organized garage Archives - Garage Tailors

Do These Seven Things to Get the Best Results from Your Garage Renovation

March 22, 2016 by Rick Scully

Your garage should play an important role in the function of your home. A well-designed and organized garage provides storage space for your vehicles and items that are important to your lifestyle, like sporting goods and gardening tools.

In a previous article, we discussed five things to look for when hiring a garage renovation specialist. Now let’s look at seven things you can do to get the best results from your garage renovation.

Before You Hire a Garage Renovation Expert

The foundation for a successful renovation experience begins long before the workers show up on Day One of the project. Start your garage renovation off on the right foot by doing the following three things before you hire a garage renovation expert:

Honestly assess your needs and expectations. Look at how you currently use your garage. Now consider how you’d like to use it. Do you need space for specific sports equipment? Do you require a workbench? Are there items causing specific storage challenges, like a kayak or winter tires? Will an additional vehicle be parked in the garage in the near future? Discuss your needs with the garage organization or garage renovation expert. Any plan proposed should address your unique lifestyle needs.
Know your budget range. Before you meet with potential garage renovation specialists, decide how much you are willing to invest in your renovation. Come to the meeting with a low number (what you’d prefer to spend) and a high number (what you’re willing to spend to get your dream garage) in mind.
Purge. Your renovation should maximize the storage capabilities of your garage. However, even an organized garage will become cluttered again if you store too many items in it. Get rid of broken, outdated or useless items. Gift or donate duplicates, items the kids have outgrown or things you no longer use. The remaining items are those which merit space in your garage.

During the Renovation

Once you’ve engaged the services of an experienced, trusted garage renovation expert, here are three strategies to make the renovation go off without a hitch:

Find a new home for your stuff. During the renovation process, the garage must be cleared of all of your belongings. Items might need to be temporarily relocated to the basement or a storage container. Discuss the issue with your contractor beforehand. Be clear on who will move the items and when they must be moved.
Find alternate parking for vehicles. The garage and driveway will be off limits while the renovation is in progress. If street parking isn’t an option, a neighbor might allow you to park your car in their driveway during the renovation process.
Keep children and pets away from work areas. Kids are wonderfully curious about the world. The beehive of activity and the whirr of power tools are enough to draw the attention of any curious child. However, tools and other materials used during a renovation can pose a danger to children and animals. For the safety of everyone, be sure to keep children and small pets away from the work area, even if the crew is off-site.

After the Renovation

At the end of the project, the renovation crew walks away, leaving you to enjoy your clean, organized, renovated space with adequate storage for the things important to you and your family. Ideally, the credits roll, we fade to black and everyone lives happily ever after. On rare occasions there may be hiccups—small changes that need to be made. Don’t let this ruin your experience.

Continue honest communication with garage renovation expert. If something isn’t as expected, talk to your contractor about it. A good, reliable contractor will ensure that the job meets the expectations created from the outset. They use quality products, backed by a manufacturer’s warranty and they follow through on the project with outstanding service.

A well-organized garage serves as an extension to your home. Lay a solid foundation for the success of your garage renovation by honestly assessing your needs, knowing your budget and purging before you hire your renovation expert. During the renovation, relocate your belongings, keep the driveway clear of your vehicles and keep children and small pets away from the workspace. After the renovation, continue honest communication with your contractor about anything that doesn’t meet outlined expectations.

Six Steps to Organizing Your Garage with Plastic Bins

May 26, 2015 by Rick Scully

Plastic storage bins can be the perfect solution for a cluttered garage overflowing with toys, sporting goods, gardening supplies, automotive supplies and seasonal decorations. Relatively inexpensive, plastic bins can be purchased in a variety of sizes and colours. They hide clutter and allow it to be grouped in a manner that makes items easier to find.

Maybe you’ve been dreaming of corralling all of the clutter in your garage, but you aren’t sure where to begin. Follow these simple steps and the organized space you’ve envisioned is within reach.

Step #1: Install overhead shelving for maximum storage space

Most garages consist of three blank walls, limiting storage space to the floor around the perimeter of the garage. When that space is taken, items stored in the garage begin to commandeer one or more of the parking bays.

