Now that you have the garage of your dreams, how can you keep it from becoming the garage of nightmares? Organizing your garage (and keeping it organized) can be quite the challenge. Whether it’s sports or exercise equipment, tools, storage boxes and bins, or everyday items, there are practical solutions to help keep your dream garage in perfect order.
If you’re looking to organize your garage yourself, there are several reasonable options available to you. There are home improvement stores, such as, Home Depot and Lowe’s that will have all of the materials you will need to custom-create your organization solutions. These stores also offer tips, guidance, and resources to help you to meet your goal.
The first step to organizing your garage is to look through space you currently have and determine which items can be stored together. For example, gardening supplies and tools, sports and hobby gear, seasonal items, such as holiday decorations, household tools and hardware, paints and combustibles and recycling. Many people also use this as an opportunity to do some “spring-cleaning”, determining what to keep, throw away or donate.
Next, it will serve you well to draw up a plan, or “map”, which can be easily done using drafting grid paper. This is effective since you will need to note measurements for windows, doors, electrical outlets and switches, and still have room for your vehicle.
Once you’ve developed your outline, it’s time to mark “zones” for storing your items in the most practical and effective way to suit your needs. For example, gardening tools work best near the door, trash and recycling should be easy to reach and have a path for exit, bicycles and kayaks can be hung, and seasonal items can be stored out of the way. Keep in mind that zones may overlap if you’ll be using overhead shelves.
Now that you have your plan, in theory, it’s time to determine what you’ll need to bring it to fruition. As mentioned, this is when you will go to a home improvement store and see the different storage solutions that are available, such as cabinets, shelving, support brackets, hanging storage systems, bicycle hangers and boxes and bins. Here are some examples of options available: For lawn and gardening tools, you can use a storage rail system:
This keeps gardening tools organized and saves space. A great option for sports equipment is hanging rails as shown below. This type of item is an excellent way to keep sports equipment in good condition.
For a shop area in your garage, there are many options that can transform your shop area into the envy of the neighborhood, using pegboards, tool storage, and workbenches.
This will also help to keep dangerous items safe for pets and children.
Another great option for bin storage is free standing or hanging racks.
Whether you’re starting out with a new garage and want to keep it neat and tidy, or you’re looking to spruce up and organize the garage you currently have, there are many options available to simplify your life and protect your investments. The pictures used in this illustration are all taken from home improvement websites, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s and idea websites such as HGTV. There are also companies that specialize in transforming your garage, such as, California Closets, and consultants such as, Garage Tek. With a little love and determination, you can transform your garage into an organized dream!