6 Things You Should Never Store in a Shed

Keep Your Stuff Safe

You get your new shed delivered, the doors are open, you see all this space and your mind starts planning what you’re going to put in there. You can already see all the extra space in your home and garage, or your new workspace for all your favorite hobbies.

We all have a general idea of what can be stored in an outdoor shed: ATVS, motorcycles, gardening tools, Christmas decorations and more. But, it’s not often that we consider what we can’t store in a shed.

Food

Buying in bulk is cost-effective, especially when you have a big family. A post-Costco trip can leave your kitchen pantry feeling a little cramped. You might be tempted to store some of that extra in your new shed, but an outdoor building is not an ideal place for food storage.

Food can invite unwelcome pests into your shed that can eat your food, destroy your stuff and, possibly, make their way into your home. Rodents and other pests are attracted to food. The exposure to heat and humidity can also cause groceries to spoil. Human food isn’t the only kind that shouldn’t be stored in a shed, pet food, bird seeds and other animal foods should be kept indoors as well.

Artwork

While it may not be a Van Gogh, you probably don’t want your artwork being destroyed. Artwork needs humidity and climate control because of how vulnerable it is to the heat and moisture. As it warms up, heat can cause it to expand. As it cools down, the artwork can contract. Over time, this can cause distortion, the paint to flake and crack, and permanent warping. High heat and exposure to the sun can cause discoloration.

Photos

Just like with artwork, your photos should be kept away from the heat and humidity. Moisture can cause photos to stick together and grow mold, effectively destroying the photo. The best storage for photos is in a dark, well-ventilated area that’s below 75 degrees and humidity-free. Your closet would make a better photo storage than a shed.  

Musical Instruments

Instruments are delicately made pieces that, if exposed to the heat and humidity, can have their sound affected. Instruments made of wood, such as guitars or ukuleles, are especially susceptible to damage from heat and humidity. The humidity can cause glue in the joints to weaken, the wood to soften, and be more prone to permanent deformation. Necks of guitars become more prone to bending, throwing off the sounds and decreasing the neck projection. Brass instruments, like trumpets and trombones, can rust and corrode as they’re exposed to moisture.

Electronics

Electronics can take up a lot of room in your home and it’s tempting to get them out of the way– especially if you don’t use them very often. But, electronics like microwaves, phones, tablets, computers, and more can be damaged if the heat is too intense.

Gasoline

As everyone knows from the signs at the gas station, gasoline is a very flammable liquid. While it’s not great to store in your garage, you definitely don’t want to store gas in your shed. Without proper ventilation, gas can ignite and explode. While it’s best to avoid storing gasoline in your home at all, if you do, make sure there’s no ignition source, such as a pilot light, and it’s in a well-ventilated area.

While there’s items you shouldn’t store in your shed, there’s still many options for what you can store.

If you don’t have a shed of your own, but want to get one, check out our models or even start designing your own with our custom 3D Shed Designer. Not sure what’s best for your needs? Check out our idea gallery to see what other Shed Depot customers have created.