A garage is a fantastic place to store all those items you do not want in your home. However, the space can soon fill up and make your garage feel like a junk heap if you do not organize the items well.
From deflated footballs and toy trucks to plastic sheeting and gardening tools, your garage can become disorganized very quickly. You may not even have room for your car. If you can relate to that situation, then it is time to organize your clutter and find some foolproof storage solutions.
The first step is to get rid of anything you no longer need. If unwanted items are in good condition, then donate them. Otherwise, trash them. Once you are left with all the items you still require in your life, you can set about storing them efficiently. To help you with your mission, here are the four best storage ideas for your garage.
Secure Items to Walls
At first glance, it may look like there is not enough space in your garage for everything you need to store. However, if you take the walls of your garage into consideration just as much as the floor space, then you have much more space than you thought. If you have bulky items like bicycles in your garage, then mount them on the wall. All this requires is a few simple hooks.
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Mounting bikes on walls also makes it easier to access them. If you have several bicycles leaning against one another, you know how much time and effort the simple task of getting one out from the back is. Make sure you use hooks that can hold the weight of your bicycle though. Ones that hold up to 50 pounds are more than sufficient.
You can also mount other items on walls. With a few carefully positioned large nails, you can create places for your tools. Place a label underneath each area so you do not forget where each tool goes. To give you even more space, you can use bungee cords to secure items like balls, toys and skateboards to the walls. In some garages, you may be able to make use of the ceiling as well.
Overhead bungee cords are great ways of storing large items, such as chairs, car parts and plastic sheeting. Additionally, you can store large items like rakes and brooms by attaching PVC pipes to the walls and ceiling.
Create a Shelving System
To efficiently use the space in your garage for storage, create a flexible and functional shelving system. You can use this shelving system for any kinds of items, from tools and cleaning supplies to folding scooters and bicycles. If you are skillful at carpentry, then you may wish to build your own shelving system. That way, you can tailor-make it to your requirements.
Alternatively, you could create your own storage system by buying plastic storage containers or purchase a traditional garage shelving system. There are many garage shelving systems available to purchase. Here are some of the best ones:
- Seville Classics Five-Tier Steel Wire Garage Shelving – This simple storage unit is made out of industrial-strength steel. Its zinc plating provides protection against corrosion in dry environments. It is ideal for multipurpose storage. It has shelves that adjust at one-inch increments and casters for easy positioning. The total load capacity of the system when used on casters is 130 pounds but you can remove the casters to give a total load capacity of 1,500 pounds. The system comes with a 10-year warranty.
- Fleximounts Overhead Garage Shelving – Shelving systems do not just have to go next to walls. You can create even more storage space in your garage by using an overhead shelving system. Not only that, but lifting items off the floor of your garage means you can avoid them being affected by water damage. Fleximounts Overhead Garage Shelving is a particularly good overhead system. It has a total load capacity of up to 600 pounds and is made out of durable powder coated steel. The height of the system can be adjusted between 22 inches and 40 inches. It requires DIY installation, but it is easy to set up.
- Sandusky Lee Plastic Garage Shelving – There are advantages to plastic shelving systems. They will never rust, peel or dent. Sandusky Lee Plastic Garage Shelving is made out of a chemical-resistant and durable ventilated resin. The system’s ventilated shelves help to prevent mildew. You have to construct the shelving system yourself, but it can be done in just a few minutes. The load capacity for each shelf is 150 pounds.
Install Slat Walls
Using PVC slat wall panels is a fantastic way of maximizing the storage space in your garage. Their versatility means they can be configured to organize a variety of items, such as paint tins, tools and sporting equipment. Generally, slat walls are available in several colors, such as white, black, grey, taupe and blue. Slat walls have a total load capacity of 40 pounds per square inch. That works out as 300 pounds per panel.
Unless you are a master of DIY, it is best to get a professional company to install a slat wall in your garage. A trained professional knows how to cut the slat wall panels to accommodate features like conduit pipes, light switches and receptacles. Professional installers will also cut the panels to account for a garage floor’s unevenness or slope. Additionally, professionals will fix any gaps in between panels, provide trim and match screws.
Use Bins
Once you have made good use of your wall and ceiling space, you could still have plenty of small miscellaneous items left over that need a home. For items like jump ropes and toy trucks, using bins or large buckets is the ideal solution. Make sure you label each one, so you can easily find the item you have packed away when you need it. This is an efficient and functional way to store all of the odds and ends in your garage.
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