Use the height of the garage to maximize storage space. This can be achieved by storing items in stackable bins. However, if bins are stored along the entire garage perimeter, little space is left for bicycles, the lawn mower and other equipment which requires floor space.

Professionally-installed overhead storage racks create secure, accessible platforms where plastic bins can be stored and stacked, saving valuable floor space for items that need it. High-quality steel storage racks, available in a range of pre-determined depths and sizes, can be configured to your space. Alternately, made-to-measure wooden platforms can be constructed to accommodate your unique space.Overhead racks should be installed by a professional who understands their weight-bearing nature. Always observe weight limits determined by manufacturer.

Step #2: Buy the best quality bins your budget can accommodate

There are a variety of plastic storage bins on the market, from easily-recognizable brand names to less expensive store brands. Paying more doesn’t always ensure quality. Examine bins carefully to see if they meet your needs.

Does the plastic feel sturdy? Does the bin have handles to facilitate lifting? Will the bin hold up during years of use? Consider these questions when examining plastic storage bins. Whenever possible, check product reviews to see how past users rated the bins. Then purchase the best quality bins your budget can accommodate. Well-constructed, highly-rated plastic storage bins will provide years of use.

Step #3: Save time by using clear plastic bins

If you’ve ever opened half a dozen cardboard boxes in search of a single item, you know how frustrating it is not knowing what’s stored in each box. So if you’ll be storing a wide variety of items, consider using transparent bins. Clear plastic bins enable you to see what is stored inside each box without taking heavy bins down from overhead shelves or digging them out of a stack.

Step #4: Group similar items

Grouping similar items in the same bin also simplifies storage and retrieval. If items are large or include a broad category, group all bins in that category in the same section of the garage. For instance, seasonal items, like holiday decorations, might require several plastic bins. One for each holiday, perhaps.

This category of items—holiday decorations—should then be stored in a single section. Since these items tend to be light in weight and infrequently used, an overhead storage rack is an ideal place to store them. Do the same with other similar items, like off-season sports equipment or garden supplies.

To keep items inside the bin organized and minimize breakage, store them in smaller plastic boxes inside the bin. For instance, holiday ornaments or shin guards can be stored in this manner.

Step #5: Clearly label bins

Not everyone wants clear bins, which put items inside on display. For many homeowners, the appeal of plastic bins is keeping everything stored inside out of sight and out of mind. Labels make it easy to determine what’s inside each box without dragging it out and opening it, even when using clear bins.

Step #6: Arrange items according type and frequency of use

Above we used the example of storing lightweight, infrequently-used holiday decorations on an overhead rack. Approach each category of items in the same manner. Items retrieved frequently should be stored where they are easily accessible. For instance, a bin filled with summer toys should be stored where children can easily access it.

To achieve this, rotation may be required. Make gardening equipment accessible during the growing season. Hockey equipment should be within reach during winter, but softball gear takes center stage during softball season.

Plastic storage bins can transform a cluttered garage. Get sturdy, overhead storage racks professionally installed. Purchase the highest quality bins your budget will permit. Use clear bins to make contents visible. Group similar items. Label all bins and arrange them according to timing and frequency of use. Follow these steps and the organized garage you envisioned is at your fingertips.

Preparing Your Garage for Winter Sports Equipment

November 4, 2014 by Rick Scully

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.

Five Ways to Calm Garage Chaos

September 18, 2014 by Rick Scully

If your garage has become a chaotic collection of belongings, the thought of organizing your garage likely feels overwhelming.

It doesn’t have to be.

Whether you decide to take one Saturday to clean your garage as a family or prefer to organize the space a little at a time, these five steps will simplify the process and help you to achieve the results you want.

Step One: Create Specialized Zones

The items in a typical garage can generally be classified into the following categories: household supplies, automotive supplies, gardening tools and supplies, recycling and waste disposal, tools and workbenches and sporting goods. Create dedicated zones in your garage for each of these categories. This instantly reduces the amount of time spent searching for items. Once items have been shifted to designated zones, they can be further organized.

Step Two: Utilize Vertical and Overhead Space

Floor space is at a premium in most garages. Vehicles parked inside the garage consume the majority of available floor space. What remains must be used judiciously. Therefore, one of the keys to an organized garage is to strategically employ vertical and overhead storage space.

