Logan Voss
A place for parking cars and storing miscellaneous items that have nowhere to go inside the house. An unused room until someone needs a specific item or has a project to do. The garage is a multipurpose room of the house that gets very little attention. It holds bikes, camping gear, gardening supplies, car tools, and more. You may not even realize some of the items you have strewn about are potentially dangerous to your home.
Learn about four potential safety hazards in your garage that you should take care of right away!
A Cluttered and Disorganized Garage
While garage storage is great for tools and items that don’t serve a purpose indoors, too many items can cause issues. Unsecured items on high shelves or the ceiling can pose a safety risk. Besides, a cluttered garage is a poor use of space!
Worse, if a fire ever started in the garage, the plethora of items would easily ignite and spread the flames. Try to go through your garage and dispose of items you no longer need. From there, you can start reorganizing.
Fire Hazards
The last thing you want is for a fire to break out. You must follow safety precautions to prevent garage fires. There are two common causes of garage fires:
Faulty Wiring
One of the leading causes of garage fires is an electrical malfunction. Older homes are more likely to have old, worn-out wiring, but accidents can happen in any home.
If you suspect an issue, hire an electrician to thoroughly inspect the wiring. You want to ensure the garage is safe for you and your family.
Combustible Chemicals
It’s common to store various chemicals in the garage for the next time you need to use them. What you may forget is some of these chemicals are highly flammable. Gasoline, paint, paint thinners, fertilizers, lighter fluid, and so much more contain dangerous flammable chemicals.
If those types of items are improperly stored in the garage, seal them tightly. Always handle them with care to avoid spills that may start a fire.
Unsecured Tools and Equipment
A heavy item at the top of a shelf. A ladder leaning aimlessly against a wall. A lawnmower with boxes tossed on top.
Any item that isn’t securely stored in the garage risks falling and potentially damaging a vehicle or other items and could injure someone. It’s important to find an efficient organization system for storing tools and equipment in the garage. Not only is it necessary for people’s safety, but it’s also helpful to have an organized system that makes finding what you need easier.
A Damaged Garage Door
You may not think of the garage door as a potential safety hazard. Garage doors have many moving parts that function to propel the door up and down.
Look out for springs with gaps, rust, an uneven garage door, and loud squeaking or grinding sounds. If any of these signs are present, contact a garage door repair company to fix the issue promptly.
