Metal Buildings

You’ll love the storage space that comes from owning a new VersaTube garage, and while you can store nearly anything in it, there are a few things that are better stored elsewhere. For best practice, avoid these five things.

Items that attract pests

Nobody wants to work to rid their garage of mice, raccoons, and other pests, but some items you might think of storing in your garage can attract them. To save yourself the effort and annoyance of having to get rid of them, avoid storing pet food and bird seed in the space.

Cardboard, newspapers, and firewood are attractive hiding spots for insects and rodents, as is clothing and bedding. If you do need to store extra clothing and blankets in your garage, make sure you do so in a tightly sealed plastic container to minimize the effect.

Propane Tank

Sure, your VersaTube steel garage is fire-resistant, but that doesn’t mean you don’t take precautions to avoid an explosion or fire inside. A propane tank should never be stored indoors at all, not even in a shed or garage away from the house. If there’s a small gas leak, the enclosed space can cause an explosion. Instead, store your tank upright somewhere outside, away from your furnace vent, dryer vent, or kids’ play zone.

Electronics

Temperature extremes aren’t good for televisions, computers and other electronic devices. Even if your garage is well insulated, it’s going to get hot in summer and cold in winter. Unless your VersaTube garage is temperature controlled, store electronic devices inside.

Important Papers, Documents, and Books

Humidity, heat, extreme cold - none of these things are good for the papers and documents that you want to hold on to. They’ll begin curling, the pages will turn yellow, and then they’ll rot. Your books and documents need a climate-controlled environment to last.

Food

Sure, the date on that can of green beans is still two years away, but those dates are based on the standard recommendation to store your canned goods in a cool, dry place. Heat above 85 degrees can cause the food inside to spoil. Don’t risk a bout of food poisoning - just store them inside!

The great thing about choosing a VersaTube garage is that it’s pretty easy to finish it any way you like, so if you do need to store food, papers, or electronics in your garage, you could always choose to install an HVAC system for climate control. If you do plan to go that route, let your professional sales engineer know beforehand so he can advise if the design should be modified.