As a homeowner, your outdoor shed can offer the perfect place to safely store crucial tools, but if your shed is in disarray, a simple fix-it job could become a hassle. You also run the risk of injuring yourself and losing valuable equipment if your shed isn’t in order. Your solution: organize that shed. Let’s jump into a few easy ways to improve and organize your shed to allow optimal convenience and safety.
Start With Shelving
Whether you buy shelves or build them yourself, the first step in organizing your shed is to employ sturdy shelves to help keep your tools off the ground and arrayed to your satisfaction. There are generally a lot of options when it comes to shelving for your shed. Whatever kinds of shelves you decided to go with, make sure the size and layout is appropriate. Remember, a well-organized shed will also mean that you’ll have plenty of space to maneuver in. If your shed is prone to leaks, you may also want to consider shelving material that’s either resilient to water damage or integrated into the walls of your shed.
Using shelves that are secured to the walls themselves offer other advantages too. For one thing, suspended shelving will take up less foot space and potentially increase the visibility of your tools, boxes, or other items your storing. Whatever style you choose, labeling sections of the shelves can also help you remain organized. You can either indicate where each tool is located or broadly assign shelves to specific kinds of tools like hammers and saws.
Hooks and Hangers
Another way to keep your tools off the ground and out of clutter is to hang them on the shed walls. Using hooks for some tools will help free up shelf space. This would be a great option if you have a lot of tools to store or own larger equipment that takes up a lot of space. Make sure to hang your items carefully, preferably not in front of the shelves. Instead, consider using the largest wall for shelves and then one of the side walls of the shed for hanging tools. Another bonus to hanging up some of your tools is that you’ll have a specific location for that certain tool. It’s very easy to just put an item on a shelf and let it get mixed in other items. If you have a favorite tool, hang it on a specific wall space that you’ll always associate with that tool, this way you won’t risk misplacing the individual item.
Use Tool Towers
For long gardening tools like rakes and shovels, they’re probably too cumbersome to hang from simple hooks or wall hangers; the last thing you want is for a suspended rake to come crashing down onto you. Instead, go ahead and set these related items on the ground out of the way of smaller tools. Using a tool tower can help you store these items upright in an easily graspable position, as opposed to just leaning on the wall. The added benefit is that using a tool tower lets you clearly see and compare the tools you have arranged. Organizing the tools stored in a tool tower by purpose and size will greatly help with this. You’ll be able to distinguish which size of a particular tool you need right there instead of rummaging for an appropriate rake or hoe for the given job.
Put in a Light
If you can’t see your tools very well, odds are it’ll be very easy for you to disorganize them. Putting in a light will help you keep track of your tools and ensure each item gets returned to the appropriate spot. This also enhances the safety of your shed by helping you and your loved ones avoid dropping tools or touching sharp objects.
Need Help?
If you’re in need of any repairs or renovations this winter, out dedicated team at Excel Fencing and Decking aren’t afraid of the cold. We operate year-round so we can tackle all of your projects big or small. Need help with that shed? Call us at 410-803-9499 or fill out a contact form and one of Excel’s representatives will contact you promptly.