Much like reorganizing your kitchen storage, how you utilize storage in your garage will make a big difference. Use brackets and hooks to mount bikes and other sports equipment to the wall or garage ceiling. Hang tools, cords, holiday lights and other tabletop and drawer clutter from a pegboard on the wall. You’ll find almost everything you need to make the most of your space at local hardware stores like Home Depot or Menards. Try some of these suggestions for a better organized and functional garage.
You can find great organization ideas at stores like The Container Store, which can really help you square away your space. Check-in with a professional organizer for a quick sidebar before buying materials. Your garage is a closet for your car and everything else you keep in there. Organize it all with shelving brackets and other space-saving ideas you’ll find at those big box closet-organizing retail stores.
When packing items into boxes and bins, it’s a good idea to label the outside of the containers to make finding things convenient in the future. Labelling drawers, jars and canisters are also a time saver. Keep your stuff stored so that everything you’ll need for one interest is centrally located. Place all your fishing gear, tackle, nets, vests, etc., into an easily accessible area. Then, when the bug hits and you want to get on the water, you’ll have everything you need right there.
This is one commercially available storage answer worth considering. You’ll find a heavy-duty, scalable storage system that can vertically store everything from bicycles to snow blowers is a great answer.
It’s important to utilize more than just garage floor space. Overhead racks are shelves that hang from the ceiling and hold various things, including storage bins and boxes. Storing from the ground up will create additional room for cars and other items. Build a ceiling storage track for bins. You’ll likely need to get on a ladder to access these, so use caution. Gain more space by building a T track that fits the width of the bin’s outside lip. Slide the closed bins into place. Then, when the time’s right — grab that camping gear and hit the road!
7 Ways To Organize Your Garage
If your garage is so disorganized that you can’t safely park your car in it, it’s time to make some changes. You deserve more functional space at your house, and organizing your garage is a start. So if you’re wondering how to organize a garage on a budget, check out these ideas.
Get Rid Of Trash
The easiest way to organize your garage is to reduce the amount of stuff you store in it. As you go through what you have, you’ll likely find many items that no longer work or that you haven’t used in years. Consider tossing, donating or selling these items. You might just cut your work in half as you figure out how to store the remaining stuff.
Cut Down On What You Store In The Garage
Now that you’re only left with items, you need to sort through and decide if the garage is the right place for them. You might realize that a lot of the items in your garage would be better off elsewhere. For example, if you store pet food in your garage, move it inside the house because the scent attracts bugs and rodents. If you’re storing paint in your garage, know that extreme temperatures can destroy it, so it’s better off inside the house. And if you’re storing propane in the garage, put it in the backyard for safety’s sake.
Categorize Everything
Once you have just the things you plan to keep in the garage, it’s time to divide them into categories. The most common categories are holiday décor, landscaping necessities, tools, sporting goods, camping gear and car equipment. For now, just put everything you have into piles that correspond with these categories.
Buy Storage Containers
You should tailor your storage containers to the items you have. For instance, you might need to buy a few large storage containers for holiday décor, plus some small containers for smaller décor, such as bulbs and ornaments. And you probably need some small metal containers to store your tools, along with tiny jars or boxes for screws, nails, etc. Finally, if you store chemicals in your garage, consider buying a locking chest or shelf, so children don’t have access to them.
Put Shelves On Walls
One of the simplest garage organization DIY ideas is to buy shelves to attach to the walls. Your garage will look best when everything is up off the floor, and the walls offer plenty of space for storing numerous containers. You can either buy shelves or make your own out of plywood. Either way, consider attaching some hooks to the walls, too, so you can store tools like rakes and shovels.
Use Overhead Space For Storage
Another great way to organize a garage is to put some of your bins overhead. After all, the space above may be the only area of the garage not in use already. You can buy or build a variety of overhead storage options, everything from shelves to hooks.
Keep Convenience In Mind
Once you put everything in containers, consider convenience as you decide where to store them. For example, everything you use frequently should be easy to access, so store those containers on a shelf at eye level. On the other hand, you can put items you rarely use on the top shelf. For example, if you have a workbench, store your tools near it as you organize the garage. And if you have the sporting gear, you bring out often, such as golf clubs, store them by the garage door so you can easily put them in your car.
Now that you know how to organize a garage on a budget, you can safely put your car in this part of your home. Plus, now it will be easier to locate anything you store in the garage, from sporting gear to holiday decorations.
6 Smart Overhead Garage Storage Ideas
Your garage may seem like it doesn’t have all that much storage space but think outside the box—or, more literally, think on top of the box. The overhead space in the garage offers so much unused negative space that it’s perfect for storage.
Garage storage doesn’t have to be a chaotic and disorganized mess. Using areas like the walls and ceilings uncovers plenty of spots to keep neat and easily accessible gear and tools. The added bonus? It will free up floor space so that the garage might actually have space for you to park your car.
