Garages are overflow storage and they destroy a surprising proportion of what goes into them.
What a Garage Does
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, which soaks anything resting directly on the floor.
And pests, which find cardboard and soft furnishings ideal.
What Not to Store There
- Paper, photographs and documents
- Fabric, bedding and clothing
- Electronics and anything with a battery
- Anything you would be upset to lose
- Mattresses, which absorb damp and cannot be dried
Commercial wire shelving, of the kind catalogued at https://fdw.us.com/, is the standard answer here because it gets everything off the floor and lets air move around it.
Off the Floor Is the Main Thing
Concrete wicks moisture and condenses, and anything resting on it absorbs that.
Shelving, pallets or battens under boxes. Cardboard on a garage floor is a guaranteed loss.
Anchor the Shelving
Tall loaded shelving is a tip-over hazard, and a garage is exactly where people climb it to reach the top.
Fix units to the wall. Heavy items low. Never climb the shelving.
The instinct is to put heavy things high because they are hardest to lift, which is precisely backwards.
Fuel and Chemicals
Petrol, paint, solvents and garden chemicals are flammable, and garages frequently contain a boiler, a freezer or a car.
Original labelled containers, away from ignition sources, out of direct sun, locked away from children. Never decant into drink bottles.
Rigid Bins, Not Cardboard
Which absorbs moisture, collapses and is what pests nest in.
Label Everything
A garage of unlabelled bins is a garage nobody looks in.
Check It Annually
Damp, pests and leaks all start quietly.
Clear Bins Beat Opaque
Because a garage of unknown boxes is a garage nobody searches.
Leave a Walkway
Storage that blocks a route to a fuse box or a stopcock is a problem.
Keep the Floor Clear
Trip hazards in a dim garage are the everyday risk.
Date the Boxes
So you know what has sat untouched for five years.