Do you own a garage? Are you looking to maximize its space? A garage is more than a room where you keep your car safe. It is also a place where you can keep different kinds of stuff that don’t concern your vehicle. If you see that your car can barely maneuver inside your garage, then you have a big problem in terms of proper spacing.
Believe it or not, one out of four Americans complain about garage space. The problem stems from all the clutter that you accumulated through the years.
So the problem at hand is how to organize your garage and maximize its space.
Continue reading below as we help you make more space in your garage.
Maximizing Your Garage Space
You don’t really need to extend your garage just to create more space. All you need to do is to get rid of the clutter. If you are not aware of it, physical clutter affects your productivity in a negative way.
So here are 15 ways that will help you organize your garage space.
1. Cabinets Work (Car Care)
If your current garage setup does not include any cabinets, you should start building cabinets ASAP. Cabinets will keep you from storing items in boxes and leaving them on the floor.
There are several cabinet designs to consider. The key lies in your needs and specifications. The best way to go about this is to hire someone who can build custom garage cabinets.
Pick someone who creates hand-crafted cabinetry. This way, you will have more flexibility in terms of design and function.
Use the cabinets to store your car care products. If you have toolboxes, you can store them inside the cabinet as well.
If you do not have the budget for a custom cabinet, you can convert an old file cabinet into a storage unit.
2. Use Zoning Techniques
Another important aspect of organizing your garage space is zoning. This means dividing the space of your garage into distinct zones. This will help you find stuff and store them quickly in their right places.
Try to create five to six zones. Designate each zone according to the purpose of the items you will store.
3. Ceiling Track Storage
Get some plastic storage bins off the floor and hang them up above your garage’s ceiling. Get some 3 1/2-inch screws and fasten 2×2 wood rods onto the ceiling. Make sure the rods are 2 feet apart.
Take the bins and position their lips against the 2x2s. The goal is to position the lips as if they are brushing against the 2x2s.
Now take a 1×4 and screw it to the 2x2s using 2-inch screws. You want the bins to slide freely but securely. These bins are enough to carry items with light to medium weight.
Furthermore, you can also mount racks on your ceiling. These racks are perfect for storing seasonal stuff.
4. Make a Parking Bumper
Do you keep on hitting your car’s door against the wall? Solve the problem by creating a parking bumper.
Get one of those cheap pool noodles your kids use during summer. Glue them against the wall that is facing your car doors.
To improve the accuracy of your parking, hang a tennis ball right above the ceiling. Place it in a spot where you want to your vehicle to stop. Once your car’s ceiling hits the ball, then it’s time to hit the brakes.
5. Try Magnetic Boards
To keep your smaller stuff in place, invest in magnetic boards. Just take a small sheet of steel and magnetize it. Use the sheet to store your nuts and bolts.
This becomes very useful especially when you are working on your car or fixing other stuff. As for your wrenches, scissors, and screwdrivers, you can hang them using a magnetic strip. Make sure to make the strip within your arm’s reach.
6. Use Your Walls
To further maximize garage space, you need to make use of your walls. Start by installing wall organizers. Buy some hooks and hang them in steel or wooden rods. Use these hooks to hang some of your items.
You can also create pegboard walls that are excellent for hanging bigger items. You can also install hanging shelves that you can pull and compress.
If you are looking for something heavy-duty, you can try the StoreWALL solution. It is sturdy enough to carry weights and wheelbarrows. It features waterproof plastic that will not fade or weather.
7. Keep Wires in One Place
One of the most annoying types of clutter is wires. To keep them off the ground, you need to tie them securely. Use paper clips or zip ties to tie them up.
Group the wires together based on their purpose. Store all of the wires inside one of your drawers. Label the drawer if you wish so you won’t forget where you keep your wires.
8. Install Corner Shelves
Do you see the four corners inside your garage? Make sure to use them as well. Use the existing studs and put some panels in between them.
Get a few pieces of scrap plywood and use them as panels for your corner shelves. To add more support, reinforce them using 1×1 cleats.
Corner shelves are perfect for storing your car wax, polishes, car oils, and glues, among others.
9. Make Room for Sports Gear
If you have some sports gear like balls and gloves, you can store them in your garage inside a durable ball collar. You can also use this corral to keep all of your children’s balls.
Take some plywood and some bungee cords. Cut off the hooks that come with the cords. Drill some about four to five holes at the bottom of the corral.
Shoot the cords from underneath the holes. Secure the cords using a knot at the top part of the corral.
With this setup, you and your kids can easily fit your hands in between the cords and grab hold of the balls.
In case you own baseball bats or paddles, use parts of a pallet to create their own corral.
10. Install Sliding Shelves
When it comes to the shelves, install the sliding type. Install the shelves against the sidewalls.
The great thing about sliding shelves is that they save a lot of space while storing a lot of items. With just a simple pull of the handle, you can slide the shelves and store away your tools.
A simple push is all you need to bring it back to its compact position.
11. Mobile Workshop
Are you familiar with those mobile kitchen countertops? You can also go for something similar you can use in your garage. A mobile work area gives you the mobility to move from one area to another while fixing stuff.
It has wheels that make carrying heavy things easier from one corner to another. Best of all, you can also use the mobile workshop as storage for some of your tools and other small items.
12. Build a Small Office
Your garage is a place not only for your car and household tools. You can also convert a part of it into your own small office.
If you have one car and your garage is good for two vehicles, convert the other half into an office. All you need is a couple of chairs and a durable table and you’re good to go.
If you don’t want an office, you can convert the space into your own fitness area. Just make sure you provide ample protection on the concrete flooring. This is important if you plan to use dumbbells and other types of weights.
Building a home gym will keep you fit while saving a lot of time and resources.
13. Hide Those Power Tools
Power tools are items that you don’t use regularly. Thus, you need to hide them to save more space. Power tools are generally big, so make sure you reserve enough space to store them.
Make sure to lock them securely. You do not want your kids playing with any of them whenever they enter your garage. Try to keep them in your most inaccessible cabinet.
14. Store Bikes in the Ceiling
If you are into biking, consider storing your bikes vertically. You can store them from above the ceiling to save a lot of space.
There are cycle glides you can install on the ceiling. They come with hooks that are strong enough to carry the weight of a bike.
If you want, you can also hang them against a tall metal post.
15. Index Your Bins
Lastly, you need to index your storage bins. Having a lot of bins is good. But do you know which bins store which items?
To organize your garage at an optimum level, make sure to label and index your bins. This way, you will not have a hard time finding items, especially the ones that you rarely use.
The same thing also goes for your shelves and cabinets.
We Can Help Organize Your Garage, Today!
Organizing your garage space takes a lot of time and effort. If you are the busy type, it will likely take several days to get the job done.
If you don’t have the luxury of time, we can help fix your garage. Get in touch with us and let us know what you need.
Request for a free estimate and let’s get the ball rolling, today!
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