There are various benefits to installing garage storage cabinets in your house. Clearing up the clutter in your garage is an apparent cause. Garage cabinets may also improve your home’s security.
However, did you realize that poor cabinet installation and use are among the numerous fatalities encountered in homes worldwide each year? This is why you need to get expert garage cabinet installation service to avoid turning your garage into an unsafe space for you and your family.
For example, accidents might result from excessive clutter in a garage, with cupboards overflowing at the seams with items that can easily fall out and inflict injuries. Climbing up a stepladder to remove a package from an unstable shelf might potentially result in a fall. Minors can gain access to an open storage cabinet in the garage containing dangerous chemicals, which might be lethal if they play with it, swallow it, or inhale it.
So, while a house might provide an escape from the perils of the outside world, danger can also exist within the home. Every year, there are up to 20,000 deaths, 7 million debilitating injuries, and 20 million hospital visits in the United States because of home accidents and risks.
Is Your Home Garage a Safe and Functional Space?
Garages are meant to be one of the home’s most functional spaces. However, because garages are so active, they also require diligence and effort to keep them as safe as possible. Things are constantly getting moved in garages, work is being done inside of them, vehicles are regularly coming and going, and more. Therefore, the safety considerations for this busy space are extensive.
The design and organization of a garage bring up several safety considerations that warrant attention from any homeowner.
So, how does adding garage cabinets relate to home safety, and how can you keep your garage safe? Here are 15 garage safety tips to help you maintain a safer home.
1. Lock Up Hazardous Materials
All garages contain various hazardous materials that need to be stored responsibly. Fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, cleaning products, pool cleaning supplies, car maintenance fluids, and paints and solvents are just a few examples.
Store any hazardous chemicals and materials in an appropriately safe spot, either up high and out of the reach of your kids and pets or in locked garage cabinets. A locked shed with adequate venting might also be ideal for certain items, like bags of fertilizer or extra propane tanks. Make sure to read the storage instructions on each product.
2. Keep Sharp Tools Safely Stored
In addition to ensuring safe, secure storage of your power tools, take the same care to store sharp yard tools or hand tools safely. After a long day of yard work, it’s easy to lean your tools or a ladder against the garage wall or stash them in a corner. But rakes, shovels, pruners, and many other types of yard tools with sharp edges become garage safety hazards when not safely put away.
Invest in a proper storage system that allows all your yard tools to be stored safely and organized. A slatwall storage system works best for this purpose and keeps your garage floor clear by creating hanging space on your garage walls. Sharp hand tools can be stored in locked or upper garage cabinets.
3. Store Power Tools Safely
An unsupervised child might feel the urge to try out that big, noisy power tool they see mom or dad occasionally using in the garage. Eliminate any safety concerns by ensuring any power tools kept in the garage are properly stored so your kids can’t access them. Garage storage cabinets with locks are ideal and help keep your expensive power tools more secure from theft.
For larger power tools that can’t be locked in a cabinet, such as a stationary band saw or a larger portable table saw, ensure their safety locking mechanisms work properly. For added safety, disconnect stationary tools from their power supply when not in use.
4. Maintain a Safe Garage Workspace
If you have a garage workshop, pay extra attention to how safe you’re leaving your garage. In addition to following the garage safety tips related to storage of your tools and hazardous materials, clean up your garage work area when you’re finished for the day.
Sweep up any spills, sawdust, and debris on your garage floor to prevent slipping. Properly dispose of any oily rags used during your work session. Always use appropriate eye, face, mask, and hand safety protection when working, and keep a first-aid kit close at hand.
5. Inspect Your Garage Doors and Opener
Inspecting your garage doors and opener is crucial for maintaining safety, given that a garage door is the largest moving object in a home. To ensure proper functioning and prevent accidents, follow these garage door safety tips:
First, periodically inspect your garage door springs and cables for excessive wear. This helps in identifying potential issues before they become serious problems.
Next, keep garage door opener remotes out of the reach of children to prevent accidental operation of the door. It’s also essential to know where the emergency release handle for your doors is located and how to use it in case of emergencies.
Additionally, check that your garage door photo eye sensors are properly aligned, clean, and unobstructed. These sensors play a vital role in preventing the door from closing on objects or people.
Finally, test the auto-reverse safety feature on your garage doors and opener monthly to ensure it functions correctly and provides an extra layer of safety.
6. Deal with Your Garage Clutter
Garage clutter doesn’t only make it difficult to find things and prevents you from parking your vehicles in the garage. All that junk also poses several safety hazards. There’s the danger of clutter that’s stacked too high falling over and injuring someone.
You need to conquer storage closet clutter fast! Even brand-new cardboard boxes aren’t the most stable storage containers, and they deteriorate over time. Too much garage clutter, especially boxes, newspaper and magazine bundles, and flammable materials, also makes your garage more of a fire hazard. Leaving too much clutter on your garage floor is also a tripping hazard.
So, get your space straightened up and clutter-free by using various helpful garage storage systems, such as slatwall, storage racks, or a cabinet system.
Conclusion
By following these initial garage safety tips, you can create a safer and more organized space for you and your family. In Part 2 of this series, we will delve into additional garage safety tips to further secure your garage so it’s not only functional, but is an extended safe haven for you and your family.
Need Custom Garage Storage Cabinets in Phoenix?
Triton Cabinets goes beyond garages! We offer a wide selection of built-to-order closets and other storage solutions for any room in your home, including closets. Our commitment to quality craftsmanship and exceptional customer service ensures that you’ll receive unparalleled value and lasting satisfaction with your investment.
Contact Triton today at (480) 456-6667 for custom garage storage cabinets in Phoenix. See the difference that custom-built cabinets can make in your home. We are the #1 custom cabinet makers in Phoenix, providing well-designed, best-quality closets every time!
Hiring professionals makes building garage cabinets much easier, and our cabinet experts at Triton Cabinet are the ones you can rely on to bring your vision to life. Get a free consultation and quote from our cabinet experts, or even a new home garage cabinets special offer.
Our showroom is at 4111 W. Clarendon Ave., Phoenix, AZ. 85019. To get ideas for your own custom cabinets in Phoenix, check out our design gallery. You may also check out Triton Cabinets on Facebook and see our recent installations, promos and discounts!