Tool Shed Tips

To say that my tool shed does double-duty is an understatement. For if a shed could wear hats, mine would need a carousel. Right off the bat, it crosses the line between tool shed and storage shed ... since most of what I'm storing out there could be considered tools ... well, lawn and garden tools.

I avoid referring to it as "the garden shed" or the "yard shed" ... (that would seem too quaint). And even though there are two tractors stored inside, I hesitate to refer to it as "the tractor shed" ...

I draw the line at referring to it as the "storage shed."

So "tool shed" it is ...

As I uncorked the tool shed for the spring -- marking the end of the winter period where my interaction was limited to unlatching the door and fetching the yellow cans for those inevitable "whoops, we're darn near out of heating oil again" moments -- I was overwhelmed by the shed's cluttered state.

(An 8x12 space with no more than five square feet of room to maneuver qualifies as cluttered.)

I had planned to get the shed straightened out more than a month ago. So much for good intentions. As I waded into the mess, I made a mental note of the obvious ...

• If you think you might throw it out come springtime, don't bother throwing it in the shed over the winter ... throw it out, instead.
• If you can't throw it out, get it off the floor.
• If you hang it from the rafters, don't hang it in a place where you'll hit your head on it.
• You bought the peg board. You bought the big box of hooks. Why the heck aren't you using them?
• You can never have too many empty coffee cans.
• Whattya mean you're out of shelf space? There's plenty of room to nail that scrap 2x4 between the studs.

• You don't need to keep all your tools out in the shed. A hammer, a couple of screwdrivers, a good adjustable wrench, and a roll of duct tape will go a long way (and can get you into plenty of trouble). The less a thief can steal, the better.
• A pen and paper always come in handy. Be sure to swipe them at your next stay in a motel or hotel. Nothing brings class to your tool shed like a notepad from the Ritz Carlton.
• A bottle opener is one of the best accessories you add to your tool shed. Get one of those cool old-fashioned ones that you can screw to the studs and it'll never go missing.