Custom Garage Storage Solutions Archives - Page 2 of 2

Custom Fitting

March 19, 2013 by Rick Scully

Off-the-shelf storage products are great as a simple solution to organizing your garage. But custom-built storage can turn your garage into a room with truly functional storage and workspace.

Just because it’s custom-built doesn’t mean it has to be more expensive. Having a storage unit designed specifically to fit an area of your garage often costs no more than buying a read-made product that may not fit as well in the space.

Custom-built is all about creativity and effective use of space. Here are some ideas:

Workbenches

If you’re a gardener, car-enthusiast or DIYer, a workbench is a nice addition to any garage. Workbenches can be designed to any size or shape. A workbench that folds up to be stored when you aren’t using it is a great space-saver for small garages.

Overhead platforms and mezzanines

As I wrote in my previous blog, overhead storage is a great way to create extra space in garages with high ceilings. It can be as simple as a plywood platform to store seasonal items or as elaborate as a full mezzanine, which allows for another level of storage and workspace.

Ladders

Ladders or stairs are useful if you have a mezzanine or just need an easy way to access overhead storage. They can be designed to save floor space by pulling down when you need them and retracting out of the way when you’re done.

Thule or canoe slings

The best place to store canoes, kayaks or Thules is overhead. We build slings out of sturdy foam-covered chain with loop-and-eye hooks to safely and easily hoist these bulky items up and down.

Baseboards

Having a custom-built baseboard in your garage not only looks good, it protects against water leaks and rot. Wood baseboards allow polyaspartic flooring to wrap up the sides of the drywall. Stamped aluminium is a great modern, industrial look and provides excellent water protection.

Custom-built boxes

There are often unsightly items in the garage that can benefit from being covered up. We’ve built boxes to cover irrigation systems, electrical panels and central vacuum canisters. They can be finished to fit seamlessly into the rest of the garage design.

Designs for irregular-shaped spaces

As mentioned before, garages are rarely standard squares or rectangles. By having something custom-designed and built, you make the best use of all nooks and crannies and odd-shaped corners. When I visit a garage to do a consultation, or often when I’m on the job doing the renovation, I spot areas that would really benefit from a custom-built solution so I’d be happy to make a few suggestions.

Custom finishing

Finishes really up the wow factor in any garage renovation. We’ve done everything from finishing slatwall panels in an oak stain, in keeping with the cottage-look of the house, to installing custom wood worktops. We can even custom-mix paint chip colours to make the perfect shade of polyaspartic flooring.

Have a look around your garage and see if you have any odd-shaped areas or things you want to change. If you do, a custom-built storage solution is what you’ll want to consider to maximize the storage capability of your garage.

Overhead Storage

March 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

A recurring theme in helping my clients with garage organization is getting stuff off the floor. Having hooks to hang tools and racks to store equipment keeps the garage neat and maximizes your space. But there’s often an overlooked way to get even more storage space from your garage. Overhead, there’s a whole new area for storage.

Overhead racks are an ideal place to store items that you use infrequently. It’s a great place for storing garden furniture in the winter, as well as camping gear, out-of-season sports equipment and seasonal decorations. Tires can also be stored on overhead racks, but it’s best for tires without rims. Tires with rims are heavy and you likely don’t want to lift that much weight over your own head.

Where can I place overhead storage?

Selecting the ideal area for ceiling storage depends on the height of your ceilingand whether you have an entrance to your home from the garage. Over the garage doors, for example, is an ideal spot if your ceiling is 10 feet or higher. The tops of the rear and side walls make excellent storage areas as well, provided that you leave enough clearance for parking and walking below.

Types of overhead storage solutions

Ready-made

There are ready-made durable racks made of steel with a scratch-resistant finish. The ceiling unit is 48 x 96 inches and is secured to the ceiling joists. The rack can extend from 16 to 34 inches from the ceiling and holds up to 750 lbs.

For ready-made overhead storage on the side walls, there are 24 x 48 inch cantilevered racks that can be attached to the wall studs with sturdy metal brackets. These shelves can hold lighter items of under 200 lbs.

Custom-made

Garage Tailors Garage can create custom-made overhead storage that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Canadian garages are rarely a standard size or shape and this limits what is available in ready-made storage solutions. Having overhead storage custom-designed to fit your garage ensures you are making good use of every inch of available space.

Ready-made overhead racks come in limited sizes and are often wide and open on all sides, making it difficult to see and reach items stored in the middle. We can design and make overhead platforms out of wood to any shape, size or depth you need.

Garage Tailors Garage attaches custom-made overhead storage to the ceiling using aircraft cable. These sturdy cables can support more than 1000 lbs. And we’ll finish your platforms to complement the design of your garage. The possibilities are endless. We can even install pot lights underneath to create a lighted workspace or create something as elaborate as the mezzanine we recently built for a client, complete with a space-saving retractable ladder.

