01/13/2021

What Can You Store in an Outdoor Shed?

Across the globe, more and more people are relying on outdoor sheds to simplify and organize their lives. Amidst this boom in the backyard storage industry, there is an air of resourcefulness—people throughout the world are asking themselves, “How can I best use my outdoor shed?”.

One increasingly common answer is to use an outdoor shed as a kind of home office. Others are building outdoor sheds to be ‘man caves’ of ‘she sheds’, while many newly built outdoor sheds are being used as a dedicated workshop.

And then there is the classic use for outdoor sheds: storage. Second to the attic, outdoor sheds provide an excellent way to safely and securely store various items that may have seasonal use, odd dimensions, or limited usefulness while still retaining enough value to warrant keeping.

At Backyard Storage, we’re passionate about providing all-in-one outdoor shed solutions that are perfectly suited for storage. In this article, we’re looking at the many items that can be easily stored in an outdoor shed. We’ll also be highlighting some of the things to keep out of your shed.

After reading this, you’ll have a better understanding of where to draw the line between ‘store it in the shed’ and ‘do something else with it’!

The ‘Approved’ Outdoor Shed Storage List

Let’s begin with a categorical list of the things that are generally considered safe for storing in your outdoor shed.

  • Landscaping and gardening equipment. This one is a no-brainer. An outdoor shed is the ideal place to store rakes, leaf blowers, lawnmowers, weed eaters, and anything else that might be used for the express purpose of tidying up the lawn, hedges, or other areas of your property.
    The same goes for gardening tools and supplies including seeders, hoes, plant food, work gloves, empty planters, and composting or mulching bags.
  • Furniture covers, cushions, and accessories. Depending on where you live, it might not be comfortable to spend so much time outside throughout the year. During the off-season, use your outdoor shed to store patio furniture cushions or speciality fabrics that might otherwise degrade with ongoing exposure to UV radiation.
  • Holiday decorations. When you’re thinking of places to store your Christmas lights, wreaths, artificial trees, lawn ornaments, or other festive seasonal decor, think about your outdoor shed. To help preserve these items, store them in utility totes or high-quality cardboard boxes.
  • Clothes. That old denim jacket you never wear anymore. The collection of wool slacks that you just don’t know what to do with. Put them in the outdoor shed. When storing clothes in your shed, try to use sealed containers (ideally with cedar), and consider adding mothballs if moths are a problem where you live.

The ‘Don’t Store It’ List

Regardless of the temperature, humidity, or location of your outdoor shed, there are some items that just don’t belong in it. These are:

  • Canned foods. The packaging materials used in commercial canning are prone to rust and corrosion, and temperature swings can cause rapid expansion and contraction of the moisture contained in the cans, which can significantly degrade the food they contain.
  • Paint, glues, waxes, or resins. As the mercury rises and falls throughout the year, these substances can become compromised, rendering them useless if enough time goes by.
  • Household appliances. Because most outdoor sheds are not controlled for humidity, common appliances like refrigerators, toasters, or microwave ovens can rust.
  • Musical instruments. Any musical instrument in the percussion, brass, woodwind, or string families is not a candidate for storage in an outdoor shed. Corrosion, warping, and mildew can seriously damage these items, so keep them stored in a climate controlled environment.
  • Electronics. If you want your unused electronics to work at some point in the future, don’t store them in your outdoor shed! Rust can cause problems for many sensitive electronics, and plasma TVs in particular are especially vulnerable to volatile temperature fluctuations.

Interested in Getting a New Shed? Talk to Us!

If your life could be made better with the addition of a high-quality outdoor shed, or if your existing shed has reached the end of its natural life, then we’re the folks to talk to about having a new shed built.

We are a one-stop-shop for everything outdoor shed-related. Our comprehensive service includes designing, sourcing, shipping, and constructing your new shed; all you have to do is get your items ready to be stored when the project is complete!

To learn more about selecting the right outdoor shed for you, contact us today.


Browse our inventory to see all our available sheds, garages, and storage buildings, or come by one of our convenient locations to check out our high quality construction for yourself. You can even use our online configurator to see all the options available to you.

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