The size of the garage determines the size of the loft. That being said, a garage with an 8 to 9 feet high ceiling can still accommodate a storage loft, albeit a small one. When you store items, try to sort the items according to how often you use them. If you use an item often, be sure that it is readily accessible at all times. Likewise, if you use an item seasonally, you can put them behind other more needed items. Place them near the rear end of the loft for the heavy items and move them to the ledger board. After you do so, try to spread the weight evenly across the loft. Never overload any section of the loft. If you have a short garage ceiling, you can opt for a ladder (preferably aluminium or wooden) about 10-foot tall instead of built-in steps. A ladder will not take up space, and you can move it anywhere.
Your small garage is more of a catch-all storage zone for a variety of misfit items. The reality of having a functional workspace in your garage while still storing the necessities and pulling in a car feels more like a dream. However, no matter how large your garage is, you could always use a little more room. If renovations are not in your immediate plans, the right storage options can help you maximize your space and make your garage feel bigger than it ever has before.
Aside from housing your car, your garage is one of the most useful parts of the home. Although homeowners don’t give much attention nor credit to garages, these are important in storing your tools and other seasonal items in the home. Others might also store tons of other stuff in the garage.
With warmer weather finally here, it’s time to tackle the chaos of the garage with oh-so-smart storage essentials that will bring order and functionality to the most cluttered area of the home. Keep scrolling to see our ideas for using every available surface — floors, walls and ceilings — for the ultimate in space-saving solutions.
It is just a very convenient space for keeping items since you can stash anything there while keeping it out of your guests’ prying eyes. However, doing so might lead to a very messy garage with only a little space left for your car.
You can maximize your garage storage by removing clutter and coming up with a floor plan. Incorporating wall storage is also a good way to maximize space through vertical storage. Using unique storage options like bins can also help save your garage space by stacking small items. Finally, incorporating multiple storages can maximize space by storing multiple items in one area.
For many people, a garage is where everything that is no longer in use is stored. Over the years, the garage space becomes a dumpster with all kinds of stuff. I recently decided to overhaul my garage and cleared everything that had accumulated over the years.
This experience taught me that you do not need extra space; you need to get rid of unnecessary stuff. Space maximization is about being smart of what you store in your garage and how you store it.
How To Maximize Your Garage Storage
Decluttering is the first step in maximizing your garage space. If you have not decluttered for years, there are chances that your garage has things that you might not need. I recommend that you take at least a day to remove all the things you do not need in your garage.
Steps of decluttering your garage
Empty the garage
Take everything outside the garage. You can take everything outside if the weather is good, or you can take the stuff to the other room. Once the garage is empty, you can now think about what you need to keep inside.
Sort the items
The second step is to sort the items in the garage. Sorting is probably the most difficult thing because you have to select the items you need to keep and the items to do away with. Sort the items into four batches. You can have batches for things you need to keep, sell, donate, and throw away. Sorting items into batches makes it easy to manage clutter.
After sorting the items, it is advisable to make a garage sale immediately to not take the items back to the garage. Instead, take the items that you want to donate to their respective places immediately, as well.
Do thorough Cleaning
Since the garage will be empty, take this opportunity to do some cleaning. The floor might be greasy and dusty, so use rubber gloves, brushes, and a good detergent. Give it time to dry before you start taking the items that you want to keep back.
Plan Your Space and Come Up With A Floor Plan
Planning your space is very important for storage space maximization. But, first, you need to make sure that you have a rough idea of how you will use your space. Most homes have two-car garages that are sufficient with proper space planning.
Outline your car space
The first step is to outline the space that will be taken by your cars. You can use tape to outline the space on the floor. When you outline the space, make sure that you leave a walkway space around the cars to have enough room to park your car properly. Around 24 inches of clear walk space is sufficient for parking space.
Use high shelves
Using high shelves can be helpful for a garage space. First, you need to make sure that you raise your shelves above the ground. Raise the shelves at least 74 inches from the ground. Then, you can use the lower space to keep stuff that you use occasionally and the high shelves to store bulky items.
Divide the garage storage into two section
You need to divide the garage storage into two sections for proper space management. The first section of the garage should be used for primary storage. With major storage, you can put closed cabinets, and the storage can be floor to ceiling.
You also need to have minor storage to store less bulky items so that you can use the extra space for walking around. However, do not congest the entire garage with cabinets because it will reduce the functionality of the garage.
