essential component of an organized garage Archives

After months of cold weather, and still more on the horizon, we begin to look forward to the months ahead, when the temperature will slowly begin to climb. Perhaps your family is itching for warmer weather, ready to ditch heavy parkas and boots. However, your garage may not be quite ready for the coming change of season.

During the winter, the last thing you want to do is schlep out to the garage to carefully sort and put things away. Therefore, it’s not uncommon for the garage to become the family dumping ground during the cold, winter months. If your garage is piled high with bikes, tools, outdoor toys, gardening tools, lawn care equipment, off-season tires and sporting goods, you’re probably unable to park all of your intended vehicles inside of your garage. Additionally, finding the items you need in a disorganized garage can be extremely frustrating.

The impending arrival of spring signals the start of a variety of activities like softball, soccer, golf and gardening. All of these activities require specialized equipment which is likely buried in your garage. To avoid the annoyance and frustration of misplaced sporting equipment, gardening tools and lawn care equipment this spring, take the following three steps to get your garage ready for the change of season.

Step One: Out with the Old

The primary reason it’s so difficult to find anything in the garage is because the things we want and need are buried beneath items for which we no longer have a need. Think about the items currently stored in your garage. Has the garage become the designated dumping ground for broken toys, furniture and tools? Is the garage littered with bikes, wagons and sports equipment the kids have outgrown? Are duplicates tools stealing valuable storage space? If so, prepping your garage for spring begins with a thorough purge.

Sort through all of the items stored inside your garage. Be ruthless when it comes to cutting the clutter.

Throw out items that are damaged or broken. Perhaps you stored them in the garage with the intention of fixing them. However, if those items haven’t been repaired in a year or two, the likelihood that they ever will be is quite slim.
Donate or sell outdated items, those you haven’t used in years and items you’ve never used can either be donated to a local charity or sold. However, if you decide to sell unused items, set a firm deadline for getting rid of them. Otherwise, those items might still be taking up space in your garage three years from now.
Group similar items and look for duplicate tools and sporting equipment. Once you identify duplicates, decide which item you’ll keep and donate or discard the unnecessary items.

Purging the garage may seem like a daunting task for one person. Make the project fun by enlisting the help of family or friends. Turn on your favorite music. Once the job is completed, reward yourself with a night out or a fun activity the entire family will enjoy.

Step Two: Create Dedicated Zones

If weather permits, it’s helpful to remove all items from the garage in order to clearly see the storage space available. This will enable you to determine how to best use the space in your garage. Before you create the layout for your new, clutter-free garage, think about how you use the space. What tasks are performed in your garage? What kinds of items are stored there?

Create distinct zones for sports equipment, lawn care equipment, vehicle care accessories and gardening tools. Put away out-of-season items, like sleds and snow shovels, to make room for items you’ll need for spring. Then decide on the ideal location for each zone: back wall, sidewall or near the garage door.

Step Three: Optimize Available Storage Space

There’s a limited amount of space in a garage. Yet, the volume of things we own and need to store continues to grow. How can you find a dedicated space to store all of your family’s things? Maximize the storage space in your garage by incorporating shelving, cabinetry, baskets, hooks and stackable storage containers.

A garage wall organization system, like slatwall, is designed to maximize storage space. The complementary baskets, hooks and shelves slide and lock into place easily, creating a neat, organized system for storing items along the wall, rather than stacking them along the perimeter of the floor. Once the space has been optimized, each item can be stored in its designated space.

Shelving can be an essential component of an organized garage, particularly for those who prefer items stored where items can be easily seen and retrieved. Next time we’ll talk about how to maximize the storage space in your garage by using steel racks.

If organizing your garage feels like an overwhelming job to take on yourself, check out some of our amazing garage transformations, then contact Garage Tailors Garage to request your free consultation.

When the air turns crisp, it prompts a variety of changes. Summer clothing is exchanged for fall sweaters, and eventually, heavy duty winter gear. We switch out screen windows for glass panes and shore up insulation to ensure that our homes stay warm and toasty. The change of season also prompts the need for changes in the garage. Once you’ve gotten your garage ready for winter, it’s time to tackle another change-of-season task—stashing away all of your family’s summer sports gear to make room for winter sports equipment.

Each member of your family may participate in a variety of sports, each requiring its own long list of accessories, big and small. If the garage is the primary entry point for your family, your garage is likely jam-packed with balls, bats, skates and a variety of other items. During the summer, bikes and sports equipment often take over the garage. However, with the impending arrival of winter, you’ll likely want to get your cars parked inside the garage. Let’s examine a basic plan that will help you store winter sports equipment in your garage so that you’ll be prepared to go zooming down the ski trails at a moment’s notice.

Start with a Good System (or Two)

Just like a championship-bound sports team, an organized garage has a solid system as its foundation. In this case, there should be at least two: task-related zones and a wall organization system.

In past posts, we’ve discussed the importance of creating dedicated zones in your garage.Creating separate areas in your garage for each of the tasks performed, or each type of item stored there, is an essential component of an organized garage.Once you’ve reorganized your garage by creating spaces for automotive accessories, yard tools and other commonly-used items, it’s time to assign a spot for the individual items in each category. This is when a wall organization system becomes invaluable.

A wall organization system, like slatwall, provides dedicated storage spaces for all of the items in each zone. These systems are used in conjunction with complementary hooks, baskets and shelves, which come in a variety of sizes. Dedicate a basket or shelf to a single sport or a specific family member. The individual storage accessories can be configured, and re-configured, in countless ways, allowing you to customize the system to fit the changing needs of your family.

Switch Positions

During the warm months, perhaps softball, soccer and lacrosse equipment took center stage. Now it’s time to make room for sleds, ice skates, hockey equipment and skis. If you already have a wall organization system installed, this task is simple. Unhook the baskets and hooks for summer sporting goods and relocate them to a less prominent area in the garage. Then switch the baskets and hooks for winter equipment to a position that makes them easily accessible.

If you don’t have room to store both summer and winter equipment along the wall at the same time, consider storing off-season items in overhead storage bins or platforms. This is an ideal place to store items that are seasonal or seldom used. If your garage isn’t equipped for overhead storage, or the space there is already reserved for other items, off-season sports equipment can be stored in the basement or in a closet.

Make Room for the Odd Man Out

What about large or irregularly-shaped items that tend to eat up the limited real estate in your garage? Wall organization systems, like slatwall, have you covered with hooks or specialty hangers that can accommodate snowboards, snowshoes, hockey sticks and other large items. Need space for bulkier items? Try a custom overhead sling to make storing and loading your Thule a snap.

Get Everything in Game Condition

Before you put everything away, take a few moments to prep the equipment for the season ahead. Wipe down skis and examine them for any damage. Check skates for broken laces or loose blades. Make sure the runners on sleds are securely fastened. Now you’re ready for the season ahead.

A garage wall storage system is extremely versatile and highly-configurable. When used in conjunction with dedicated zones, it creates the foundation for a truly organized garage that can accommodate your family’s active lifestyle any time of the year. Best of all, items will be stored off the garage floor leaving room for the real star of the show—your vehicle.

Want the flexibility a wall storage system can provide, but too busy to install one yourself? Contact a garage renovation specialist to discover creative ways to store your sports equipment.

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Prepare Your Garage Now for the Change of Season