A garage allows you to cut down on clutter inside the house by offering extra space to keep items you don’t use every day. Despite how easy and convenient it is to open the garage door and toss all your odds and ends inside, you should ensure everything is stored safely. To keep your property and family out of harm’s way, take the following precautions with your garage storage and organization.

Do:

Be careful where you place tools.

Hanging tools in the garage provides more floor space; however, secure them so there’s no risk of their falling and injuring someone. To avoid this, hang them at eye level. Also, ensure all shelves and racks attach securely to the wall and can handle the weight of heavy implements.

Store gasoline properly.

Although it’s common to find gas cans behind the garage doors of many homes, they often don’t comply with fire codes. Most regulations limit gasoline storage to a specific number of gallons, and approved containers must be used. If you follow these rules, you can keep gas in the garage. Store canisters out of reach of children, out of direct sunlight, and off of concrete floors.

Don’t:

Keep propane in the garage.

Since you don’t want to keep hazardous materials in the house, it might seem wise to put them in the garage. However, you shouldn’t store anything potentially flammable or toxic in an enclosed area.

Propane tanks are perfect examples of this. Valves can leak, creating fire and asphyxiation hazards. Even a small spark could ignite the gas. Place these outdoors, well away from the house.

Neglect to check your water heater frequently.

If your water heater is in the garage, don’t let it become a safety hazard. It could use gas, propane, oil, or electricity for power, so ensure there’s plenty of space left around your unit for adequate ventilation. Second, keep all combustible materials at least 18 inches away from the water heater to prevent fires.

 

Whether you’re in the market for a new garage door or have a maintenance request for the one you currently have, contact CGX Overhead Door LLC in Ballwin, MO. They’re proud to provide homeowners throughout Greater St. Louis with high-quality products and workmanship at reasonable prices. Backed by 10 years of industry experience, their team offers efficient installations and repairs that will help to keep your garage door operating at peak performance for years to come. Call (314) 550-9212 to schedule an estimate, and visit them online to learn more about their services.