Maximize Wall Storage
Maximizing wall storage is important to save space. You need to develop a wall storage space that will help you avoid clutter and take the least amount of space. Here are some wall storage options that you can use in your garage to maximize space:
Open shelves
Open shelves are the best for garage storage. They help you maximize space because they are not too bulky, and you can keep many items. We have different types of open shelves, and the most common ones are wooden and metallic ones. You can fit them on your own and store cans and items you do not mind storing in an open space.
Closed cabinets
Cabinets are good for garage storage. We have fitted garage cabinets that are directly fitted in your garage. However, we have movable cabinets that you can buy and place in different parts of the garage. With closed cabinets, you can keep small tools that are likely to get lost. For big cabinets, you can store items that you rarely use.
Pros of closed cabinets
Protection – you can protect items in the cabinets because they can be locked. It is also easy to protect the items from dust because they are stored in a closed location.
Easy to find items – cabinets have different compartments, and it is easy to keep everything where you can find it. For easy access, you can even label the different cabinet compartments.
Neat look – garage cabinets look neat since all the items are stored in a closed place. You can enhance the appearance of your garage by using closed cabinets.
Wall slates
Wall slates are useful for storing heavy duty items in your garage. You can get garage wall slates in MDF and PVC materials, depending on your preference. We have wall slates that are made using plywood, but they are not as strong. For PVC, you can get the PVC film or the plastic wall slate. The wall slate should be installed into the wall using the right tools. A handyman can help you with the installation. You can use the wall slate to different hung types of heavy-duty tools.
Pros of wall slates
Aesthetically pleasing – wall slates look very beautiful in the garage. You can cover the entire wall with slates instead of painting. It is possible to use a variety of colours and textures to enhance the look of your garage.
Hang a variety of accessories – to save space in your garage. You can hang different accessories in your slate. For example, you can use a hook, bins, and also shelves.
A pegboard
A pegboard can be made used to store small and lightweight weight items. Pegboards can either be made using wood or metal. I prefer metallic pegboards because they are easy to install and look good on the wall. The shiny material of the metallic pegboards looks beautiful on the wall. You can install a metallic pegboard on drywall with ease.
Pros of pegboards
- Use hooks – you can use hooks to hang items from the pegboard. When attaching a pegboard to the wall, make sure that you use spaces to make sure that the hooks can stick.
- Attach shelving – it is possible to attach shelving to the pegboard. Attaching plastic shelving to the pegboard will offer additional space to organize small items that you need to access frequently.
- Use it in other rooms – you can use a pegboard in other house areas because of the versatility and ease of installation.
- wallslates
Ceiling storage
Using ceiling storage can help you to save space. The ceiling storage can be used for seasonal items that are not used regularly. With proper installation, ceiling storage can help save the ground floor and keep the garage looking as neat as possible. There are a variety of ceiling storage options available.
Ceiling shelf storage
Ceiling shelf storage is the best for overhead storage. Metallica overhead shelves are the best for ceiling storage. With overhead shelving, make sure that you check the weight limit. You need to make sure that the shelf does not sink under the weight of the items.
Using hooks
It is also possible to use hooks for the overhead ceiling. With hooks, you can hang your ladders and other items that can be suspended. You can also suspend your bike with hooks on the ceiling in case you are not planning to use it for a long time.
Using slings
Apart from using hooks to suspend items on the ceiling, you can use slings for overhead storage. The slings can be useful when hanging items like kayaks that can be heavy. All you have to do is to use the slings around the kayak and later suspend the item on the ceiling. Make sure that the slings are in place and they are strong enough to carry the weight.
Other Storage Options For Space Saving
Space-saving is all about learning how to be creative when it comes to storage. You need to find unusual ways to keep your items in place. There are other storage spaces apart from shelves, cabinets, and overhead storage.
Bins
Bins are great for garage storage. When it comes to garage storage, make sure that you choose bins that are easy to stack. Stacking bins is important in saving space in the garage. The bins should also be made from plastic so that they are not affected by moisture and mould.
Storage bags
Storage bags are also great for garage storage. The storage bags should be made from a durable material like canvas. Canvas is a good material best because it protects artificial plants and other items that need to be stored in the garage. The best thing with storage bags is the fact that they can be hanged on the walls.
