Has your garage turned into your home’s largest storage closet? If you are a DIY enthusiast, how many times have you had to move a bike, a box of old Christmas decorations, or empty luggage to get to your “work” space? Your garage universe needs to be put in order. Stay with us and we will share some garage organization ideas that will get that DIY space you need, amaze the family, and be the envy of all your DIY buddies.
Let’s be honest. Organizing a garage takes some discipline. You need to have a vision and be able to visualize how you are going to use the space. Begin with the end in mind and avoid a project that takes on a life of its own because of “change” orders. There are many things you can do that only require an investment in time and muscle while others are going to require an outlay of cash. Create a budget before you begin and stick to it.
Ready to Organize Your Garage and Reclaim Your DIY Space?
If you plan to use your garage for anything other than a place to park your cars, keep in mind space allocation, lighting, and power, safety, and climate. You need to have the space to do what you want to do, you need to see what you are doing, you need to do it safely and you don’t want to get sick while you’re doing it.
With that in mind, here are seven garage organization ideas to get you started:
- Clean Out Your Garage. This can be a painful experience and cause domestic stress if the rest of the family is not all in on a better-organized garage. Get rid of obvious trash and junk. Consider using tape or color-coding to section off household storage and DIY space. Clean the floor and give yourself a fresh start. This is also an opportunity to sketch out a floor plan and identify electrical outlet locations.
- Organize Household Storage First. Most of the stuff in your garage probably is not related to your DIY workshop needs. Lawn furniture, lawn care, seasonal decorations, sports gear, and the “no place for this in the house” items. Sort them and store them by category.
- Thinking Vertical. Space is at a premium so efficient vertical storage becomes the obvious choice. You can spend a fortune on ready-made shelving and storage systems, or you can use a little ingenuity and build your own. Tall items like rakes, shovels, and brooms can be stored in a rack using a piece of scrap lumber screwed to studs with holders cut from cheap PVC pipe. Plastic bins are inexpensive and building shelves for them is a piece of cake.
- Your Space. The centerpiece will be your work table. If you already have one that is sturdy and designed to accommodate the tools you use, great. If not there is no shortage of tables to choose from at home improvement stores or you can download specs off the internet and build your own.
- Lighting and Electrical. Most garages have a light-activated by the garage opener and one other overhead fixture. They are almost never adequately lighted for a workspace. In addition, outlets are usually in short supply. You need adequate power sources for battery charging and corded tools. You can’t safely rely on extension cords to get the power to where you need it. You need to call a licensed pro.
- Ventilation. During the summer, garages can become almost as hot as attics and have the same stuffy air. Not a very comfortable climate to work in. Worse, with little to no ventilation, fumes from chemicals and paint and the dust created by woodworking can be harmful to your health. The easiest affordable solution is to add an exhaust fan either through the wall or mounted in the ceiling. An effective fan can reduce the temperature by as much as 20 degrees and vent harmful fumes.
- Comfort. If your DIY projects require you to stand for long periods of time, consider browsing a restaurant supply site for a kitchen floor mat. These strips are slip-resistant and also easy on your feet and back.
We can’t help you with shelving or lighting, but we can assist in keeping you comfortable. We have a selection of the best garage ventilation fans available. Take a moment now and browse our affordable ventilation systems and find the one that makes sense for your new DIY garage. You’ll be glad you did.