7 Things You Should Never Store in Your Garden Shed
If you’re like me, your garden shed becomes a catch-all for anything that doesn’t have a proper home. I learned this lesson the hard way last autumn when my expensive power tools rusted beyond repair.
After my costly mistake, I chatted with neighbours and scoured gardening forums to discover what experienced shed owners avoid storing. Garden Buildings Direct offers brilliant storage solutions, but not everything is suitable to be kept in them. Here’s what I found.
1. Electronics And Power Tools Without Protection
My £200 electric drill now sits sadly in the bin because I carelessly left it on a shelf through winter.
Moisture is the silent killer in garden sheds. Even with no visible leaks, the humidity fluctuations can destroy electronic components.
If you must store power tools in your shed, use sealed plastic containers with silica gel packets, or better yet, bring valuable electronics indoors during colder months.
2. Family Photos And Important Documents
My mate Dave learned this when his shed flooded last spring, destroying irreplaceable wedding albums.
Paper absorbs moisture like a sponge, leading to mould, mildew, and deterioration.
Temperature fluctuations cause photos to curl and stick together, while important documents become illegible – something no one wants to discover when urgently needing their house deeds!
3. Food Items (Even Canned Goods)
“I thought tins would be fine in the shed,” my neighbour Susan told me over the fence. “Until they froze, expanded, and leaked tomato sauce everywhere.”
Extreme temperatures cause canned foods to spoil faster or even explode during freeze-thaw cycles.
Dry goods attract mice and insects, creating an unwelcome wildlife sanctuary among your gardening supplies.
4. Delicate Fabrics And Clothing
My Christmas decorations box taught me this lesson when I found my festive tablecloth covered in mould spots and mouse nibbles.
Natural fabrics like cotton and wool are particularly vulnerable to damp conditions, developing mildew that leaves permanent stains and musty odours.
Moths and rodents view your stored fabrics as five-star accommodation, complete with all-you-can-eat buffet.
5. Wine And Other Alcoholic Beverages
My brother-in-law’s expensive whisky collection suffered a tragic fate after a summer in his garden shed.
Temperature fluctuations ruin wine by causing it to expand and contract, pushing out corks and allowing oxygen to spoil the contents.
Freezing temperatures can cause bottles to crack or explode, creating a dangerous (and wasteful) mess to clean up.
6. Paint And Flammable Chemicals
“I nearly burned down my shed last summer,” admitted Frank from my allotment society. After storing petrol next to his mower during a heatwave.
Most garden sheds lack proper ventilation for chemical fumes, creating potentially dangerous conditions, especially during hot weather.
Extreme cold causes paint to separate and become unusable. While flammable materials pose a serious fire hazard year-round.
7. Musical Instruments
My daughter’s forgotten guitar emerged from the garden shed storage, warped beyond repair. An expensive lesson in what not to store.
Wooden instruments crack and warp with humidity changes. While metal components corrode quickly in damp environments.
Even plastic instruments suffer in extreme temperatures, becoming brittle in cold or warping in heat.
Better Safe Than Sorry
After my expensive mistakes, I’ve become much more selective about what goes into my shed. For valuable or sensitive items, I’ve created proper storage inside our home.
For everything else, I’ve invested in sealed plastic containers, moisture absorbers, and regular shed maintenance to keep the British weather at bay.
Remember, a garden shed is brilliant for properly stored garden tools, outdoor furniture, and seasonal items. But some things simply belong indoors, no matter how tempting it is to hide them away!
Have you had any garden shed storage disasters? I’d love to hear I’m not the only one who learned these lessons the hard way!
