San Diego Union-Tribune

FALL A GOOD TIME TO TACKLE MESSY SHED, STEP BY STEP

Clear everything out for cleaning and maximize space

- BY NEVIN MARTELL Martell is a freelance writer. This article appeared in The Washington Post.

Many sheds are catchalls, simple structures intended to store gardening supplies, lawncare equipment, outdoor furniture and that oversized custombuil­t cornhole set you bought on Etsy and only used once. They may start out organized, but over time many descend into chaos and clutter.

Fall is a great time to tackle this long-overdue project. Here are nine simple steps to help you transform your shack packed with bric-a-brac into a wellorgani­zed, functional space.

1

Call a friend: If cleaning the space feels overwhelmi­ng, Meghan Jackson, owner of Joyful Spaces, an organizing business based in Colorado Springs, Colo., recommends partnering with a friend. “Offer to exchange helping each other out,” she says. “Having another person will also bring a whole other set of ideas and suggestion­s to the process, and it’s just a little more fun doing such an arduous task.”

2 Empty and assess:

“The first step is to get everything out, so you can see

what you have,” says Amy Bloomer, owner of the organizing company Let Your Space Bloom in Luthervill­e, Md. “This is almost always the most uncomforta­ble and overwhelmi­ng part of the process, but it’s the most necessary.”

Group everything into piles of related items, such as yard tools, gardening supplies and lawn games. “This makes it easier to make decisions about what you need, what you want to replace and what to dispose of,” says Jackson. “You have to be honest about your

needs now and if you can really see yourself using the item in the future, and you’ll also see if you have duplicates of anything.”

3 Deep clean:

Bloomer’s tool of choice for cleaning sheds is a leaf blower, because “it’ll get out all the creepy crawlies in all the corners.” Then give the space a vacuum or brisk sweeping, dust the shelves, scrub the floor and clean the windows. Moving outdoors, power wash or pressure wash the exterior. Make sure to check under awnings

and in other crannies to remove empty nests, animal stashes or blown leaves. 4

With year-round use, you should insulate to regulate moisture and create a temperatur­e-controlled environmen­t. Jay Shafer, author of “The Small House Book” and a tiny house designer, recommends lining the structure between its studs with 1- to 3-inchthick polyisocya­nurate (also called simply polyiso) foam board. “It will create a vapor barrier,” he says, “so

Prepare for the elements:

you don’t have to worry about mold.” If you’d like to put in a heater or air conditioni­ng, lighting or power outlets, be safe and hire a profession­al electricia­n.

5

The quickest way to make an old structure look new is to give it a fresh coat of paint inside and out. Bloomer suggests painting the interior a light, bright color. This will make the small space look larger, while allowing items stored in the shed to stand out, even in corners or on shelves. The exterior can be brushed with a color that blends into the natural environmen­t, or a vibrant shade if you want it to stand out. Bloomer suggests adding pizazz by painting the door a poppier, eyecatchin­g color.

6

Some items must be stored on the floor, such as lawn mowers. Everything else should go on the wall. For tools that can be hung, Bloomer recommends the customizab­le Rubbermaid FastTrack rail system. Use adjustable shelving for everything else. Narrow shelves are good for smaller items, such as seeds and sprays. But for bulkier things, wider shelves are best. Bloomer prefers Seville’s steel wire shelving or Origami racks for everyday storage, and either Husky or Gladiator heavyduty

Paint: Maximize horizontal space:

shelving for heavier items. Consider storing smaller, related items in stackable bins. “Labels are really helpful, because they quickly remind you of how you organized everything,” says Jackson.

7

Two items commonly stored in sheds should be moved indoors: batteries and paint. “Batteries degrade more quickly if they’re not in a climatecon­trolled environmen­t,” says Jackson. “And paint goes bad if it freezes.”

8

Jeanie Stiles, coauthor of “Sheds: The Do-ItYourself Guide for Backyard Builders,” suggests building an awning on one side of the shed, depending on community regulation­s. Underneath it, you can place trash cans and recycling bins, stack firewood and install a wall-mounted bike rack.

Move these items inside your house: 9 Don’t forget outdoor storage:

Maintain it: To prevent things from getting out of hand again, do a yearly cleanup. “Don’t worry, it’s easier to clean a shed if it’s organized,” says Jackson, who adds that organizati­on systems will need to evolve over time. She also advises doing a mini-purge every couple of years.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Fresh paint is a quick way to make an old shed look new. Pick a color that blends into the natural surroundin­gs, or a bold color if you want it to stand out.
GETTY IMAGES Fresh paint is a quick way to make an old shed look new. Pick a color that blends into the natural surroundin­gs, or a bold color if you want it to stand out.

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