Often clients will choose a combination of ready-made and custom-made storage to make their garage space work for them. If you’re ready to get organized, consider overhead storage.

Top Ten Garage Faux Pas

December 18, 2012 by Rick Scully

There are a myriad of reasons to organize your garage with customized storage systems from Garage Tailors Garage. There’s the obvious convenience of being able to use your garage for what it was intended – parking your car – particularly on those snowy mornings when you’ve got better things to do than scrape off snow and ice in minus 30 temperatures while waiting for it to warm up.

Then there’s the satisfaction of having a designated space for everything from tires to gardening equipment, camping gear, bikes and power tools. That means finding what you need when you need it. This can be accomplished with customized overhead storage shelves suspended from the ceiling, on slatwall outfitted with CamLok™ hooks or by installing Hercke, Onex or CTECH cabinet systems. A Garage Tailors Garage renovation will ensure your perfect garage and most likely mean you’ve got the nicest garage in your neighbourhood.

But one of the main reasons to consider a garage renovation is to avoid the ten most common garage faux pas that are easily avoided, usually in only two days, with one of our custom designed transformations.

The rake between the eyes – a danger when rakes don’t have a designated space to hang on the wall.

The rollerskate/skateboard underfoot slide – a common hazard for parents of active, occasionally sloppy children.

The excess tool inventory – the rapid multiplying of shovels, rakes and brooms that is a consequence of being unable to find what you need, when you need it.

The old paint-can-on-the-head spill – from perilously storing paint in hard to reach places.

The flat tire – because the cardboard box that housed your nails got damp and soggy and fell apart.

The dust pit– caused by pitted, unfinished concrete garage floors.

The scratch and dent – a consequence of squeezing your car into a cluttered, messy space.

The wall bump – occurs after stumbling around in a poorly lit garage.

The broken thing – obliterated when the ladder that leaned against the wall crashed down on it. But at least it was only stuff.

The broken promise – happens after you’re unable to find the tent and cooking stove you said your neighbours could borrow for the long weekend.

Let us help you avoid these and many other garage pitfalls and make your life easier. At Garage Tailors Garage, our garage renovations are designed to maximize storage and organize your belongings efficiently.

Our renovations can be completed in as few as two days so that your life isn’t disrupted.

The Value of a Custom Solution for your Garage Transformation

December 20, 2011 by Rick Scully

folding work bench - 1 car garage — Custom Folding Workbench for a 1 Car Garage

Once you’ve made the decision to transform your garage so it better suits your needs, you’re faced with a choice: Do it yourself or bring in a professional?

There are advantages to doing it yourself. You have the satisfaction of a job well done (if you’ve avoided the pitfalls I spoke about in an earlier blog post), and it will likely be cheaper because you’re not paying for labour.

However, when you’re installing an ‘out of the box’ system, you end up with something generic, but it’s unlikely they’ll fit perfectly. You’ll probably end up with some wasted space. We come in and build to the measurements of your garage, using the space from wall to wall.

Everybody has different wants and needs, whether it’s storage, garage size, lighting requirements or aesthetics. A professional may be able to come up with options that you’re not aware of.

For instance, several weeks ago I visited a client who had a one car garage that was too simply not wide enough to accommodate a car, but it was high and deep. I asked him if he had things he’d like to put in a garage. He told me he had Christmas decorations taking up space in the basement. We talked about building a shelf along the back wall for storage, which doubled the storage space available.

He’d hadn’t considered anything other than floor space. I find that overhead storage is the most commonly overlooked area. The space is ideal for storing things you don’t need more than once a year such as holiday decorations or snow tires.

For some clients, the way the garage looks is as important as the job it does, whether it’s keeping boxes and tires out of sight or incorporating more high-end finishes.

The flooring is where customization can really shine. Your floor can be anything from standard grey tiles to something with a granite look. I come prepared with 6 to 8 samples of what’s available, but if a customer doesn’t like those, they can select colours from the Sherman Williams colour palate for a completely custom job. No one else offers that.

We look for the right eyeline, so what we install fits in with the rest of the garage. For instance, when we choose a spot to install slatwall and hooks, we may keep it level to a door. We also incorporate existing features such as light switches. It’s a finishing detail that makes the job more professional.

For your shelving, we can give it either a rough or finished look.

Lighting is also a consideration. You may be using your garage for more than just parking after the transformation, but a bare bulb may not be enough light. We can install pot lights under a platform or in front of cabinets. We can even position small spotlights if you’ve got sports cars you’d like to feature.

Every customer we see and every garage we visit is unique. Garage Tailors Garage tailors the storage solution to maximize the space available, leaving you with a superior product and a garage that meets your specific needs.

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