The Art of Man Cave Maintenance

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy flickr

Back when I was growing up, a garage was simply the place where the car was kept out of the elements.  Today, the space has transformed into the man cave, where everything from tools and lawn maintenance gear to storage shelves, the heater water and perhaps even the wash & dryer live.  Face it, while many houses have a “garage”, this space has become far too important to relegate it to housing the family sedan.  That being said, it’s also one of the areas that is most hazardous, due in part to much of what is stored there.  Combine that with the fact that it’s also one of the easiest parts of the home to break into and I thought I’d dedicate today’s blog to the care and feeding of the man cave.

1.      Where’s the fire? – One of the first hazards present in most man caves is fire.  Aside from the questionable habit of keeping a fully fueled lawnmower and other gas-powered yard tools in the garage, there are lots of other flammable liquids stored there as well.  Everything from paint thinner to many cleaning solvents are highly flammable.  (Do you even have a fire extinguisher in your garage?)  Since most garages aren’t air conditioned, this means that during the dog days of summer the containers in which these liquids reside are primed to explode.  Should an open flame or a spark come in contact with any of them, the results can be catastrophic.  If you keep a gas can in the garage, the spark only has to get within a foot or so of the container, since it’s the gasoline fumes which burn, not the fuel.  If your man cave is either attached to or next to your home, it won’t take much for the flames to spread from the garage to your dwelling.  If your garage has insufficient ventilation, the fumes from gasoline, paint thinner or other flammable liquids could easily turn your man cave into a bomb.  The solution is to make sure your garage is properly ventilated and to store all flammable liquids in a locked cabinet.  Last but not least, make sure you keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it in the event of a garage fire.

Image courtesy USAF

2.      Toxic is as toxic does – Another reason to keep all hazardous materials under lock and key is due to their toxic nature.  While to you the man cave is a workshop, to your children and pets it’s a scavenger hunt.  Should they get into or knock over containers filled with paint thinner, insecticide, herbicide or antifreeze, the results could be deadly.  Pets in particular don’t think twice about slurping up sweet-tasting ethylene glycol.  If your pet comes in from the garage only to stagger around your home like a drunken sailor, you only have minutes to race it to the veterinarian before the effects of glycol toxicity are irreversible.  The solution once again is to keep anything toxic well out of reach of kids and pets.

3.      Everything in its place – A well-maintained man cave is a safe man cave.  By that, I mean in a garage there is a place for everything, and everything should be kept in its place.  Just as you wouldn’t let your five-year-old play with a sharp knife, many implements kept in a garage are razor sharp.  Even man cave owners and adult visitors can easily be injured by sharp tools should they trip and fall.  That’s why toolboxes and pegboards were invented.  If your garage is well-organized, the chances of injury are slim.  If, on the other hand tools, garden implements, power tools and power cords are strewn haphazardly about, you’ve inadvertently turned your man cave into a minefield.  The solution is to stage a quick cleanup and reorganization of your man cave over the weekend. 

Image courtesy PxHere

4.      I can see your point – Another area of concern should be to make sure your man cave has sufficient lighting.  Just as a dull knife is quicker to cut you than a sharp one, if you routinely work with power tools in a garage that has insufficient illumination, you risk a trip to the ER.  All it takes to improve the situation is a quick trip to Lowe’s or Home Depot to purchase a few lighting fixtures that are guaranteed to brighten the gloom of any man cave.

5.      Are you on the shortlist of area burglars? – Believe it or not, burglars love man caves.  That’s because they’re sometimes left wide open and aren’t generally connected to a home security system.  Particularly if your garage has a window, it makes it easy for a burglar to get inside while you are at work or asleep.  A veritable treasure trove awaits most thieves inside the average man cave, since the gear stored there is all too easily sold online or at a flea market.  Since the family pet is usually kept out of the garage, what’s not to like?  If you want to keep from rolling out the red carpet to local thieves, there are several things you can do to shore up your man cave’s defenses. Rule number one is to never leave your garage wide open unless you are standing in it.  If you have a garage remote control, install a kill switch that lets you to turn the garage door opener off when you’re asleep or away from your home for an extended time.  Make sure any garage windows are covered by blinds or window shades to deter burglars from window shopping.  Consider adding motion detector lights and a burglar alarm to your man cave.  Both of these will discourage prowlers from targeting your garage with a late-night raid.  Last but not least, never leave your garage remote control inside your car.  If you forget to lock your car door, you’ve just given thieves the keys to the vault.

6.      Don’t keep anything in your man cave you can’t afford to lose – If you’re a gun owner and wish to keep firearms in the garage, invest in a gun safe.  This will not only keep your firearms from being pilfered, but it guarantees that kids and visitors will keep their hands off your guns.  If you keep expensive items like bicycles, scuba gear or watercraft in your garage, better to house them high up than on the floor.  There are all kinds of hoists that can help you efficiently store everything from kayaks to bikes up in the rafters.  This means when your garage is open, prowlers won’t be able to see these tempting items.

Catherine Powell is the owner of A Plus All Florida, Insurance in Orange Park, Florida.  To find out more about saving money on all your insurance needs, check out her website at http://aplusallfloridainsuranceinc.com/