Garage Organization Ideas & Advice?

[Jonecy]

I have a fairly large 2-car unfinished (framed & insulated, but no drywall yet) garage that is slowly turning into a logistical & organizational nightmare, so it needs to be dealt with this spring/summer. I'm gathing ideas for how to go about things right now, so thought I'd try to get some ideas from some of you that may have already gone through this.

The 1st thing I need to do is finish & cover the walls, but I'm wonderring if I should definitely go with drywall or are there other wall-covering alternatives I should consider that work really well in garages?

After the walls are finished, I'll move on to the organization part. Can I get some input/tips/likes/dislikes/advice from some of you out there that have recently finished thier garages and are happy with how they're set up? I have a lot of sports equipment (bikes, golf clubs, snowboards, fishing poles, etc.), tools and lawn equip, so try to keep that in mind with any ideas shared.

Any plans, pictures, etc. are appreciated too - thanks in advance for anyone willing to contribute!

 

[nfrine]

Move to a place with a bigger garage!:biglaugh:

 

[1100011CS]

I really like my shelves that hang from the ceiling for things you don't use too often.

 

[cyeah]

Drywall is probably the cheapest alternative, but I would also consider partical board - it will stand up to bangs and bruises better.

One thing to keep in mind when you are organizing is if you have 3 or 4 feet of clearance or more over you garage doors when they are open - utilize that space for some storage. You can get some pretty decent cubic footage if your garage is high enough.

Say 5 feet of clearance by a 7 foot long and 16 foot wide area = 560 cubic feet os storage that otherwise will just be empty.

 

[Jonecy]

Move to a place with a bigger garage!:biglaugh:

Awesome Idea!!! Moderator, please close this thread as it is no longer needed b/c I have the answer I was looking for.

Seriously though, I have an oversized garage with plenty of room - just need to finish & organize it. If you don't want to contribute any helpful info, move along to another thread please.

 

[TarHeelHawk]

Drywall is probably the cheapest alternative, but I would also consider partical board - it will stand up to bangs and bruises better.

One thing to keep in mind when you are organizing is if you have 3 or 4 feet of clearance or more over you garage doors when they are open - utilize that space for some storage. You can get some pretty decent cubic footage if your garage is high enough.

Say 5 feet of clearance by a 7 foot long and 16 foot wide area = 560 cubic feet os storage that otherwise will just be empty.

Thats what we've done - all the scrap or whatver that's been ripped out of the house has gone "above" the garage if it's in good shape. You never know when, you're going to need it. I've thrown old doors up there too, as they make excellent tables when I have the sawhorses out.

 

[Jonecy]

Drywall is probably the cheapest alternative, but I would also consider partical board - it will stand up to bangs and bruises better.

One thing to keep in mind when you are organizing is if you have 3 or 4 feet of clearance or more over you garage doors when they are open - utilize that space for some storage. You can get some pretty decent cubic footage if your garage is high enough.

Say 5 feet of clearance by a 7 foot long and 16 foot wide area = 560 cubic feet os storage that otherwise will just be empty.

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

 

[Cycloin]

Drywall is probably the cheapest alternative, but I would also consider partical board - it will stand up to bangs and bruises better.

One thing to keep in mind when you are organizing is if you have 3 or 4 feet of clearance or more over you garage doors when they are open - utilize that space for some storage. You can get some pretty decent cubic footage if your garage is high enough.

Say 5 feet of clearance by a 7 foot long and 16 foot wide area = 560 cubic feet os storage that otherwise will just be empty.

I concur. I have 20' wide selves that are 3' tall and 2' deep above my door. This is where I keep Chriistmas lights, tools I don't use regularly, and much of my camping equipment. I actually continued these shelves around 90% of the rest of the garage.

 

[1100011CS]

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings on out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

The ones I'm talking about are metal with a wire mesh shelf so you can see what's up there. They adjust up and down and you can connect several of them too. I got mine at Menards.

 

[Cycloin]

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

2x4's and plywood or OSB. if you make them 2' deep, it's just one cut down the middle of the sheet. Also, I decided what size of plastic tubs to put my junk in, and built the shelves to accomodate them.

 

[Jonecy]

I concur. I have 20' wide selves that are 3' tall and 2' deep above my door. This is where I keep Chriistmas lights, tools I don't use regularly, and much of my camping equipment. I actually continued these shelves around 90% of the rest of the garage.

How did you build it so you can access all of that area? Can you actually crawl on this shelving above the garage door if you have to?

 

[cyeah]

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

I built mine because I am a cheap bastard. They do make some that are pretty good. There is or was a store in Urbandale that was all about garage organization - swing by there and take a look at the productc for ideas.

I also put particle board above the rafter joists of the garage and made a little entry point and had a ton of storage up there.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

My parents just use plywood and store winter tires and tool sets he uses infrequently up there (not all kinds of clearance - maybe 6 feet at the most at the very peak and the roof slopes quickly)

 

[Jonecy]

The ones I'm talking about are metal with a wire mesh shelf so you can see what's up there. They adjust up and down and you can connect several of them too. I got mine at Menards.

I do like the idea of being able to see what's up there without having to go through everything....thanks for the tip. Were these shelves pretty expensive?

 

[4429 mcc]

Thanks for the input. I do have high ceilings, so I am planning to take advantage of that. Is there good shelving out there to mount to ceilings out there, or is it just as good to custom build using 2x's & plywood?

I'd just lay 4x8 plywood across the rafters and store stuff up on top of that.

 

[1100011CS]

I do like the idea of being able to see what's up there without having to go through everything....thanks for the tip. Were these shelves pretty expensive?

I can't remember really. I'm thinking between $30 and $50. Also, one thing you should consider is if you might heat your garage at some point.

 

[Jonecy]

I built mine because I am a cheap bastard. They do make some that are pretty good. There is or was a store in Urbandale that was all about garage organization - swing by there and take a look at the productc for ideas.

I also put particle board above the rafter joists of the garage and made a little entry point and had a ton of storage up there.

I'm the same way, so I may build my own as well; however, I do like being able to see where things are at from the garage floor. Maybe I could use a combination of both.

I've thought about adding a drop-down door w/ stairs to get up to the rafters too (like Clark uses in Christmas Vacation), but I'm not really sure how much room is up there or if it is worth it at this point?

 

[Jonecy]

I can't remember really. I'm thinking between $30 and $50. Also, one thing you should consider is if you might heat your garage at some point.

I have thought about heating the garage in the future as well, but not exactly sure what you're getting at. Are you stating that the metal shelving would be less of a fire hazard, so that's why it should be considered if adding a heater in the garage?

 

[Cycloin]

How did you build it so you can access all of that area? Can you actually crawl on this shelving above the garage door if you have to?

Basically I built two 2'x10' "ladders" out of 2x4's. Screw (not nail) one side of them into the studs. On the other side, I put 2x4 blocks from the ladder to the ceiling joists (or bottom chord of the roof trusses). Then I put the OSB down on top of the ladder and screwed it in place. This allows visibility all along the shelf. Oh yeah, its the cheapest way to go, too.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I have thought about heating the garage in the future as well, but not exactly sure what you're getting at. Are you stating that the metal shelving would be less of a fire hazard, so that's why it should be considered if adding a heater in the garage?

My uncle uses what I believe to be a standard propane tank with a heating element attached - works very well IMO (wouldn't put anything flammable near it though)