat is that if you wouldn't leave it in your car on the hottest day of the year, it should not be stored in your garage. High temperatures and even extremely cold temperatures can damage electronics such as computers, video games, and televisions. Once the motor is damaged or melted - there is no saving your old files. So, do yourself a favor and find a better storage option for computers and laptops than your garage. 

Wooden Furniture

Due to the build-up of moisture, wooden furniture can warp and become swollen if stored for too long in your garage. Antiques especially are better off stored in a temperature-controlled storage unit or in your home. 

Spare Refrigerator

Although a garage fridge may seem like a great idea at the time, especially if you have a custom garage man cave, they are oftentimes increasing your energy bill excessively because temps can get pretty high.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over 45 percent of fires that start in a garage will eventually damage some or all of a home. This statistic alone is proof enough to never store flammable or combustible items in your garage. Unplanned fires are devastating, especially when they affect your family home, which is why you should never keep the following items in your garage. Even if you think you have them properly stored, they can still prove to be dangerous. 

Gasoline

Even when in a gas can, gasoline is dangerous. It only takes one spark to ignite a flame that results in a fire. 

Oily Rags

Oily rags are yet another item that should never be stored in a garage-type environment, especially anywhere near electrical outlets or appliances. In fact, familyhandyman.com explains that “Spontaneous combustion (and a devastating fire) can occur when oily rags are stored where the internal heat that is generated isn't allowed to escape.”

Propane Tanks

Propane tanks are built to be safe as long as they are used properly. If not properly sealed, a small propane leak from your tank can cause a fire, just by starting your car.

Your garage can serve as a great place for storage. Just make sure to be safe and cautious when selecting what belongs there & what doesn’t. Avoid storing anything that’s a safety hazard, attracts rodents, or is sensitive to temperature changes.