A garage wall organization system increases garage storage space exponentially. We recommend a slatwall-based system that, when used with coordinating baskets, hooks and shelves, can accommodate a variety of storage requirements and can be easily reconfigured with each change of season.

Step Three: Make Seasonal Adjustments

When the season changes, how we use our garage storage space often does, too. Softball equipment, golf clubs and bicycles take a back seat to sleds and skis once the air turns crisp and cool. The lawn mower must make way for the snow blower.

Take a few minutes at the change of the season to reorganize your garage so that seasonal items are easily-accessible. The last thing you want to do is wake up to a snowy drive, only to realize that you must first dig out the snow blower. Also, if little ones are forced to wade through summer sporting goods to access their sleds, the garage floor will be littered with the items they had to cast aside.

Reduce the potential for clutter further by ensuring that all items can be easily located.

Step Four: Label or Clearly Display Items

Ever had to dig through half a dozen boxes to find an item? It’s time-consuming and frustrating. Eliminate this time suck by clearly displaying items whenever possible. This can be achieved with open shelving or clear storage boxes.

Open storage isn’t appropriate for some items. Nor do all homeowners find this storage style aesthetically-pleasing. If closed cabinets or non-transparent storage boxes are more your style, invest in a label-maker. Neatly label boxes and either the inside or outside of cabinet doors. This makes locating items a breeze.

The steps above can certainly simplify the process of organizing your garage. However, you may require a more complex or customized solution. If so, assistance is required.

Step Five: Know When to Call in the Troops

As with any other home improvement, some jobs one can handle quite easily. Others require the assistance of a skilled professional. If you’d like to maximize storage in your garage and you don’t know where to begin, or the work required is beyond your knowledge and abilities, it’s time to call in a garage renovation specialist.

A knowledgeable, experienced garage organization professional will assess your needs and create a plan which addresses them and maximizes available space. A garage renovation specialist has access to professional-grade materials, like custom cabinetry, not available to the public. He or she will be familiar with building permit requirements and can install overhead shelving capable of bearing heavier loads safely. A qualified professional will also be able to complete the work correctly and in a timely fashion.

Curious about how a garage renovation specialist can calm the chaos in your garage? Request a consultation today.

Creative Solutions for Storing Sporting Goods in Your Garage

June 17, 2014 by Rick Scully

The change of season presents a challenge when it comes to garage storage. Last time we talked about creative solutions for bike storage. However, now that it’s officially summer, the bikes probably aren’t the only sports equipment taking over your garage.

Balls, bats, knee pads and helmets abound. Yet, you can never find the piece of equipment you need. The absence of designated storage space is usually the culprit.

Most homeowners want an organized garage with designated space for everything. However, in a typical garage consisting of three blank walls, it’s tough to accomplish. That’s where a garage renovation specialist can be invaluable.

A garage renovation specialist will help you determine your family’s storage needs now and in the future, based on your lifestyle. Your garage design pro can devise a plan that fits the way you live and then make those plans a reality.

Let’s explore storage options available for the sports equipment you use throughout the year.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Every sport has a variety of required accessories. Some are small, making them easier to store. Unfortunately, it also makes them easier to lose. Ever spent an afternoon hunting down a pair of shin guards or someone’s “lucky” ball? Have you ever purchased a second (or third) pair of baseball gloves because the first pair went missing? It’s a common occurrence. Yet, there’s a better way.

Garage Tailors Garage uses a professional-grade garage wall organization system to maximize storage space. Strong, durable, grooved slatwall panels are the basis for the wall organization system. Since this grade of slatwall is waterproof as well as mold and mildew-resistant, it’s tough enough to weather Canada’s four seasons. Slatwall panels are installed on the existing wall. They can even be installed over a concrete or brick surface. Camlock hooks, wire baskets, specialty racks and shelving in a variety of sizes can be inserted into the grooves. This makes the system highly configurable.

A basket can be installed on a back wall for storing balls and other items. Since the slatwall accessories are easily interchangeable, you can dedicate a basket to a single sport and/or individual. For instance, the baseball basket takes the primary position during baseball season. In winter, shift this basket to a more obscure location and put the ski accessory basket front and center.

