garage storage racks Archives

When taking the family to the cottage, to go exploring various parts of the country or to go on a camping trip, it often requires more space than we might have in the SUV or mini-van. To add more cargo space to our vehicles or bring our favourite toys to enjoy the outdoors, many of us might use vehicle racks and hitch mounted carriers.

Some of the typical vehicle add-ons include a roof rack with add on carriers or racks or hitch mounted carriers and racks. There are a wide variety of options to deck out vehicles with the space to carry our favourite toys to our favourite spots around the country. Being able to enjoy the outdoors and the serenity that these remote locations afford us while staying active together is the main motivation of many families to leverage vehicle rack systems.

Throughout the summer and even winter months, we’ll want to haul out these carriers and racks with us to our weekend adventures and then, store them away during the week. Finding a way to minimize the work of storing and mounting the rack systems to our vehicles helps us get away on short notice while keeping our garage storage system organized.

Combining Garage Storage Racks with Vehicle Racks

A great way to do this is to match up garage storage racks and slatwall organization systems with your vehicle’s racks and mountings systems. Matching them up and installing them in the appropriate places within the garage means we can make use these vehicle racks with more ease. If we plan it out, we can set it up so that we don’t need to be especially tall or overly strong to move these bulky carriers or return outdoor toys to where they should be stored.

Just because our weekends are packed with high energy activities doesn’t mean that putting things away needs to be just as challenging. A good garage renovation will provide a system where mounting these vehicle carriers will flow easily from the garage storage area to the vehicle itself.

Overhead Lift Racks for Bicycles and Other Sports Equipment

From a vehicle rack, bikes can be mounted easily onto hydraulic bike racks which can be lifted up and out of the way. While there are many types of bicycle racks including wall mount, floor mount or ceiling mount, the lift racks may be the best suited to work with vehicle racks or mounts.

Firstly, they can be placed to be located at the rear of the vehicle so it’s easy to transfer the bikes between the vehicle rack and the overhead lift racks for bikes, golf clubs, snowboads and other sports equipment. Next, if you have a hydraulic overhead lift, after you’ve loaded a few bikes and a couple of sets of golf clubs, it takes the mere push of a button to get the rack to lift up into the overhead storage space of the garage.

Canoe and Kayak Racks

For canoes and kayaks, they are often mounted on the vehicle with a J-rack or other roof rack system. With an overhead sling and pulley system in the garage which is positioned directly over the roof of the vehicle, the kayaks and canoes can be stored in the overhead space. By attaching the sling around each kayak or canoe and releasing the vehicle rack mechanisms, the kayaks can be lifted directly up into the rafters of the garage until it’s time to retrieve them for the next adventure on our favourite rivers, lakes or oceans.

Cargo Carriers for Roof or Hitch Racks

For cargo carriers located either on the roof of a vehicle or off the rear hitch of the vehicle, overhead systems similar to the bike or kayak storage lift systems make putting things away so much easier after a long trip. With slings and a hydraulic lift system, these carriers can be lifted up and away. Whether you intend to store them empty or pre-packed with some standard camping or adventure gear, the overhead cargo carrier storage makes it so much easier to prepare for the next driving trip.

Enjoying All Seasons with Storage Racks

Turning the garage into a storage system to ease the packing and unpacking of the vehicle racks means we can reduce the strain of moving larger awkwardly shaped carriers and outdoor toys. A little bit of planning and a garage renovation will make it easy to move items from the vehicle to its storage location in the garage and back again.

If you need assistance to create this handy system, a complimentary in-home consultation is available to guide you through a process to outfit your garage storage systems to your lifestyle.

We look forward to beautiful holiday light displays at this time of year. However, holiday decorations cause numerous residential fires each year, most of which could be prevented. So before you plot your head-turning holiday display, let’s review some best practices for installing and storing holiday décor.

Electrical Requirements

Verify that all outdoor electrical outlets are working. It’s best to plug lights directly into outdoor ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. When extension cords are required, it’s safer to use a longer, heavy-duty cord than to string together shorter extension cords. The extension cords used must be rated for outdoor use by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) – ground fault circuit interrupter.

Don’t overload electrical outlets. According to the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, no more than three standard-size sets of lights should be used per extension cord. If your garage and outdoor outlets are on the same circuit, you’ll need to take the lighting, garage door opener, outlets and other items plugged inside your garage into the equation as well. Lay out your holiday display with the location of electrical outlets in mind to reduce the temptation to use too many extension cords.

Examine Holiday Lighting for Damage

Examine each string of holiday lights for damage sustained during previous use or storage. Dispose of lighting with cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections. Test each light string, then replace burned out bulbs. When buying new holiday lights, consider LED lights, which burn cooler and use less energy.

Safely Install Lighting

To reduce fire hazard, secure lights with insulated tape, insulated staples or hooks. Don’t use nails or tacks. Do not attach lighting over, under or along metal eavestroughs.

Securely fasten lights to the walls of the house or garage, trees, or other stable structures to avoid wind damage. Point bulbs toward the ground to keep moisture out of the sockets. Hang lighting and extension cords high enough above the ground so they won’t sit in snow and puddles.

Don’t block exits with holiday decorations. All exits must remain easily accessible, in the event of a fire. For added safety, turn off the lights at night or when you are away from home.

Storing Holiday Decorations

Safely storing holiday décor is the best way to ensure that lighting and other décor remains in good repair. Clear, stackable plastic containers provide excellent storage space for holiday décor. Contents remain visible, making it easier to find items. As you dismantle holiday light displays, note the length of each string of lights and where it was used. Include this info on or in the storage container. Eliminate tangling, which can damage wiring, by using a holiday lights storage reel or wrapping each string around a clean, empty cylindrical can or a piece of cardboard.

Dead space in the garage provides an ideal location for storing seasonal items like holiday lighting and decorations. How can you make the best use of what may seem like unusable space in your garage? Here are three options:

Overhead Storage Racks: Installing overhead shelving can be tricky, so consult a garage renovation specialist if you’re unfamiliar with how to safely install weight-bearing overhead shelving. Garage Tailors Garage offers metal storage shelving to make underutilized ceiling height functional. Metal storage units are made of durable steel and the largest units support up to 700lbs. Store lighting and other holiday decorations in stackable bins on overhead storage racks in the garage. Access the space using a step ladder.
Install a pulley-based storage platform. Accessing seasonal items stored on overhead storage shelves can be difficult for those with physical limitations. A pulley-based platform uses a crank to lower the items to the floor where they can easily be loaded or unloaded. This type of system is ideal for storing artificial trees and large outdoor displays. Consult a garage renovation specialist to determine whether this option is feasible for your garage.

Made-to-measure solutions. Made-to-measure shelving, platforms and mezzanines provide additional storage space for stackable plastic bins and large holiday displays. Made-to-measure garage shelving can be installed high on a back or side wall. Made-to-measure platforms provide additional vertical storage space high on a back wall. Tall garages with lots of wasted overhead space can accommodate made-to-measure mezzanines which provide considerable storage for holiday décor and other seasonal items rarely accessed.

Need additional storage space in your garage for seasonal items? Request a consultation with a garage renovation specialist and discover how Garage Tailors Garage can transform wasted vertical space into functional, attractive storage space.

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