Garages and outbuildings are the default overflow storage, and they destroy a surprising proportion of what goes into them.
What a Garage Does to Things
Temperature swings between freezing and hot, which stresses adhesives, plastics and anything with a battery.
Humidity, which rusts metal, warps wood and grows mould in fabric and paper.
Condensation on cold concrete floors, which soaks anything resting directly on them.
Pests, which find cardboard and soft furnishings ideal.
What Should Not Be Stored There
- Paper, photographs and documents, which are destroyed by damp
- Fabric, bedding and clothing, which grow mould and attract pests
- Electronics, which suffer from condensation and cold
- Batteries, which degrade and can leak
- Anything you would be upset to lose
Rigid sealed bins raised off the floor are what makes garage storage viable at all, and ranges publishing dimensions per size, of the kind at bino.us.org, let shelving be filled properly rather than approximately.
Get It Off the Floor
The single most effective change. Concrete wicks moisture and condenses, and anything resting on it absorbs that.
Shelving, pallets or even battens under boxes. Cardboard on a garage floor is a guaranteed loss.
Rigid Bins, Not Cardboard
Cardboard absorbs moisture, collapses under load and is what pests nest in.
Sealed plastic bins with lids solve all three, and clear ones remove the need to open every box to find one thing.
Chemicals and Fuel
Worth taking seriously. Petrol, paint, solvents, thinners and garden chemicals are flammable, and garages frequently contain a boiler, a freezer or a car.
Store them in original labelled containers, away from any ignition source, out of direct sun, and locked away from children.
Never decant fuel or chemicals into drink bottles. Ventilate when working with them. Old chemicals go to household hazardous waste rather than a drain or a bin.
Shelving Must Be Fixed
Tall shelving loaded with heavy items is a tip-over hazard, and garages are where the heaviest things get stored highest.
Fix units to the wall, put heavy items low, and do not overload a span.
Label Everything
A garage of unlabelled bins is a garage nobody looks in.
Check It Annually
Damp, pests and leaks all start quietly.
Set a Limit
A garage is not infinite, however it feels.