Our garages often become large storage areas for our houses. Unfortunately, this usually means humid or damp conditions, exposure to extreme temperatures and being much more open than the main part of your house to insect life and vermin, all of which can cause damage to your stored objects.
Get Organised
If you intend to use a garage as a storage area, you need to get organised. Firstly, sort through those boxes and piles of stuff. Work out what things you really need to keep, then really declutter and get rid of what you don’t really need.
Once you have had a clear out you should organise some storage such as garage shelving. This helps you to ensure the garage stays tidy and organised as well as keeping items in better condition.
You can buy garage storage solutions in a number of stores, or online at places like https://www.garage-shelving.co.uk/.
What Not to Store
All those half empty tins of paint stuck up the corner are bad news. The extremes of heat during summer then cold and damp in winter will not only affect the paint itself, they will cause the cans to rust – especially if stood directly on concrete. Try to use up left over paint within two years and keep the cans as dry as possible, perhaps stored on a set of shelving towards the back of the garage. Periodically check them for signs of rust and damage to the tins.
Tinned foods are also bad news in a garage for similar reasons, because the temperature changes may affect the food and rust or damage to the outside of the tins could compromise the seal and affect the safety of the contents. Short periods should be alright., but they’re much better off inside the house.
Fridges and freezers don’t always perform as well as they should in low temperatures in garages, as this article in the Telegraph explains. Again, best kept in your house.
Electronics like spare TVs, DVD players, old laptops and even playable media like the DVDs and CDs themselves can be badly affected by dampness or humidity. Even your attic is probably better than the garage.
Paper and books will also suffer from damp, so avoid garage storage if possible – if not used sealed plastic boxes raised off the ground.
