Five Things You Should Never Store in the Garage
As American consumers continue to buy and store more things, garages continue to transform from car apartments into storage spaces. A Consumer Reports survey found that nearly a third of homeowners with a garage never even park their cars in it, regardless of its size, and 62 percent indicated their garage was overcrowded and disorganized.
The problem is that most garages are not designed to be used as multi-purpose storage spaces. The lack of insulation, ventilation and/or climate control means it’s usually not the best place to store your belongings, including the items below.
Books, periodicals, photographs, documents and other papers.
Don’t store your magazine collection, family photos, important documents, or anything else made of paper in the garage, as humidity and other moisture can cause damage beyond repair.
Furniture for home
Solid wood or chipboard furniture can warp or crack from humidity and temperature changes, while metal furniture can begin to rust.
Food
Your garage shouldn’t double as a storage room, so find another place to store canned goods and dry goods. This also applies to pet food and bird seed, which can attract outdoor pests and make it easier for them to gain access inside your home.
Cloth
The garage is not a place to store clothes, even if they are packed in a plastic bag with a tight lid. Humidity and dampness can lead to mold growth, and mice and other pests may decide to use your old sweaters as nesting material.
Carpets and rugs
Rolling up a rug or rug and stashing it in the garage may seem like a great way to save space inside, but it can also cause the flooring to become moldy and unusable.