The garage is no longer a forgotten part of the house that no one bothers with. Nowadays, many people use them as an extension of the home, and spend a great deal of time there.
In most homes it doubles as a workshop and a storage area. Therefore the garage has to look neat and tidy, and above all, be well organized with everything close at hand. If your garage is cluttered and you can't find the things you need, then installing new storage organizers will solve your problems.
Installing garage organizers
When installing garage organizers take into account all your needs and choose the elements accordingly.
Line the walls with a material you can use to hang tools and equipment -- whether it's plywood, slat-board or a specially designed organizing system. Another idea for better storage is to have hooks and brackets on the walls where you can hang work clothes, shovels, gardening tools, bicycles or even your golf clubs. A pegboard installed above your workbench will easily accommodate your tools and with the outline of the tool drawn on the board you know exactly where to return it.
Shelving adds storage space
Also, consider adding shelves on at least one of the walls. This type of shelving is usually about a foot deep and 6 to 7 feet tall, but you can have it customized to meet your needs. There are several types of shelves available - from inexpensive plastic to state-of-the-art prefabricated steel.
Wall mounted shelves in a garage are a great way to store everything you need while easily seeing what is on each shelf. Some shelving units can cover the entire back or side wall of the garage without leaving items scattered on the floor. Labelling the shelves so that anyone can see where to find what is needed and put it back in its place is another great way to have everything clearly organized.
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Consider freestanding shelving units
Freestanding shelving units designed for garages are also an option. You just have to make sure that the floor in the garage is level as the shelving unit will stand on its own. The benefit of using this type of storage is that you can move it around the garage when your needs change.
You can also consider overhead storage units that hang from the beams and don't take up any of the workspace in the garage.
There are also special units you can purchase that will safely store sports equipment, such as tennis rackets, baseball bats and balls and even snowshoes.
Keep dangerous chemicals locked up
If you have dangerous chemicals and pesticides in the garage, you'll need storage cabinets with locking doors. This will prevent children or pets from gaining access to them.
Take certain precautions regardless of what your shelving is made of; wood, steel or plastic. If it's freestanding it can get top-heavy and topple over. Make sure your shelving is anchored to the wall for safety's sake, especially if you live in earthquake country.
Whichever options you choose to improve the storage in your garage, whether custom-built, modular or pre-fabricated,
a handyman or carpenter can build or install whatever you need.
Going for the top notch
According to consumer reviews, the best garage cabinets that any homeowner can have are the modular deisgned cabinets. Modular means that you can order as many sections as you want, and in whatever size you need.
Some of the modular cabinets are made from plywood, but the best ones to provide you with heavy-duty storage are made from 18-gauge steel with a finish that makes them rustproof and durable.
These cabinets have strong hinges and snap-close magnets on the doors. Drawers are available for the cabinets in various sizes, and all contain ball bearing rollers and non-slip liners.
Heavy duty shelves
Special shelves designed to hold the weight of heavy tools can also be made for these cabinets, since no one style suits all garage owners. The shelves are adjustable and the top of the unit makes a perfect workspace.
One cabinet design is a 7-drawer tool chest with foam non-slip pads so that when you open the door all your tools are right at your fingertips. Another type of cabinet is 82-inches – large enough to hold your golf clubs and keep them from getting damaged. You can have a narrow pull-out cabinet that has numerous small bins to hold all those small objects that often get lost when they fall on the floor.
How much will it cost?
New garage organizers can cost from a few hundred dollars for the inexpensive plactic ones, to $10,000 for a complete top notch system for the affluent or serious weekend warrior.
Whichever options you choose to improve the storage in your garage – whether custom-built, modular or pre-fabricated – a handyman or carpenter can build or install whatever you need.
