Your Garage: The Final Frontier
Imagine coming home to a garage with outdoor gear, bikes and tools neatly stowed and enough space to drive in and park your vehicle! Although not often the case, this dream can become a reality.
At Enlightened Organizing, we can help with this final frontier of your home. Homeowners are embracing the untapped storage potential of their garages. Here are some practical steps to help get your garage organized . . .
Purge
As with any organizing project, priority one is to clear out surplus and unwanted items. Discard, recycle, donate, give away or sell. If you're not using it, get rid of it!
Paint
Typically, garages are boarded and fire taped with just one rough coat of drywall mud on joints. This looks unfinished and over time, the drywall discolours and gets damaged. Before investing time and money into organizing your garage, consider applying another coat of drywall mud, then sanding and adding two coats of paint in a neutral gray or beige – this makes a huge difference and provides a clean slate to work with.
Take Inventory
Get a good handle on what needs to be stored – how many bikes? how many pairs of downhill skis? cross-country skis? What about helmets? poles? boots? off-season tires? a burley? canoe? Thule? Christmas decorations? toys? deck furniture? pet supplies? power tools? camping or climbing gear? Make a list of everything, divided into items that can be suspended and those that require shelving. What about recycling? Will you need space for ski or bike maintenance?
Wall Storage
In most garages, side walls can be used to hang items positioned relatively flat to the wall. Skis, snow shovels, garden tools, gear in shallow baskets and bikes mounted horizontally are all possibilities.
We work with two main wall storage systems. The first is the Rubbermaid FastTrac rail-and-hook system. This is a flexible system which makes it possible to shift hook locations seasonally or as storage needs change. There are a variety of hooks available, strong enough to hold your tools and sports gear.
Our most popular wall storage product by far is the VersaTrac Slatwall. This system is 100% flexible as your hooks can be moved vertically and horizontally in seconds. By moving your gear and tools around
on your wall like a puzzle, can often result in 2 to 3 times the storage capacity of your garage... you will also have room to park the car!
Click on this link to read more about the VersaTrac Slatwall and to see some of our garage installations.
Shelving and Cabinets
The best place for cabinetry or open shelving is often the back wall of a garage. This shelving should be deep enough to accommodate boxes and storage tubs, as well as over-sized gear bags. Some people prefer open shelving, for access and visibility; others prefer closed units. A combination of open and enclosed storage is usually the best bet.
Options for shelving materials range from basic shelves constructed from 2 X 4's and plywood, to pre-fab metal shelving units, and cabinets made of melamine or even aluminum. Designs can be tailored to a homeowner's needs and budget.
Click here to view some of our garage storage installations.
Look up
Garage ceilings are generally 9 to 10 feet high, and some are higher. Ceiling-mounted racks and hoists are a great option for tires, kayaks, off-season items and even bikes.
Your garage really can be a showpiece – or at the very least, a place to park the car. And treasured gear can be both visible and accessible.
