Where do you move your outdoor materials when winter arrives? The garage or basement, right? Are you sure that’s a good idea? According to experts, a storage shed may be a healthier choice.
Why a storage shed?
Taking care of your outdoor environment can be a big job. Everything from the grass you cut to the grill where you whip up your famous prime rib requires a lot of heavy-duty supplies. So where do you put it all when the Wisconsin winter threatens to bury it under a mountain of snow in the bitter cold?
To many, the answer to this question is, “Wherever we have room.” The trouble is that “wherever we have room” tends to be a place inside the house where other heavy-duty equipment lives. True, the concrete floors and the workshop-like applications make your garage or basement seem like a good fit at first. However, closer investigation shows that certain materials pose serious safety risks when stored indoors.
That’s why an outdoor storage shed is a worthwhile investment. By keeping certain items covered, secured, and away from your indoor environment, a shed protects yourself, your loved ones, and your home from some serious, even disastrous, damage.
Below, we’ve listed some common items that you should store in a shed as opposed to inside your home.
1. Gas-Powered Machinery
Gas-powered machinery may sound like an odd addition to this list. After all, you do store your gas-powered vehicle in your house. Here’s the catch: your car lives in a space that was specifically designed to store it. Furthermore, your car undergoes an emissions inspection (or at least, it should) to confirm it’s not giving unhealthy amounts of harmful gas.
When it comes to other gas-powered tools (e.g., lawnmowers, leaf blowers, gas-powered generators, etc.), it’s a different story. These items, in particular, pose the threat of off-gassing, which is when gasoline-fueled appliances give off gas as vapor. This vapor is heavier than the surrounding air and is liable to travel among the floors and lower portions of the walls.
What happens if that vapor is released in a space with a pilot light, a faulty electrical outlet, or another combustible source? Ignited gas vapor is a recipe for disasters. An explosion. A fire. Serious injuries and property loss.
The simple solution: keep those gas-fueled machines in a storage shed. In that case, they’re protected from the elements and ignition sources.
2. Fertilizer
For all the bountiful goodness fertilizer provides outdoors, it can be quite the nuisance indoors. It’s stinky and difficult to clean up if spilled. That’s not something you want in a space where you’re carting groceries and laundry.
Your shed is secure and dry which makes it a fine place to store your fertilizer as long as you’re not storing thousands of pounds worth. Pro tip: store it in a metal trash can. This keeps the fertilizer away from water and the gasoline-powered elements in your shed. Furthermore, it will help contain that signature fertilizer odor.
3. Garden Tools
While we’re on the subject of garden materials, let’s talk about the tools you use to trim and till the earth. Rakes, spades, hoes, pruning shears, chain saws. What do these all have in common? Heavy-duty sharp parts. Between all the blades, teeth, and fine points, these tools have the potential for significant damage if stored improperly.
Basements and garages sustain higher foot traffic. If they’re too crowded with hazardous garden tools, it’s more likely that someone, at some point, will make unwanted contact with those tools. Someone may trip or drop something among the clutter. If that happens, how much worse will the experience be if there’s a garden hoe in the way?
Therefore, store the gardening tools in the shed. They’re closer to their area of operations there anyway.
Where do I get a storage shed in Wisconsin?
How many of the items listed above are now sitting somewhere in your house? It’s time to take them out to your storage shed. Don’t have a storage shed? Contact us at Juniper or visit our store in Appleton, WI today. Our selection of sheds and outdoor buildings is sure to provide a practical, stylish storage solution for your yard.
