Organizing the garage

rob62521 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 04:59 PM

My goal, as it is every summer, is to organize the garage. I'm not handy so I can't build anything and I have limited amount of funds, but any ideas or sites you recommend on this? We have lots of lawn and garden tools and Christmas decorations. Our freezer is there.

Thanks in advance!

maat55 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 03:57 PM

The first problem to solve is that the garage is not a storage building. Once you clear out everything that should not be in there, you will find a way to make it funtional.

I say this from my own experience, I have my garage very funtionable, it's all my wife's junk that seems to be the problem.

LuxLiving · #3 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 04:15 PM

Think ceiling and walls. Hooks on the walls to hang up the yard tools. Get those ceiling doohickies to put stuff up high that only gets used once or twice a year. Can the Christmas stuff go in the attic?

rob62521 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 04:23 PM

We don't really have an attic, at least not one for storage of any kind. I like the ceiling doohickies idea, though, Lux!

And Maat, I'm sure your wife would disagree on her items being junk! :-) My husband doesn't think his stuff is junk.

PrincessPerky · #5 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob62521

We don't really have an attic, at least not one for storage of any kind. I like the ceiling doohickies idea, though, Lux!

And Maat, I'm sure your wife would disagree on her items being junk! :-) My husband doesn't think his stuff is junk.

Niether does mine, but it is Junk!

Ok the lawn mower and the like are not, but most of the stuff out there is junk...and my husband can't find his drill bits..too much junk on top!

creditcardfree · #6 (**permalink**) 05-19-2008, 12:00 PM

At our last home, we had nice storage shelfs, but spent most of the years just tossing thing on the shelves. In the last year, I ended up putting things in storage bins...and LABELED everything.

We also put up peg board on both ends of the shelves, so we could hang rakes, shovels, extension cords.

Try to group like items together. Right now I have all the garden chemicals in a crate. Kids outdoor items in several crates. Car miscellaneous in a crate. Paint cans stacked up together. Nails and fastners are in a plastic shoe box.

I don't know how bad your garage is, but taking things out and sweeping or hosing out the garage is a nice first step. As you bring things back in, put them together...but only put back in what you really need.

Is the garage your primary storage area? Are there other areas where the Christmas items could be stored? Back of a closet? Under stairs, ornaments in an old dresser drawer? I hope I at least have your brain thinking of new ways to store and organize.

rob62521 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-22-2008, 03:11 PM

Thanks for the ideas, creditcardfree. We have a shed, but it's falling apart so I don't want to put much in it. DH keeps the lawnmower in it. I like the idea of taking everything out and sweeping the garage -- might make it easier not to put so much back in.

zetta · #8 (**permalink**) 05-22-2008, 05:20 PM

If you pull everything out of the garage, use the approach from the "Clean Sweep" TV show: Put everything in 3 distinct areas -- keep, sell/donate, trash. After the initial sort is done. Go back through the keep pile, and again assign each item to keep, sell/donate, or trash. The more stuff you get rid of, the less you have to store!

Btw, shelves are pretty simple to install, and can be pretty cheap. Just buy the 12" or 14" triangle-shaped brackets from Home Depot, and planks of wood the same width. If you measure the space beforehand, you can pay a small amount to have them cut the wood to the right length. Next you'll need a studfinder, a pencil, a level, an electric drill, and some wood screws -- ask a store employee for guidance. Find and mark all your studs (ie the wood in the walls of your garage), screw in the first bracket at the desired height, then use the level to make sure the next bracket is also at the right height and screw it in. Put the wood plank on top of the brackets and screw in. Repeat for the rest of your shelves.

I also like big clear plastic tubs (about $5 to $10 each, depending on the size) because you can see what's inside without opening the lid.

What kinds of stuff do you know you'll need to organize?