Have you ever walked into your shed and just been overwhelmed by things crammed into every nook and cranny? Have you ever found yourself tripping over cords, tools or machines just making your way from one side to the other? Have you ever found yourself stretching to reach over, around or through piles of things just to reach the light switch? Your shed may be suffering from “stuffocation”!
Stuffocation is a condition that arises as a result of many years of working and using a shed. Over time they tend to collect heaps of things that we don’t really need and end up crammed to the rafters. This is not only unhygienic – it seriously reduces the enjoyment you get from your shed. This article we’ll examine the symptoms of stuffocation and how to treat it.
How to know if your shed is stuffocating:
You probably know if your shed is getting a bit claustrophobic, but here are some tell-tale symptoms that are a sign that you’ve got a problem.
- You’re stepping over tools and equipment.
- You haven’t cleaned the floor in forever because doing so would require moving a load of stuff out of the shed.
- You can’t reach the wall switch or power outlet, or you’re leaning over stuff to reach into bins.
- You have items you haven’t seen in years.
Tactics for unstuffing your shed.
- Shift your attitude.
The first thing you need to do is change your mindset. You need to let go of things. Accept that there are certain things you’ll likely never use. Resist the urge to horde.
- Eliminate redundant tools.
Do you really need 5 wood saws? We all have tools we never use. Choose your favourite 2 and lose the rest. Go through chisels, saws, pliers, get rid of duplicates. Why not hand them over to a nephew who is just getting into woodworking? Give them a better home.
- Create dedicated areas for storing material.
Nothing is worse than scrap wood and metal piled everywhere on shelves. If you absolutely need to save off-cuts and pieces of scrap create large boxes or storage bins that you can fill with those materials you might need.
- Cut down on work benches.
Let’s face it, you only really need one workbench. They take up a lot of space and the ones you don’t use are guaranteed to become dumping grounds for miscellaneous stuff. Get rid of the extras and use the space for proper shelving.
- Get stuff off the floor.
The floor accounts for only a small amount of the available space in your shed. If most of your stuff is sitting on it, you’re wasting valuable room. There are many shelving and hanging solutions, but one thing you can do right now is fit magnetic tool racks! They’re cheap to buy and you can place them anywhere in your shed. These simple things will hold all your screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers and everything else neatly in reach!
- Create no-stuff zones.
Maintaining a neat shed is about discipline. Set up rules and be very strict about them. If necessary, mark out lines on the floor where nothing is allowed to be placed. It helps to put habits in place to combat creeping stuffocation.
Unstuffing your shed can be a cathartic, liberating experience. Sometimes after the dust settles it feels brand new! There’s no better feeling than moving around freely and reaching everything easily. If you need help, we can assist you with plenty of shelving solutions. If all else fails, speak to the team at Shedboss about building you a bigger one!
