Garage Organization Ideas

Any garage has storage potential as long as there are walls and a ceiling.  All too often your garage floor takes on much of the storage burden.   The primary goal for your garage organization project is to locate the right wall or ceiling storage essentials. While selecting garage organizers opt for a consistent look. Match all the organizers in some way. For instance, use a particular line of organizers or pick ones that match in color.

Featured in this post is an attached garage.  In this space, there is a six by three feet stoop which extends from the entry point of the home to the garage floor. Here, I designed two custom shoe organizers with an overhead cabinet that extends to the ceiling on either side of the doorway.  The shoe organizer portion is nineteen inches deep and seventy-two inches tall. The overhead cabinet is thirty inches deep and forty-inches tall.  The shoe cubby compartments were created in various heights to accommodate different size footwear such as heeled shoes, ankle boots or tall boots.  On the opposite side of the door is an identical organizer but only made with basic shelving.  This organizer is suitable for storing many different types of items such as tools, cleaning supplies, garden supplies, sporting goods, and so on.  In this case, footwear occupies the space. The lower shelves have containers for holding dirty shoes; automobile detailing accessories; and, a recycling bin.

The overhead cabinets on these organizers feature sliding doors.  However, I would recommend that you always use traditional hinged doors or bi-folds for everything since they allow full access to the interior, unlike sliding doors. The only time I would consider you use sliding doors is when you have a traffic flow problem or an obstacle in the way due to tight spaces.

I had gone with basic large twenty-gallon totes for the upper cabinets since there were many large but not heavy items to store. The totes are twenty-four inches deep, so they occupy most of the cabinet depth. Four containers also nicely absorb all the cabinet width and height. You always want to measure your storage area by length, breadth and depth-first then locate storage organizers that occupy most of the space.

You should use large tote containers sparingly since they tend to get too heavy to move and are dangerous stored overhead. Also, a big container filled with many small items leads to a large pile that is hard to rummage through.

I used vinyl letters to label the containers which are easy to apply and remove.  They also seem to not peel from extreme hot or cold temperatures.  You should use large vinyl letters on overhead containers because they are easy to read from a distance.

The organizer’s construction is wood.  It is framed with necessary two by four pressure-treated lumber. The shelving and cabinet doors contain oriented strand board chosen for it’s relative strength and low-cost.   The wood was coated with alkyd paint because it stands up well to dirt and stains.

Inexpensive ways to organize your garage have never been more abundant in the marketplace than today with the growing number of companies designing them budget-friendly.  Generally, the best are made smart with less material which drives their costs down.  Do take the time to reference product reviews before you invest in any since not all are created equal and remember that every product has a flaw so go easy. Also, you need to recognize that many systems sell piecemeal.   You start with the basic framework, and separate organizers can get added or subtracted as your needs change.

 

The company Rubbermaid produces the track rail organizer featured on the wall, and it is called their FastTrack Garage System.  It is a simple to install wall-mounted rail device in which several different storage accessories attach.  The system is sold in kits as wells as piecemeal. The rails sell in different lengths, and most accessory pieces come separately.  The system is sleek, open and I love the timeless black color.

Alongside the Rubbermaid rail system is a few walls mounted Casabella brand Grook Utility Holder found at the Container Store.  This organizer is perfect for holding cleaning and gardening tools. There are a couple of different ways to suspend tools making it easy to use for any instrument whether handled or not.

Another organizer in this garage is a portable tiered ball cart which is convenient for sports played by a nearby driveway or yard.  This wheeled ball cart offers ample storage with a smart lateral four-tier structure and remains out-of-the-way with a slim profile.  Look for a durable steel construction with locking casters.  It is best to spray a coat of rust-proof paint on such organizers as to keep them looking their best.  Check online for a merchant that sells commercial sports equipment to find organizers that hold several balls.

A sitting bench is almost a necessity next to a shoe organizer but in many homes a luxury.  If you are lucky enough to be able to carve out space for a place to sit, take full advantage and use a bench that offers storage inside. An organizer that is multi-purpose is always the one to buy. Locate the seats featured in this photo by searching outdoor resin wicker benches, bins, coffee tables, and ottomans. Some of these items include water-resistant cushions and many have storage compartments for your garage belongings such as spectator chairs, hoses, and car mats.

Above these benches are highly affordable individual wall hook organizers priced between five and fifteen dollars. Some are specialized for skateboards, bicycles or ladders. Many are just necessary rubber-coated double hook utility hooks. The all-purpose utility hooks come from Home Depot by the manufacturer Everbilt and the specialty bike, skateboard, and ladder hooks, the Container Store.

The most creative organizer in this garage is the custom overhead wooden platform suspended from ceiling studs by heavy-duty chain links.  Such an organizer can hold large boxes of decorations, Christmas trees, lawn decorations,  rafts, skis, snowboards, sleds, plastic pools, beach toys, pool toys, pet carriers and so on.

There are so many garage ceiling organizers that people do not know exist such as devices using a pulley system to lift heavy items off the floor such as bicycles and suspend them near the ceiling. For the bigger budget mobile platforms can get installed in a garage to store bulky, expensive items like motorcycles, lawnmowers and snow blowers.

Another great way to keep your garage or large shed organized is by incorporating a workbench into your space. While workbenches traditional help store away tools, they really can be used for just about anything DIY related! To learn more about different workbench plans that you can build yourself, check out this article.