If you have a lawn mower at home, storing it in the right place is part of its proper maintenance. Although a garage can be a good place for storing it, is it really safe to keep it there?
Storing your lawn mower in your garage can be a good option as it protects your machine from all kinds of weather. But, if you are going to keep it for a long time, make sure to empty the fuel tank. Otherwise, the mower becomes a potential fire hazard.
In this article, we will discuss where to keep your lawn mower safely and how to store it in the garage. In addition, you will learn what not to store in a garage.
Where Do You Store a Lawn Mower?
Storing your lawn mower in the ideal place is an essential part of its maintenance. When you are buying such a machine, you are investing a considerable amount of money and have to ensure that it lasts long to be worth every penny! However, a safely stored lawn mower can last longer than your think. In this article, we will discuss the top five places to keep your lawn mower harmlessly.
Storage Shed
The best way to store your lawn mower is to place it in a storage shed. A shed is a lifesaver to keep your necessary tools and equipment in the right place and out of children’s reach. If you already have a storage shed in your backyard, you can save some bucks by storing your mower there. Moreover, these places are suitable for any climate and can last a lifetime.
It is the best place in your house to store your lawn mower, among other gadgets. As it is weatherproof, it will keep your machine safe. The most satisfying part of owning a storage shed is that you can customize or decorate it as you need and make it the ideal place to keep things in their proper place. However, if you do not have a storage shed or have a wooden shed, you need to spend a fortune building or maintaining one.
Plastic Lawn Mower Box
The cheapest option to store your mower is a plastic lawn mower box, which also requires the tiniest area to keep it. You can find one in almost every big box store. However, this box is only suitable for small-sized lawn mowers and some other kinds of tools.
These boxes only suit ideal, warm or cold, climates but are vulnerable to extreme weather. So, if you store the box outside your house, you must be careful about the weather. Although they are waterproof, any leakage in the box can damage your machine.
Garage
Most people store their lawn mowers in their garages because it is the most common place to keep their tools and gadgets. If you have a pre-built garage, you can indeed keep it there without spending a fortune. Such a place is ideal for storing anything as it is weatherproof and as safe as your house.
Garages are generally only made for storing cars or motorcycles. If you have both vehicles, you most likely won’t have enough space to keep extra tools or gadgets there. Another negative side is that garages stay in the dark during the day and the air ventilation is lacking there, which can dampen your garage and harm your machine.
Outside
The most insecure and cheapest way to store your lawn mower is to keep it outside of your home or on your lawn. Although it is not wise, many people who own big houses keep their lawn mowers outside their homes. Indeed, it can be a good option for big house owners, although this is not suitable for small places.
If your local weather is warm and dry all year, then it is okay to keep it outside. However, this type of weather is scarce, especially in North America. Moreover, if anyone trips over a lawn mower, it can cause severe injuries.
Basement
A basement is not the ideal place to store your lawn mowing machine. If you have no other place to store it and want to keep it there for a short period in the winter, then it can be useful. However, it would be best not to keep a mowing machine with a tank full of gas in there. An electric mower, for instance, is a much secure machine to store in a basement.
The ideal weather to keep your mower in the basement is in the winter and only for a short time. Most houses nowadays come with a cellar, and for that, the cost of storing a lawn mower is near zero. If you do not have other options, then you might consider this one.
How to Store a Lawn Mower in a Garage?
As stated earlier, a garage can be the ideal place for storing tools or gadgets like a lawn mower. Generally speaking, you cannot store other stuff in a decent-sized garage after parking your car because of a lack of space. But, you can solve this problem by storing your lawn mower in a vertical position.
Indeed, putting your mowing machine in a vertical position can save a lot of space in your garage. But, can your lawn mower support upright standing? If it does not, then the oil can drip all over the engine, which is the last thing you want to happen as oil leakage can damage your machine, and repairing it would be expensive.
To avoid such a situation, you should read the part of the manual that explains how to operate and store it. If not mentioned in the manual, try to contact the manufacturer to get their input. Overall, we recommend you not to keep your mower vertically unless it was built for it. If you do not have enough place to store it horizontally, you can create a hanging shelf specially made for your mower and place it there.
A garage can keep your machine weatherproof, but if you do not regularly open or close it for a short time, then the damp room can harm your engine. An air ventilator can solve this problem, although you should also make sure that nothing can pass through it without air.
Another caution for keeping your mower in the garage is to empty the fuel tank before storing the machine for a long period. Because if by any chance, the temperature in the garage becomes too high, the fuel tank can become a fire hazard and could cause a severe accident.
What Should You Not Store in a Garage?
A garage is ideal to protect your car or motorcycle, as well as some selected stuff. But many people think and believe that they can use theirs as storage and accumulate anything they want, which is absolutely a flawed concept. Here is a list of things not to store in a garage and why they should not be stored there.
Propane Tanks
Propane tanks are essential for outdoor cooking, like for barbecue parties, but should not be stored in your garage. Although you can keep some cooking equipment in a garage, propane tanks or cans pose a great threat to your home. Sometimes, those tanks may leak, and a place like a garage, where the air ventilation is inadequate, can suffer severe disasters. Therefore, we recommend keeping propane tanks in an open, shaded area.
Clothing and Bedding
Bulky winter clothes or beddings take quite some space when stored in the summer, hence why people tend to keep them in their garages. But bugs and animals love to make such a damp and dark place their home. So, try to keep them indoors in a plastic storage box to avoid such circumstances.
Paper Products
If you are keeping paper for recycling it and are not managing it properly, it can be a perfect place for pests for their breeding, as the environment is damp and dark in the garage. Instead, try to store paper products in a dry and bright place.
Fresh Food
Keeping pets or birds’ food in a garage is a bad idea because vermin can easily access and live a luxurious life there. You can store these in a container in your pantry instead.
Temperature-sensitive Items
Temperature-sensitive items, like wine, paint, and refinishing solvents tend to lose their original composition in extreme weather. To avoid unexpected situations, you can keep them in a weatherproof place.
Refrigerator
Fridges keep food at a low temperature preserve it for an extended period. However, it would be best if you did not store your refrigerator in your garage as it becomes more challenging for it to keep food cool when the temperature inside your garage rises.
Your garage is a secure and convenient place to house lawn mowers and other parts. But, you should always be mindful of what other tools you put in there as some of them can be potentially dangerous.