Skateboards, Scooters, Skis and More…Oh my!

What about storage options for items too big to fit neatly in wire baskets? Skateboards, scooters, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, rollerblades and other sports equipment cause a tripping hazard when strewn carelessly in the garage. These items also need designated storage space.

The flexibility and configurability of slatwall makes storing these items simple. Skateboards can be suspended from their wheels flat against the wall or hung horizontally. Scooters, hung by their handlebars, can lay flat against the wall. Baseball bats, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, rollerblades and anything with a hole or a straight edge can easily hang from lockable Camlock hooks secured to the slatwall. Specialized accessories make it easy to hang snowboards and other items.

Golf equipment can be secured against slatwall, too. Camlock lockable hooks are sturdy enough to support heavy golf bags and other sports equipment. Not keen on the idea of your beloved golf clubs and bag being suspended from a hook? Consider adding a lockable golf cabinet where your golf equipment and shoes can be securely stored.

Large Item Storage That Won’t Rock the Boat

Large sporting goods like kayaks, paddle boards and roof racks designed for carrying bike and ski equipment require lots of real estate in your garage. Their size, coupled with their limited, seasonal use make them excellent candidates for overhead storage.

High garage ceilings have lots of wasted space which can easily be converted to make room for storing kayaks, canoes, roof racks and paddle boards. Your garage designer can build a sturdy sling for these specialized items which will allow you to raise and lower them whenever needed.

Overhead storage is ideal during the winter months when kayaks and canoes aren’t in use. However, during the summer season, when these items see frequent use, kayaks and canoes can be secured to slatwall using specialty hooks and accessories.

A garage wall storage system that uses slatwall as its base is highly versatile and can be configured to accommodate your active lifestyle during any season of the year.

The space in your garage is limited. Still, the storage capacity of any garage can be increased with an organizational plan that’s designed to fit your family’s unique needs. Garage Tailors Garage sells a professional-grade slatwall organization system for do-it-yourselfers who prefer to tackle their own installation. However, we specialize in full-service garage transformations.

Tired of sifting through a jumble of sports equipment in your garage? Contact a garage renovation specialist to discover creative ways to store your sports equipment.

Five Ways to Maximize Garage Storage

May 27, 2014 by Rick Scully

There are a few basic steps that will help you create a neat, organized garage. Last time we discussed the first step, creating related zones in your garage. We discovered why it makes sense to create separate zones for auto accessories, household supplies, garden tools, garbage and recycling bins, tools and workstations and sporting equipment. Now let’s discuss how to keep the items in each zone neat and organized by using a variety of tools and accessories designed just for this purpose.

Slatwall – The Key to Getting Everything Off of Your Garage Floor

Maybe you’ve never heard of slatwall, but you’ve probably seen it in your local retail store. It wasn’t the item being sold. However, it was likely used as the base for the baskets and hooks that held merchandise. Slatwall (also called slotwall and slat board) isn’t limited to use by retailers anymore. It is frequently used in garages as a hanging system that enables homeowners to get everything off of the garage floor.

Slatwall comes in panels which are installed on the walls of the garage. The grooves in the slatwall hold hooks, baskets and other organizational products and give the homeowner the freedom to easily move these items as needed.

Your local big-box store might sell a basic slatwall system. However, slatwall sold there is typically composed of MDF. It doesn’t have the durability and weight-bearing capacity of sturdier, PVC-based slatwall available to professional garage renovation specialists and other contractors.

Getting professional-grade slatwall installed provides the base for organization in each zone of your garage.

Baskets and Hooks

Once professional-grade slatwall panels are installed on your garage walls, corresponding baskets and hooks can be inserted into the grooves. These baskets and hooks will provide wall storage for everything ranging from garden tools and sports equipment to snow shovels and bicycles.

Just think of all of the possibilities!

Rather than the garage being a dumping ground for everyone’s in-line skates or softball equipment, each item can be hung neatly in its designated spot. You won’t spend half an hour searching for your snow brush when the first snow of winter hits unexpectedly. Instead, you can walk right over to the automotive zone in your garage and take the snow brush of its hook.

