Cleaning and Repairs
The first step is to throw away unnecessary junk. Throw away products which have expired and things you don't need. It's better to throw away tools which are rusted and beyond repair. The stuff which is in good condition, can be stored temporarily in a clean dry place. The tools which you think need to be repaired, can be given for repair work. So, by the time you have finished fitting the garage with furniture, these tools will be repaired and ready to store. Check your garage flooring, walls and ceiling. The walls might need to be repainted or the floors might need some patching up. Check for faulty wiring and possible water leakage.
Planning
Now that you have cleared and cleaned the garage space, it's time to make a plan. First make a list of all the things you want to keep in the garage. Also, keep in mind that in future, there will be additional stuff being stored in the garage. Get all the measurements of the area where you want to place your shelves, cabinets and racks in the garage.
Building or Buying Garage Furniture
The next step is choosing a garage storage system. You can make the furniture yourself or buy it, or mix and match. Garage furniture can be of different materials like wood, metal or plastic. Some of the metal furniture comes covered with plastic, which prevents rusting and ensures a longer life for the furniture.
Ceiling Lofts
You can make a DIY wooden loft for the ceiling of your garage, or hire a professional, who will take the measurements of your garage and build a loft for you. These are great to store seasonal tools. Also, you can store things you want to keep away from the reach of children.
Cabinets
There is a variety of cabinets to select from. Placing cabinets in the corners of the garage can save a lot of space. You can store seasonal equipment like ski's or snow blowers. You can lock the cabinets and make it secure from children. There are also rotating cabinets which will make it easy to store and arrange things. You can also save more space, by installing hooks over the cabinet doors. This way the space inside the cabinet can be used to store large things. While on the doors of the cabinet you can hang other small and frequently required tools.
Shelves
Use shelves to store things you need frequently such as tapes, hand tools, electric wires and switches, bulbs, etc. It is a good idea to have a small shelf near the garage door, to pick up things you need more often.
Racks
These are great to hang your garden tools. You can store shovels, rakes, brooms, etc. in a rack. If you or anybody in the house has bicycle, then consider installing cycle racks too.
Hooks
These are good to hang things. If you wish to hang big things like your bicycle, make sure the hook is large-sized and sturdily fixed on the wall. On a wall near your workbench, you can have many small hooks to hang your tools.
Workbench
A workbench in a garage is a must. You will be fixing stuff on it, drilling, hammering, painting, etc. To sustain all the above hardships, a workbench has to be tough, sturdy and have a good thickness. It is a better idea to get a foldable workbench as this will save even more space.
Apart from the above furniture, you will also need some plastic storage containers, bins and boxes to store small things in your garage.
Labeling
Label the containers and jars. You can http://www.denveroverheaddoors.com/ also get transparent jars and containers, so that you will easily find things. Label the edges of shelves and keep the things on top of it. For example, label one edge of a shelf as tapes, and you can keep different types http://ow.ly/10qu2c of tapes like duct tape, sticky tape, brown tape, etc.
Some Useful Tips:
Try to keep things off the floor. You can make a small chart, describing where to find what, for example, nails on the shelf near the door. Stick this chart on the wall next to the garage door. You can fit the cabinets with wheels and make them movable. Lock the cabinets, if they contain things which are not safe for children. If you have a small garage, you can have folding shelves and a folding workbench. If you are not good at building things, then don't worry. Because, there are many types of storage shelves and cabinets available. You can find them at a supermarket or a hardware store. However, more options of these storage units can be found online. So, you can simply buy these storage units and make a deal with seller to get free installation of these units done. This way you don't have to do any carpentry work. But, still can have a neat and resourceful garage.
Now that you have read these useful steps on garage storage it will be easy for you to find things in the garage. So, start transforming your garage into a neat and organized place.
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