Have you ever spent an entire afternoon swimming through a mountain of things to find something as innocuous as a hammer? If you have, then you understand the perils of a poorly organised garden shed. To begin with, it becomes harder to find things, and even store others. It is also a terrible waste of space, since you end up underutilising the capacity of the garden shed. A poorly arranged shed is also a danger to your body; anything sharp or heavy could hurt you at any time. Have you ever had the wrong end of a shovel fall on your head? Trust me, that is something you should never experience.
It is therefore prudent that you make your life easier, and safer, by taking the time to organise your garden shed. To help you get started, here are some tips on how best to use the space in your garden shed to your advantage:
Clean out the shed
You will find that for some reason, we love hiding things in the shed. Most of these are things you can no longer use, and if you really out your mind to it, can no longer explain why you have them. Things like old magazines, clothes you never wear, and a lava lamp that you lastly saw in 1991 are a larger part of our garden sheds than we would like to admit. Tools that have seen better days, or are broken beyond repair also fall into this category. These should be the first things to go. Once you have removed all the clutter, you will understand just how much space you have to work with.
Put in some shelves
Shelves are every shed owner’s dream. They make organising things so easy, especially when used together with boxes and wicker baskets. Pick a wall and install shelves, with a heavy carrying capacity. In fact, you could even use metal shelves in your home or office that are never used. The trick with shelves is that you put the stuff you use on a regular basis at eye level so that it is easy to get to. The tools you need seasonally should be put on the higher shelves, while heavy items should be put on the lower shelves to reduce chances of accidents.
Make use of old furniture
Did you know that you could repurpose old furniture? Well, older cupboards and book cases in your house can be used as additional storage in your shed. This is a cost effective way of recycling something you would probably have thrown out or sold at a throw away price. You should also be on the lookout for old chemist cabinets, or library catalogue card drawers in boot sales. These are perfect for storing smaller items such as brushes and seeds.
Racks upon racks
Remember the shovel bump on your head from earlier in the article? Well the easiest way to avoid such an occurrence repeating itself is by making use of racks. A properly installed shovel rack will help you keep your shovels, rakes, and hoes in order. There are two ways to get a rack; you can either have one made for you, or turn this into a DIY project. It is a relatively simple endeavour especially should you decide to use a pallet.
Hooks are your friend
Using hooks is a simple and cost effective way to put away smaller tools like trowels and secateurs. They are easy to install as well since all they require it to be screwed into the wall of your shed. This means that they can be moved should the need arise. Hooks can even be used to store larger tools such as forks and brooms if they are installed correctly.
Use walls
Other than shelves, there are other ways you can use walls to increase your storage in the shed. One of these is using a classic tool wall. These are those things you see in the movies where every tool has a place to go, and an outline is drawn out of the tool. You can actually make your own by first lining up all your tools on a table, then once you see where they fit, transfer the arrangement to a board using hooks, brackets and nails to keep them in place.
Another way to utilise walls is by using a peg board. This is a relatively cheap way to get your tools organised and one of their best qualities is that they can be adapted as your collection continues to grow.
Small items need a home
One thing that makes the shed look like a hurricane went through it is smaller items strewn all over the place. Once you have taken care of the larger things in your shed, you need to find a home for the nuts, bolts, screws, washers and other tiny things. The easiest way to do this is using a jar or a wicker basket. Another method is using an old typesetter’s drawer that can be bought at a boot sale. This is actually one of the better methods, since it allows you to arrange them according to type and size.
Label everything!
After arranging everything, make sure you label everything. This is to avoid the frustration of having to dig through various boxes trying to find one specific thing; this is the easiest way to return your shed to the dark days of clutter. Labelling also lets you know where to return something once you are done with it.
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