Best of all, since the hooks and baskets can be easily moved, you can adjust the configuration to better accommodate the items you’re storing at various times of the year.

Shelving

Slatwall can also accommodate shelving. Like the corresponding baskets and hooks, the shelving used with slatwall can also be relocated at any time. This provides endless possibilities for storage on your garage walls.

Shelving can be particularly useful when it comes to storing window washing fluid, automotive fluids, household chemicals or flower pots. Create shelves high on the wall to store items that should be kept out of the reach of pets and children. Create low shelves for items that should be easily accessible to children.

Overhead Storage Solutions

One area frequently overlooked for garage storage is the space overhead. However, with a bit of imagination and essential expertise, the overhead space in your garage can safely store household items that aren’t frequently accessed, like seasonal tires, holiday decorations or roof racks used for carrying luggage or sporting equipment. Bicycles, kayaks, leftover wood or siding and other large, bulky items can also be stored overhead with the right custom solutions.

Overhead storage solutions can be tricky to handle on your own. A variety of factors must be considered: height, clearance and weight-bearing capacity, to name a few. If you aren’t completely confident about designing and installing heavy overhead storage solutions, contract a professional garage renovation specialist to handle a job of this magnitude instead.

Custom-built Storage Solutions

You can purchase any number of pre-built storage cabinets, workbenches and overhead shelves for your garage at your local big-box store. However, you’re limited to the sizes and configurations that they have available. If you have unique challenges in your garage, like curved walls or odd spaces, you might find it difficult to incorporate pre-made storage cabinets into your space. However, a garage renovation specialist can assess your space and custom-build cabinetry and workbenches to perfectly fit your lifestyle as well as the unique spaces of your garage.

An organized, functional garage is only a few steps away. Start by creating related storage zones. Then, give everything a specified place within its zone. And finally, be sure to return items to their designated spaces after each use.

Want the gorgeous garage, but don’t quite have the time to make it happen? Contact a professional garage renovation specialist to explore the possibilities.

Organize Your Garage with Dedicated Zones

May 14, 2014 by Rick Scully

This time of year our garages can easily descend into a den of chaos. The kids are digging out the bikes and rollerblades. You’re sifting through sleds, snow shovels and Christmas decorations in search of your garden tools. Meanwhile, one (or both) of your vehicles is stuck outside because there’s never enough room to squeeze it inside the garage.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Creating some level of organization in your garage doesn’t need to be a complicated or costly affair. Optimize the space in your garage by creating related storage zones. Why are dedicated zones essential to a well-organized garage? Let’s reconsider the scenario above.

If your winter tools and sports equipment, holiday decorations and garden tools are all stored in the same area, it makes life difficult, especially when the seasons change. You’ll have to search through the winter items in order to reach the garden tools which are now in the back. This type of system breeds chaos and makes us less inclined to do the yard work.

Now, close your eyes and envision your garage as a well-organized space with separate zones for related items. The effect is similar to what you experience when you go to a hardware store. The shovels and winterization items are in one section. The garden hose and tools are in a separate location. You can easily find either type of item with minimal fuss or confusion. With that in mind, let’s apply that same system to your garage.

Like that hardware store, there are a few basic zones into which the items in a garage can typically be categorized. Let’s examine each zone and what items would best fit there.

Automotive Accessories

Create a small section to store items used to maintain your vehicles. In this zone, organize items like car wax, motor oil, windshield wiper fluid, a bucket and chamois cloths for cleaning the car. Group tools used during winter months, like snow brushes. If you keep an additional set of tires in the garage for the winter weather, these might require a separate tire storage solution.

Household Supplies

Perhaps you keep items like household cleaners and paint thinner (but not paint!) in your garage. First, be sure to safely store household chemicals in your garage. Create a dedicated zone for these items. Use a cabinet or shelf that will keep these items out of the reach of your children and pets.

Garden Tools & Supplies

Homeowners often hire a company to maintain their yard and keep it looking beautiful. Others find great pleasure in maintaining their own yards. Planting flowers and shrubbery requires lots of hard work (and tools). The last thing you want to do before a long day of work in the yard is to spend an hour raking through your garage to find your garden tools.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Instead, create a zone in your garage dedicated to storing your yard essentials: hoes, shovels, trowels, fertilizer, garden gloves, flower pots, potting soil and other yard accessories. Then you’ll be able to put your time and effort into making your yard gorgeous, rather than searching for your gardening tools.

