Common Garage Storage Mistakes

If you’re one of the hundreds of homeowners who can’t park in their garage because it’s a storage disaster, or among those who continually swear to clean and organize in the spring, you may want to tackle it sooner rather than later.



Fixing these common storage mistakes won’t just help with the usage, flow, and space of your garage, but you could be preventing an accident.

Yard and Lawn Care Tools & Equipment

The garage is regularly home to the tools and pieces of equipment we use to take care of our yards.  After a long day of toiling in the sun, why would we think twice about storing a mower, string trimmer, hedge clippers, and other tools neatly away? The paradise of air conditioning is steps away, it’ll be easy to lean them against the wall, toss them in a plastic bin, or hang them haphazardly on a rusty nail. But this is one of the most common mistakes in garage storage.  It’s not safe to trust that rusted nail lazily tacked into a board to hold your lawn equipment, especially if it has blades or sharp edges. Instead, invest in a slatwall panel garage storage system, or a sturdy garage cabinet set.  No equipment will be in danger of falling and everything can be stored neatly away in seconds, freeing up space and saving you time.

Uncoiled Garden Hoses

It’s safe to say that just about everyone hates to coil up a hose, which leads to the common mistake of leaving the hose in a pile in your garage.  Not only can you trip over this, but also you’re not doing the hose any favors, either. You’ll extend the lifetime of the hose and save yourself a nasty fall by purchasing an easy to use hose reel.

Bikes

The bane of every garage—bikes.  Bulky and hard to store, bikes take up more space than necessary and are the likely culprit behind why most Americans have limited room in their garage.  Leaving bikes on the floor of your garage is a common storage mistake. The solution is quite simple.  Consider this: your garage’s vertical space.  Hang bikes upside down from the ceiling of your garage by using sturdy hooks that will hold the bike by its frame or wheels. Bikes are lightweight, and so getting them on and off is no problem.  If you don’t feel like lifting them on and off the ceiling hooks all summer, that’s all well and good, leave them on the floor, but come winter, they’ll have a place that’s seasonally out of the way. Now look around, no bikes on the floor, tons of space, and zero times those bike handles jam into your side as you maneuver around the garage.

Paint

You might think that the garage is the perfect place to store paint but it’s the opposite.  Sure, all of your other house-related tools are stored out there, but your garage’s exposed environment can ruin those expensive cans of paint in a matter of time. Paint needs a dry, cool place for storage.  In order for it to retain its consistency, paint needs an equally consistent atmosphere.  That means no dramatic temperature shifts, no freezing cold, no exposure to moisture, and no extreme heat during the summer months. It’s a common mistake to stash paint away in the garage, one that will ruin your supply, so instead, store the cans in your basement.

Carpets, Rugs, & Clothes

Garages are for storage, but a common mistake that most homeowners make is thinking that they can store things like carpets, rugs, and clothing items in this area with no consequences. Not only will mold and mildew set into these items due to garages being comparably not ventilated as other parts of your home, but mice may find them an enticing place to nest. Instead, store any fibrous items in low-humidity, well-ventilated areas.  If you have to use your garage as storage for these items, make sure there’s proper airflow and run a dehumidifier, and try to use a sealed container, if possible.

Your Old, Inefficient Fridge

How many of us have an old fridge they thought they’d store out in the garage?  It’s costing you by being energy inefficient and possibly inviting unwanted creatures into your garage.  Food that’s unsealed even in freezers or fridges can attract vermin.  Appliances that aren’t Energy Star certified are more expensive to run, and you’ll notice that on your monthly energy bills. If you want to have a fridge or freezer in your garage, avoid these common mistakes.  Get an Energy Star appliance; you’ll save money with the investment.  Seal any food in airtight containers and be sure to periodically check to ensure your garage is critter-free and that food hasn’t spoiled.

Organize Your Garage & Avoid These Mistakes

For most of us, we put off cleaning our garages, but in doing so, we’re actually creating our own worst enemy in common storage mistakes that quickly turn to safety hazards. It doesn’t take long for a garage to turn into an unorganized, dysfunctional mess.  Instead, smartly organize your garage by avoiding these common mistakes.  You’ll thank yourself later.

Organization Doesn't Work with a Small Garage

You organize your garage and remove all the unwanted stuff but you still don't have enough space. Let's face it, the problem here is not your stuff but it's your garage. There's a solution to this problem and it starts with a brand new detached garage. At Danley's, we have all the garage styles and sizes that will improve the value of your home. All the stuff that you wanted to move out of the garage can be stored inside a two-car or even a three-car garage. Speak to a specialist about garage sizes and get a free quote online today.