Storing file cabinets with files in attached garage is my post on the basement forum since I was not sure where to post this and maybe those with basements can help me since we have similar issues I feel.

I live in an attached interior townhouse with an attached one car garage. I made my family room and dining room a home office and over the last 12 years of living here have bought many file cabinets to keep the client papers and my billing files that I must keep for so many years. The big 5 drawer 42" wide Hon Putty file cabinets were bought when I moved in to line up again the wall and to all match to make my office professional.

Now that I am moving everything out of my home office into the garage and an POD in order to paint it and replace the 20 year old carpet with engineered wood floors, I am finding the room so lit up and happy without the huge file cabinets blocking the light from the window. I would like to keep only a few years in my home and a few older years in the garage in some of the big cabinets (older files I have now stored in a climate controlled outside storage facility).

My question is, would the files and papers get musty/moldy being in the garage that is not climate controlled in the Northern NJ area? I wish I only bought 4-drawer file cabinets since there 5-drawer cabinets can not fit up my stairs and I do not want them in my small family room that is open to the kitchen since I deserve a peaceful room when I am not working.