Recycling & Garbage Cans

Garbage cans and recycling bins are frequently stored in the garage. It might be necessary to keep these items in your garage. However, if not stored properly, waste bins are open invitations to vermin. They can also detract from the aesthetics of your garage and cause unpleasant odors.

Keep recycling and garbage cans together in a single zone. Store waste in cans with lids that fit tightly. This discourages smells from escaping and pests and vermin from entering the waste cans.

Tools & Workbenches

The garage is often home to a workbench and a variety of tools. Perhaps you’ve always wanted a workstation in your garage, but don’t believe you have the room for it. Even smaller garages can accommodate a custom-built workbench or workstation. Keeping tools organized is made simple with the right toolbox, pegboard or more sophisticated storage solutions. However, recycled items are also useful. For instance, an old muffin tin makes a good place to store nails, bolts and screws. You’ll be helping the environment and organizing your garage.

Sports Equipment

Most garages are brimming with sports equipment: bikes, skis, kayaks, rollerblades and balls. If you have school-aged children, you know how quickly these items accumulate and overtake the space that was once reserved for your car. When spring comes everyone starts digging out their sports equipment. Any semblance of organization you once had descends into chaos.

That’s why sports equipment requires its own separate zone in the garage. Use hooks, baskets or other organizational tools (which we’ll discuss more next time) to organize sports equipment.

Bicycles are large and bulky, usually requiring a separate storage solution. There are a variety of solutions for bike storage ranging from a traditional school yard-style bike rack to sophisticated overhead pulley systems.

It’s clear why separate zones in your garage make life easier. Now that we’ve reviewed each zone, you might be wondering how to keep the items in each section neatly organized. In the next post we’ll discuss all of the neat solutions that will keep each section of your garage looking its very best.

Do you want an organized garage, but just don’t have the time to do the work yourself? Consider hiring a garage renovation expert to organize your garage.

7 Reasons You Need to Organize Your Garage

December 3, 2013 by Rick Scully

Everyone is familiar with the chaos and clutter found in a typical home garage. Sadly, too many people accept a cluttered garage as normal and simply put up with it. Have you ever stopped to consider how life-changing an organized garage could be?

A good place to understand the benefits of organizing your garage is with a clear definition of organize. Organize means to transform chaos into order. Literally, organize can be defined as the process of turning a messy, chaotic or unordered space into a structured coherent layout, often with specific grouping arrangements. You will see that there are 7 reasons you want to consider in organizing your garage.

1. Safety of Your Family

The primary reason to organize your garage is the safety of you and your family. Especially for families with children, an organized garage keeps dangerous tools and chemicals safely out of harm’s way. Additionally, by using carefully planned storage solutions you won’t risk the hazard of random objects falling upon you or your kids.

2. Cleanliness

A second reason to properly organize your garage is cleanliness. Cleanliness shows up in two ways. First, an organized garage is more visually appealing because it just looks cleaner overall. One issued related to cleanliness you need to be aware of concerns bare concrete floors. An unfinished concrete floor is prone to releasing concrete dust, especially as vehicles and heavy equipment like lawn mowers are moved in and out of the garage. This concrete dust can be especially bothersome to those who are prone to allergies. Note that concrete dust is not so much of an issue if there is a floor covering product installed. Secondly, an organized garage is easier to keep clean.

3. Protect Your Vehicle

Not surprisingly, the third reason to organize your garage is protection. By freeing up the clutter in your garage, you can store your vehicles, your sporting equipment and other valuables safely inside the garage where they belong. Look at it this way, is it better to store a couple hundred dollars worth of various clutter in and around your garage floor or are you better off parking that $45,000 car inside where its protected from the weather, from vandals or even theft?

4. Have More Quality Time

You will not be surprised to learn that the fourth reason for organizing your garage is your own time. There are only twenty four hours available each day. How much of that time do you want to spend scrounging around looking for stuff in your garage? It is so easy to discount a few minutes here and a few minutes there. However, if you ever took a moment and added up all of that extra time you spend desperately searching for something in your garage or worse added up the time you spend going to the store and getting something that you later learn you already owned, you would probably be shocked and dismayed.

