Are you a do-it-yourselfer who likes to fix your own car and repair things around the house? Do you have hammers, rakes and wrenches somewhere in the garage that you can never find when you need them? If you’re like most homeowners, your garage has boxes, bikes, trash cans, and shelves full of many forgotten things. Today, more and more homeowners seem to use the garage as a large, dysfunctional storage space for everything that no longer fits in the house.
If you’re tired of clutter and a lack of available garage space, then it’s time you got a highly organized storage system that you can actually use.
It all starts with planning, to have a well-organized and efficient storage space, you need to design your garage so that everything has a place of its own and knows where that place is. Your goal is to maximize your storage space for functional and efficient use.
When planning your garage storage, know what things need to be stored that have limited use and what items need to be available for daily use. It’s a good idea to know the basic sizes of items and how often they will be accessed. An example of this planning is considering a workbench in the garage and how many drawers and how much storage is needed for your hand tools and related items.
Here are some questions to help you get started.
Will I need a workbench with tool drawers, if the workbench is wood or metal, has a maple worktop, a laminate top, is the workbench mobile on casters or stationary? Do I have room for a workbench?
Do I need slat wall or pegboard storage behind the bench? What tool hooks, baskets or strips do I need for small screwdrivers and pliers?
Wall storage cabinets, what size, how many, on what walls will they be used, do the cabinets need additional shelves, storage drawers?
Do I need additional shelves, open shelf or bin storage? Open shelves are for frequently used tools, golf balls, etc. Storage bins can be easily labeled stored in plain sight.
Do I need additional wall storage such as slat organizers including hooks, baskets, hanging cabinets, bike hooks, etc.? Storage for just about anything, even kayaks.
Do I need overhead storage? Elevated storage racks are available to be assembled for easy access and capable of supporting 400 pounds each. These racks are often used for long-term storage.
Once you know what type of storage you’ll need, actual garage layout is a lot like doing your kitchen.
If your budget allows, start with the cement garage floor, you can check out some low-cost options such as floor paint, epoxy, and PVC tile.
Now wall cabinets, garage walls usually have the largest open area for storage options. Upper and lower storage cabinets are available in standard sizes. A somewhat unique garage cabinet is floor-to-ceiling cabinets that are 86″-96″ high.
Additional wall storage options are available if cabinets aren’t enough. Slatwall organizers and storage accessories get items like sports equipment and bikes off the garage floor and onto walls for easy, organized access.
Workbenches are must have items for every hobbyist, the decision to incorporate the workbench into the overall garage design will save you money down the road. Is the workbench made of wood or metal or do I build it myself?
If you’re considering adding storage, repairing your concrete floor, or simply looking to get as much stuff off the garage floor as you can, “cabinets are key to most garage storage requirements, then garage storage wall and ceiling follow closely.