I am not sure when it all started, maybe in 1986 with Lionel Richie’s hit song, “Dancing on the Ceiling”. Perhaps a young child looked up and dreamt about dancing or walking on the ceiling, and though they may never have actually done that, they did realize that the ceiling had potential for other uses, like storage. Maybe someone discovered the use of ceiling space before then, I really don’t know. But I do know that there are a multitude of garage overhead storage options available today.

These options come in a couple of different forms. From shelves that hang, bolted from the ceiling, to pulley systems that you can use to lower and raise a shelf, to special tracks which allow you to hang everyday storage bins. But regardless of what type of garage overhead storage system works best for you, they all have some of the same basic advantages. Here are five reasons why you may want to use your ceiling space for storage.

Whether you own or rent a home, if you have a garage, you have space that you already “own”, so we should utilize all out space in the most efficient way possible. All garages have ceilings or rafters, so it makes sense to use them. Sure, if you have rafter, you can balance some items above them, such as skis or sleds, but a hanging shelf will hold a lot more stuff in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Many people have so much stuff that they don’t know what to do with, that they go and rent a storage unit. If you already have a garage, this does not make sense. As mentioned above, you are already paying for your living space, why pay more to store your stuff elsewhere? If you can store items in garage overhead storage instead of paying for self storage, you will save money. After all, most garage overhead storage systems can be paid for with the cost of only a few months worth of self storage. Another great advantage of garage overhead storage compared to a storage unit, is that you can access your things at any time without leaving home. Sure, it is not as quick to access as a regular shelf, but it doesn’t take that much effort – definitely quicker and easier than traveling to a storage unit. > If you are like I have been, your indoor closet space is filled to capacity and beyond! Get things like keep sakes and seasonal items out of your closets and into garage overhead storage. They are the perfect storage solution for items that only have to be accessed occasionally. Finally, the best reason to use garage overhead storage is to free up your garage so that your car can fit inside! So many garages become a catch all, that only 32% of people with a two car garage can fit one car inside, and 25% of two car garage owners can’t fit any car into their garage! Winter is coming quick, and you know that you don’t want to have to scrape the frost and snow from your car. Reclaim your garage now, and overhead garage storage is the perfect solution for part of this problem.

So, regardless of the type of garage overhead storage system that you use, it is easy to see that there are reasons why almost anybody would benefit.

Your garage presents you with enough space to store items which you cannot place anywhere else in the house. The first step will be to sort through your belongings and discard stuff that you do not need anymore. Then you can start organizing your garage space accordingly, to make room for everything you want to store in that place.

- Categorize every item, make separate storage spaces for your electrical equipments, your lawn maintenance and other garden tools and any sports gear that you might need to store. Designating specific places for the items will help you to locate them easily as and when you need them. Anything that you will need to use everyday should be kept at such a place where you can reach them easily.

- Store different seasonal items separately. For instance, if winter is approaching, group together items like snow shovels, ice scrapers, skis, snow boots and the like and keep them at an easily accessible place. These should not be mixed with items that you need at summer like sun umbrellas and barbeque grills. You may want to have a tall cabinet built to place all these articles at the same place.

- Hooks and shelves are the key to solving your garage organization problem. A wide range of hooks and hangers are available in the market and help you get virtually everything off the floor. Do no go strictly by the name. Ladder hooks can be used to hang up much more than just ladders. Rafter hooks can be used to hold extension cords rather than being fastened into rafter. Look at the size and shape of the hooks and try to visualize what articles it can hold.

- Articles that cannot be hung from hooks need to be shelved. Installation of shelves, particularly the standard-and-bracket system shelves is simple. You may hire a professional carpenter to help you with this job.

- Do not pile up your garage too much, leave room for your car as well, and enough free space to be able to maneuver it while driving in and out of the garage. Make sure that your garage organization work does not encroach upon the space needed by the passengers to enter and exit the car comfortably.

Organizing or even reflecting on organizing the garage is often an exasperating chore for almost all homeowners. However, the sooner you get it organized, the better use you can make out of that place.

In mygarage, I have open framing, where each rafter is a 2×10 and spaced about 3 feet apart. I want to add plywood sheathing to top of the rafters to create a storage area and a drop down ladder. My concern though is that the rafters are about 3 feet apart. Each rafter is about 26 feet long. Can someone give me detailed explaination on how they would go about making sure the rafters support enought weight? If I need to add rafters, should I use engineered wood? I have searched and searched for ideas on the net to no avail. I need some help! Thanx!