5. Peace of Mind

Along the same theme, a fifth reason for organizing your garage is your own peace of mind. You may have heard about or read studies that suggest that clutter creates a low level stress every time you see it. Consciously or not, each and every time you walk through your cluttered garage you experience a mild level of stress. You know having an uncluttered space is more appealing yet a quick glance at most garages is enough to cause many people to give up in frustration. The task just looks too overwhelming to even consider. Of course, the best solution is to go ahead and make a decision to organize that garage space. The amazing fact is that once your garage space is organized you may well find yourself organizing other spaces in and around your home.

6. Save Money

A sixth and perhaps even more motivating reason to organize your garage is to consider how much money you will end up saving. For example, have you ever found yourself heading off to one of those big box stores to pick up a lawn tool only to discover later that you already had one of those tools buried under a pile of debris? Or what about those lawn and garden chemicals that may be scattered around your garage? Have you ever found yourself with more than one container? Have you ever factored in the time and money you spend driving back and forth to end up getting something you already have right there in your garage? Obviously, you wouldn’t have this expense if everything was stored in a logical organized way. So add up the cost of all those duplicate tools and supplies, add in the cost of the gas to go to the store and back and finally add in your time that you spend either scrounging around looking for your stuff or going back and forth to the store and the point is crystal clear; an organized garage is a huge money saver.

7. Gain More Living Space

Finally, the seventh reason you want to organize your garage is that it will free up more space. It is all about making your space work. By properly organizing and structuring your garage storage needs you will end up with more available space. This will allow you to put more stuff in the garage that you may currently have stored in various locations around the home such as your basement. For example, consider a growing family. By optimizing the storage space in the garage, this family could free up enough space in the basement to construct another room. In other words, by taking the simple step of organizing their garage, this growing family actually created more living space.

As you can see organizing your garage has many more benefits than you might have considered. In many cases, setting up an organized garage could be a life changing event.

How much is a disorganized garage really costing you?

October 8, 2013 by Rick Scully

Are you a Have or a Have Not?

As you have probably noticed, it’s that time again. Yes, the days are getting shorter, the kids are back in school and it’s time to set up your garage for the winter season. In our many years of helping people organize their garages, we have identified two distinct types of homeowners in our area, the haves and the have nots.

1 car garage parks bmw plus 7 high end bicycles, portable workshop and all tools — HAVE: 1 Car Garage – parks 1 BMW, 7 high performance road bicycles, flip down workbench, all garden tools & seasonal tire storage

In this case, we are talking about homeowners who have taken steps to setup and organize their garages for easy seasonal transitions. These homeowners greet the seasonal change with open arms. They know that seasonal garage setup is not a chore at all, but a simple task that can be completed in a fairly short amount of time.

On the other hand, there is the other group of homeowners, those who have not organized their garages. As you might guess, these homeowners warily glance around the inside of their garage. They desperately try to figure out how long it will take to gather up all that clutter, move all that stuff around, store all the summer tools, toys and more away and bring out the winter gear. Sometimes, these garages are so disorganized that homeowners actually consider taking almost everything outside and then bringing the stuff back inside in the order they need. Unfortunately, if they are honest with themselves, they know this will most likely never happen. The end result is chaos or worse.

Back right 1 car central toronto garage — HAVE NOT: 1 Car Garage – cluttered, no storage, unable to park family vehicle, lacks organization

Then, once the first cold snap hits for these homeowners, it’s a mad dash to move the piles from here to there and everywhere in between to make room for the car. Oh, and should the home be equipped with a 2 car garage, too often, there is so much clutter piled up that just one car can be safely squeezed into the remaining space.

The point is simple and easy to understand: an organized garage will save a lot of headaches throughout the year, but especially so when it’s time to adjust for the season change. Look, if you plan on just shoving your stuff into various piles around the garage that’s your choice. Yet, you might want to consider what a disorganized garage is really costing you.