Garage Hooks Overhead
Hooks are a great way to add garage storage space where there’s a blank canvas of negative space. While they are useful on walls and doors, think even bigger and look up to the ceiling. Overhead space can also hold hooks, keeping items like bikes, gear bags, ladders, chairs, and more stored and out of the way—but insight if you need them.
Bunches of Baskets
The type of storage container matters almost as much as the storage method and location. While baskets and rubber or canvas storage bags and containers can be great, avoid cardboard whenever possible. Cardboard will invite mould if it gets wet and can potentially attract pests. Instead, keep your items safe and secure in as airtight and water-resistant a basket or container as you can find—or better yet, use a wire basket that won’t catch or accumulate liquid, mould, or other issues.
A Smart Pulley System
Pulleys may seem like something out of a construction site. Still, in the context of overhead garage storage and organization, they are an ideal solution for raising and storing anything from a bike to a kayak to even extension ladders.
The pulley can look as simple as raising and lowering a blind, but it is actually quite secure and won’t accidentally release and cause an accident (or a mess). Everything will be kept high up and out of the way without you having to do all that heavy lifting and climbing yourself.
Motorized Ceiling Storage
Much like a pulley, motorized ceiling storage makes placing or retrieving overhead items easier and safer. Better for bins, boxes, and bags than a pulley system—which is better equipped for large items such as bikes, kayaks, and ladders—a motorized lift can be kept high above your car or the floor and lowered when you need to access the items stored on it.
Some motorized storage systems are so advanced that they can be controlled via an app on your smartphone. The system raises and lowers the shelf and the items being stored on it without taking on the weight and height concerns yourself. For overhead garage storage that is entirely accessible, this is the perfect solution.
Shelf Storage Rack
Perhaps the most popular form of overhead garage storage is installing storage racks. These racks are attached to the ceiling to make the most of unused vertical space and maximize storage options. This can be a good way to store winter gear during the summer or summer gear during the winter. But there are many options here. There’s space on the shelves for large boxes, seasonal items, sports gear, and so much more. Racks can always be updated seasonally, as well, so the items kept out of the way a few months a year can be swapped in and out as needed.
Overhead Storage Bins
Placing storage bins overhead can be an easy way to get smaller tools, crafts, books, and keepsakes contained and out of the way. Bins are a good storage option because you won’t need to put a ton of effort into storing or handling them, and they can be pulled down and sorted as necessary.
Choose clear bins if you want to know what is inside from a distance, or be sure to label a more opaque bin, so it is easier to identify what is inside. Try to find bins that are waterproof or airtight because you’ll want to keep water and pests out of there whenever and however possible.
What are the Benefits of Using an Overhead Storage System in the Garage?
Saves money
While installing an overhead system will cost you, the benefits far outweigh the costs. It saves you money and the inconvenience of pursuing options such as storage units which are far more expensive in the long run, in addition to the inconveniences of having to go all the way to the unit every time you need to retrieve an item.
Customization to your preference
Overhead garage storage systems come in different sizes, and one can install several of them to create ample organized storage that completely frees up your floor space.
Reclaims unused space
Overhead garage storage systems are simple yet ingenious innovations because they help you create or reclaim space that was totally useless and does not in any way eat into your floor space.
Can offer plenty of storage
The beauty of an overhead garage storage system depends on the amount of space available and the installed configurations. It can absorb tones of items and safely keep hazardous materials out of reach. As a result, you can park your car inside the garage.
Get organized and neatly display items.
Getting organized is far much easier with an overhead garage storage system because it provides plenty of space that can take up loads of items. Because the bases of overhead units have ample depth of up to 4 feet, one is able to store larger containers and boxes. This means that more items can be stored safely. Best Overhead Garage Storage Racks
When such boxes and containers are labelled or colour-coded, retrieval is made easier, even if it is months after storage. As a result, bulkier sports equipment such as surfing boards and paddles or longer delicate equipment such as fishing rods can be safely and neatly tucked away without damage.
These units often have hooks on some edges, which create additional storage space that items such as bicycles can hang safely.
There is no better solution than overhead garage storage systems when it comes to getting your garage thoroughly organized.
Make use of pulleys or crank.
Overhead garage systems are a good option for people who can’t use ladders to retrieve items because of a medical condition or age.
For that reason, there are option of overhead garage units that utilize a pulley system or crank to lower the unit low enough for loading and hosting it with cable or crank to its original overhead position. When correctly installed, these units are absolutely safe and very efficient.
Easy installation
These types of storage systems come with all necessary installation materials. Detailed instructions also accompany it on how to go about the installation. Some units can be installed on a concrete ceiling, while other should be firmly attached to ceiling joists for proper reinforcement.