Items You Should Avoid Storing in Your Garage During the Summer

For many families, a garage serves as a catch-all space to store miscellaneous items. Rather than cluttering up a home’s living space with items that are not used frequently, it makes sense to place them in an area where they can be out of the way, yet still easily accessible when needed. However, it is also important to be aware that certain types of items may be damaged when stored in a garage, or they could even create risks that affect the safety of a family.

Garage Storage Issues Related to Temperature and Pests

A garage will usually not have the same insulation and climate control as the rest of a house. Because of this, items stored in a garage will often be subjected to high temperatures during the summer. To avoid damage or safety issues, it is best to store certain types of items in places other than the garage. These items may include:

• Furniture – Temperature changes and humidity in a garage are likely to cause wood furniture to warp. Leather furniture may also experience damage due to these issues. In addition, the stuffing in cushions on chairs or couches stored in a garage may attract animals who wish to use this material for nests.
• Clothing – The humidity in a garage may lead to the growth of mildew on fabrics, causing clothing to be ruined. Clothes may also be susceptible to damage by moths or other insects, or they may be used as bedding by small rodents.
• Propane tanks – Even though a garage may seem like the best place to store propane tanks used for gas grills, these tanks are not meant to be kept indoors. Fluctuating temperatures in a garage may affect the pressure in a propane tank, leading to dangerous leaks.
• Pet food – While keeping food for dogs, cats, or other animals in a garage may make sense, this is likely to attract animals. Ideally, pet food should be kept inside a house, or it should be stored in a sealed, air-tight container.
• Artwork and photos – High temperatures and humidity in a garage are likely to damage paintings by causing canvases to expand and shrink or causing paint to become discolored. These issues can also cause damage to photos, including causing them to stick to frames or to each other or leading images to become bleached out.
• Refrigerators or freezers – An extra fridge or freezer in your garage may seem like a good option for storing food. However, these appliances work best when they stay within an optimal temperature range. The heat in a garage may require refrigerators or freezers to use additional energy to keep food cold, which can result in additional costs for electricity.

Contact Our DuPage County Garage Storage Experts

If you have questions about how to use your garage to store items, or if you are looking to renovate your garage to create new storage solutions, Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can help. We will work with you to determine the most affordable ways to maximize the ways you can use the space in your home. Contact our Chicago area custom garage professionals and set up a free estimate by calling 630-852-8485.