Of course, it’s obvious that a disorganized garage costs you extra time throughout the year. Do you ever find yourself hunting all over your garage for a particular garden tool? Do you ever move stuff aside to get to more stuff behind the first pile? Have you ever sent one of your kids out to the garage to fetch a garden tool and they can’t find it? Then, you head into the garage and it takes you a bit of time to find it yourself. You can see that you could end up spending a lot more time than necessary; if only your garage was better organized, you would save yourself a lot of headache.

Another way a cluttered garage is costing you comes right out of your wallet. Our storage solution team members regularly surprise homeowners when they point out that the homeowner has two or more of the same item such as weed whackers, garden hoses or rakes, one of which was buried deep in a pile of clutter years ago. Or, in a more painful hit to your wallet, what about the car door that bangs into a wheelbarrow or other item in the garage simply because the garage is over stuffed with clutter. Whether a small dent or ding, the damage is unsightly and will most likely need repair.

A third way that a cluttered garage can end up costing also concerns your vehicle. Think of it this way. Think about what happens if a garage is so cluttered that one or both vehicles (for a 2-car garage) can’t comfortably fit inside during the winter. A vehicle that’s worth more than everything in the garage combined has to sit outside and endure the brutal winter; but your garden tools, the lawnmower, the bikes, etc get to rest comfortably indoors. Of course, when you look at it that way, it’s immediately obvious there has to be a better way.

Actually, it’s about this time of year the storage solution team here at Garage Tailors Garage starts to field anxious calls from worried homeowners. Remember, your garage is not just a dumping ground for what doesn’t belong in the house. Your garage is there for your vehicles plus your other belongings. With the right organization system in place, your car and your bikes, sports equipment, garden tools and more can comfortably occupy the same space.

Professional Storage Solutions – Slatwall Organization Systems

June 18, 2013 by Rick Scully

Choosing the right storage products is essential to ensuring your possessions are kept neatly and safely. This is where the quality of the products you choose really matters. The last thing you want is to risk damage to your car or your family from tools or storage containers that might fall off improperly secured hooks or unstable shelving.

The first thing to look at when choosing garage storage is a way to hang things on the wall. As I’ve mentioned before, the secret to an organized garage is having a place to hang everything and get it off the floor. But not all wall storage is created equal. There are degrees of quality and unfortunately you just aren’t going to find top quality at a big-box do-it-yourself store.

Choosing quality slatwall storage

It’s difficult to tell the difference on visual inspection, but the slatwall that’s sold in retail stores is not built to the same standards as slatwall used by professional garage firms such as Garage Tailors Garage. Our slatwall is made of heavy-duty PVC, which holds a large amount of weight and stands up to moisture. The typical big-box slatwall is made of MDF, which is a wood fibre product. You can install it and hang your things on it and it will look good and work well for a while, but it won’t hold the weight and can’t withstand the moisture over time so it will eventually start to break down.

Advantages of PVC professional-quality slatwall

Our slatwall comes in 1 ft x 8 ft panels. This makes it much easier to handle as well as more customizable to fit your space. Sometimes you just need a small section of slatwall to store a few tools or to fit into a recess in the garage wall. It also comes in a variety of colours to match with shelving and floors. It also comes with matching trim to create a finished look and protect the exposed ends from nicks. The screws are even colour-coded to make for a more seamless look.

Hooks, shelving and baskets

Once the slatwall is installed you can think about what accessories you need to organize your items. The beauty of slatwall is you can add or change the amount of storage you have over time by adding more panels and adding or changing the shelving and hook options.

You can hang anything with a hole in the handle. That means gardening tools, sports equipment, recycling bins and even something as heavy as a lawn mower. Garage Tailors Garage uses the unique Camlok system. The hooks lock firmly into the slatwall and you don’t have to worry about them falling off. They’re also removable because they don’t screw into the slatwall like the big-box store hooks. This is handy when you’re rearranging your wall hooks to accommodate winter or summer tools and toys. You can easily remove the hook and place it somewhere else. Our shelves use Camlok too, as well as our baskets. Baskets are a great way to store things such as balls, sports equipment, car accessories and even antifreeze and heavy bags of salt.

If you’re planning to stay put in your home for a while and you want a garage renovation that will stand the test of time, consider investing in a quality product. I guarantee it will save you time and money in the future.