One the biggest dilemmas in most homes is storage. In fact, surveys show that one of the first things people look for in homes is closet space and storage space. I suppose there’s a hoarder in all of us. Storage gets a lot trickier when you start a family. Children are constantly growing out of their clothes and toys and you need to keep those valuable hand me downs somewhere. Having new things to store when you’re already bursting at the seams can leave you scratching your head looking for solutions. When storing new items, there’s always a process of elimination, you want to keep your more coveted items indoors, but what is less important get relegated to garage storage.
However, when it comes to garage storage, not everything should be sorted that way. There are things that need to be stored in the garage, things that need to be stored in the home and there’s a third category of things that can be stored anywhere. Some items are common sense, you would never store jewelry in the garage, but other items aren’t as straightforward. Follow these tips for insight on what you can and cannot store in your garage:
1) Outdoor Toys
If you’re living in a four season climate and have children, you will have a ton of outdoor toys you will be scrambling to store. Many people feel weird about storing their children’s toys in the garage but don’t. Outdoor toys are built to withstand the elements, a garage would be ideal winter storage for such items.
2) Electronics
It may seem like a smart idea to store old electronics in your garage provided they are not visible to potential prowlers. However, garages range from extreme heat in the summer to extreme cold in the winter. Those conditions can destroy electronics, despite them not being in use. Try and eliminate as many as possible, for data storage, store it in the cloud or keep it on a small external hard drive.
3) Outdoor Items
If you are lacking a tool shed, anything you would normally place in it can be neatly organized along the walls of a garage and hung up in many cases. Car accessories, like spare tires and fluids, are ideally stored in the garage as well. What all these items have in common is that they’re dirty and not meant to be put in the house.
4) Furniture
Outdoor furniture can, of course, be stored in the garage, however indoor and especially wooden furniture should be kept indoors. Wood tends to warp if exposed to conditions fluctuating from humid to dry and hot to cold.
5) Pest Bait
Pests can detect even well-packaged food. They will find a way in and damage your property, keep all your food inside. Also, clothes, towels, and linens can result in a moth problem, it’s not just our food that can attract pests.
Conclusion:
Use your judgment; sturdy, rough and tumble things can be stored in the garage, while delicate items require a more stable environment inside the home. Make sure you arrange a storage area in the attic or basement for these purposes.
Original article found at: http://dreamcasa.org/living/design-and-decorate/garage-storage-works-doesnt/