Containers
You can use small containers to keep small items like nails. For those little items that are likely to get lost, small containers can be helpful. Place the containers on shelves where they can be easily accessed.
Use Multipurpose Storage
Using multipurpose storage can help in space maximization in the garage. For instance, you can use shelves that have hooks beneath them. You can use the shelves to organize your containers and later use the hooks to hang gardening tools.
Using multipurpose storage will avoid the need to have multiple storage accessories in your garage. However, you need to remember sometimes storage items like cabinets can end up crowding the garage. Instead, only use storage items like bins that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Adjustable Shelving and Mobile Work Station
An adjustable shelving system can help in space-saving. With adjustable shelving, it is easy to move the shelves based on demand. You can also adjust the height in case you need to use the space above or below the shelf. Of course, you can always buy adjustable stand-alone shelving.
A mobile workstation is important for saving space in your garage. In case you use your workspace for woodwork, the workstation should be mobile. Consider buying a garage workstation with wheels so that it can be easy to move from one place to another.
Maximizing garage storage is all about coming up with unique ways to store your tools. Look at your garage design and shape and maximize storage. The idea of saving garage space is to make sure that the floor area is as free as possible. Getting rid of items that you do not need is beneficial in freeing up space.
Have you tried any of these space spacing tips for your garage yet? Share your thoughts and opinions on garage space-saving.
The Advantages of Using Garage Storage Systems
The commonly used dumping room or garage space is used for many purposes, from organizing your outdoor tools and equipment to repairing your car and managing your rifles. Therefore, garage space should be well optimized in order to make sure that you could find plenty of space to move around and manage store equipment. This way, you can go for things easily without messing and searching around. Here are some tips to optimize your garage that would help you in staying well organized:
- Throw away all the rubbish and make sure to keep the recyclables in a spate place because they can be used in the future. Clearing your garage from the garbage can help. You see your garage well organized and having plenty of space and room for adjusting more things.
- Remove any boxes that contain useless items which can no longer be used and are just occupying space. Some people may not throw away boxes of newly purchased items in case they need to return them. Make sure that there are no such boxes in your garage.
- Hang rifles, garden tools and bicycles on hooks. It can free plenty of space from the ground and will allow you to utilize space in a better way.
- In order to gain access to the items easily and without wasting time on searching, you can label each rack and section of your garage. Make sure to manage your garage in such a way that it can free up the space and give easy access to all your tools and equipment.
There are numerous advantages of using a garage storage system to keep your garage items in a well-organized manner instead of keeping them open. Some of the advantages of using garage storage systems are:
Getting Rid of Floor Mess
If you are using a professionally designed storage system, you can organize and manage things and accommodate plenty of space to adjust large number of items inside your garage. It will help you to clean up the floor mess that seems disorganized on the floor. Moreover, it will store your equipment and tools more securely.
Utilizing Space
Another main advantage of using storage systems in your garage is that you can utilize more space and give plenty of room to manage other things you will purchase. The space occupied by the cabinet will help you store plenty of small and big objects that were difficult to manage without it.
Easy to Find and Manage Things
Your items will be stored in a systematic way, you will find it very easy to locate things and use them for work purposes. It would get much easier for you to find tools and objects by placing labels on each rack and getting the object without wasting time.
Enhanced Garage Looks
As your garage is freed up from mess and piles of the heap, your space and look of the garage are improved. The place will look good and attract you. Now you don’t have to look for an extension of the garage and waste money on it because your garage has been cleaned up, and you can manage and adjust more things.
Maximize your Garage Space for greater benefits
Maximizing garage space can make your garage look more organized and tidy. If you are looking for some tips to maximize your garage space, here are some of them.
Use Walls
Walls can be a great way to maximize your garage space by installing the cabinet, hooks, and boards. The boards can be very useful and save plenty of space by easily managing small tools and equipment. Similarly, a bicycle can be hanged on hooks, while cabinets can be a great way to place items that you have bought for daily use.
Use overhead Racks
One of the best places to organize your garage space is on the ceiling. By using rafters and racks, you can more likely increase the space in your garage. In addition, ceiling storage can be very useful to organize and manage things that are used less frequently.
Look for Boxes
Boxes can also be a great way to maximize your garage space. If you have a look around your garage, you will find plenty of boxes that are either empty or can be used for placing more items in them. Use these boxes to maximize garage space.