How to Organize Your Garage
Were you aware that nearly one-quarter of Americans report their garages are too packed with clutter to accommodate their car? It’s commonly understood that a lot of Americans resort to using their garage as a storage area (or even a makeshift dumping site), which can quickly lead to chaos and disorganization. Whether you’re in the process of relocating and use your garage to store everything except crucial moving necessities, or if you’re just dealing with an excess of stuff, tidying up your garage can create additional space for your car, storage, and overall accessibility. If you’re in the market to sell your house, be mindful that piles of disarray can deter prospective buyers. An important consideration is that garage floor space is finite, yet there is ample vertical space available. Use these proven organizing strategies for your garage to optimize your available space.
Clean & declutter before organizing
Before you begin organizing your garage, you should throw away any items you don’t need. You may have a mound of un-recycled cardboard or broken items cluttering up a corner of your garage. Or, you may have a pile of items you previously set aside to sell or donate. Whatever the case may be, taking the time to throw away or donate these items will help you free up space to organize.
Garage shelving
Garage shelving is an effective strategy commonly used to make use of vertical space. You can divide these shelving options into 2 categories: Standalone shelving and mounted shelving. Standalone shelving is easy to set up. All you will need to do is assemble the shelving unit. You may find this type of shelving at home improvement stores or wholesale outlets. They are usually constructed out of metal wire or plastic. After setting up a standalone shelving unit, you can place it up against a wall and use it to store tools, supplies, and more.
Wall-mounted shelving requires more careful and permanent installation in your garage. Mounted shelving is usually made of metal and intended to be secured utilizing the studs inside the walls of a garage. Unfortunately, the amount of weight a mounted shelf can adequately hold is not as much as standalone metal shelving. Therefore,car parts, weights, and other heavy items should not be placed on mounted shelves. However, wall mounted shelving takes up slightly less space than standalone shelving.This will allow for more floor space and a more clean look inside your garage.
Don’t go and throw items on shelves willy nilly – plastic bins are one of the best organizing tools in your arsenal.
Plastic bins / Storage containers
Using plastic bins on garage shelving is the best way to organize your garage. You can grab these bins or containers at any superstore or online. It’s best to buy the biggest bins that will fit on your shelves or stack these where you can if you don’t have shelves. While some plastic storage containers are opaque, transparent see-through containers are more convenient. Remember to label your plastic bins and categorize what you put in them.
Overhead storage
Overhead storage racks can help you create even more storage space in your garage. These racks are the ultimate form of vertical space utilization, and they can be bought at home improvement stores or wholesale stores. While installing an overhead storage rack is tricky, after it is screwed securely into your garage ceiling it will be quite useful. However, these overhead racks are best for long-term or seasonal storage simply because you will have to use a ladder to access your items. Make sure to mount overhead storage away from your garage door to allow the door to function properly.
Use wall mounted organizers
Wall mounted organizers are often called slatwall or pegboards. These are extremely useful for holding tools like shovels, rakes, brooms, ladders, and can even support smaller shelves. Since these organizers are completely customizable with heavy duty hooks and other attachments, the opportunities are endless. When it comes to taking advantage of your vertical space, wall mounted organizers are a convenient and aesthetic solution. Not only do they take up little space, they are perfect for grab-and-go tools that you use on a regular basis.
Bike mounts
There are plenty of bike mounts on the market that you can utilize in your garage. There are even bike mounts for the ceiling. However, no matter what type of bike mount you decide to use, by doing so, you will be saving a sizable amount of space compared to leaving your bike leaning on its kickstand.
Parking Aids
This may seem a bit odd – how can parking aids help with garage organization? Well, if you organize your garage well enough, you may be able to use floor space near where your car is normally parked. A parking aid will allow you to easily park your car in the right place every time you pull into your garage.
Parking aids can be bought for cheap or made DIY with a tennis ball and string.These aids are perfect for easily ensuring your car is in the right place and that you have enough storage space and enough floor space to walk around comfortably.
Garage door storage
Did you know you can store items on the inside of your garage door? Yes, it’s possible and quite convenient. However, you should only store lightweight items so that the door slides properly on its tracks and so that the door’s motor does not fail from too much pressure. It is recommended you install one of the best garage door openers on the market to ensure your motor does not fail. The types of storage your garage door can handle are limited, only holders and items that can stay in place will work. It would be silly to put a shelf on your door, only to open it and see all your stuff fall out. We see people using their garage doors to securely store their fishing poles, kayak paddles, and ski poles.
Cleaning and organizing your garage is no small feat. With persistence, the right storage solutions, and a day or two of hard work, you can turn your cluttered garage into a masterpiece of storage space that is convenient for you and your family.
