Amazon.com

Long and strong enough to hang just about anything on, this multi-purpose wall hook keeps long-handle tools, scooters, and sports equipment in easy reach. Cords, lawn chairs, shovels, and kids toys; the hook holds up to 50 pounds and is equipped with a protective lip at the end so that items don’t slip off and fall to the floor. Long-handle tools store upside down with spades and broom heads resting solidly between this hook’s 2-bar design. Long-handle tools with perp (more…)

Amazon.com

Great for storing shovels, rakes, brooms, and sports equipment, this wall-mount “S”-hook duo is a great way to clear up floor space in the garage. Tools can be inserted and removed with one hand for less hassle. And, the unit mounts easily to wall studs or to the Rubbermaid FastTrack rail (sold separately on Amazon.com along with a full line of FastTrack storage system components). Designed to hold up to 50 pounds, the hook is equipped with a cast aluminum gripper tha (more…)

Keeping a garage organized and looking good is not always the easiest task to overcome. If you have a small garage, it is unfortunately that much harder to keep tools, sports equipment, trash cans, and outdoor furniture clean and organized. When you have a small garage, with an abundant amount of items that need to be stored, the best way to stay organized is to invest in storage equipment that can help you make the most of the space you are working with.

Most people reserve the bulk amount of interior space in their garage for one or more cars. This often leaves you with precious little space in which to keep all of the items that you want to keep stored in there. The trick in organizing any garage, especially a smaller one, is to find and use storage organizers that can help you make proper use of your wall and ceiling space. Since most of the floor space will be used for vehicles, using up the extra, free vertical space is the best way of getting equipment organized. For a small garage, there are plenty of wonderfully helpful types of storage containers and organizers that will help you make the most of your space.

Shelving and Cabinets

While shelves and cabinets can always be well-used in garages, when you have a smaller garage, you will need to become knowledgeable and choose carefully. The best option in a small garage is to select tall shelves that help you make use of the thin, vertical space you have open. Choose tall, free-standing garage shelves with four or more tiers so that you can stack multiple items on them. There are also items, such as stackable organizing cubes, that allow you to custom design your storage to fit your limited space.

If you need portable storage, your best bet is a folding utility cart. This helpful tool can be stored in flat form in the garage, and then folded out whenever you need it. These are perfect when you need a cart to take with you to the beach, picnics, and other outdoor events. These are also great for a permanent place in your garage since it enables a good amount of storage without taking up to much space.

Tools and Garden Equipment

Garden and maintenance tools can take up a lot of room in your garage, especially if they are not well organized. The simple solution, and the most practical for a small garage, is a wall-mounted tool rack that can effectively hold shovels, spades, rakes, hoes, forks, and any other items that you need for garden maintenance. Choose a rack that can hold a good amount of weight while being damp resistant, in case your garage usually gets wet during the rain.

Another great garden organizer must-have is a hose organizer. This wall-mounted organizer is definitely a great idea for a small garage as it allows your hose to remain un-tangled and un-punctured. For electrical extension cords, a Reel-A-Cord is the perfect solution with the capacity to store up to 175 feet of extensions.

Sports Equipment

Bats, balls, ski equipment, mitts, and gloves can take up a good amount of room in your garage. If your family is active and heavily into many different sports, it is likely that you have a good amount of sports equipment. In a small garage this can be an absolute nightmare to organize. Luckily, there are garage storage items such as the EZNET that can make it a lot easier to cope with. The EZNET is a fantastic wall-mounted, industrial strength, netted “hold-all,” that can serve as storage for a vast array of sporting equipment from balls to bats. It is perfect for a small garage since it is wall-mounted, and the flexible netting allows it to hold all equipment safely and securely.

For those families that love to bike, there are rolling bike stands that are ideal for any garage no matter what the size. The rolling bike stands have tiny wheels that allow you to easily move the bike around your garage without having to remove it from the stand.

Fishing Equipment

To keep fishing equipment organized safely is by no means an easy feat. Longer rods need support as well as safe storage to remain intact and ready for that next big family fishing trip. A couple of great options for storing fishing equipment in the garage are fishing rod racks, and wall-mounted fishing rod holders. The fishing rod rack is a great option if you have the space to spare. With a twelve-rod capacity, drawers to organize lures and other supplies, and four casters that allow you to roll the entire rack smoothly to wherever you need it, this is a perfect option. In a smaller garage, you might not have the floor space for that kind of rack. In this case, the next best solution is a wall-mounted fishing rod holder. With a six-rod storage capacity and a secure ceiling-mounted construction, this is perfect for smaller garages and can be installed  anywhere.

Wheeeee! Yippy! Hurray! Isn’t that what you think when you think about garage organizers? I didn’t think so. But it isn’t all that bad is it. I know some people like to keep all their camping gear, tools, family collectibles, Christmas decorations, food storage, sports equipment, and other miscellaneous goodies in a, shall we say, “creative” storage system. Believe me, I understand.

I know that the space above most bedroom closets is a vast expanse of unused and neglected space right? You have absolutely no idea what you could possibly put there to fill it up. Yeah! And those boxes in the hall that have been there since last Christmas aren’t any big deal. They aren’t really in the way that much. Oh, and of course, the tangled piles of who knows what stored so neatly in the garage are so accessible right? Not! I’m not trying to interfere with anybody’s system of chucking, shoving, and forgetting. It’s a good system. That is, if you don’t mind the risks of not having garage organizers to keep everything ship shape.

Oh there are risks. Let’s say you get home from your ski trip with all your stuff. You’re tired and just want to get the SUV unloaded asap and get in the house where it’s warm. You drop your skis, bags and boots somewhere in the mystery pile, somehow never quite getting around to going back out and truly taking care of them. This is a problem. We all have enough stress in our lives. We don’t need the frustration of discovering our favorite tool or sports item damaged or ruined because something else scratches or otherwise damages it out of carelessness. It makes life miserable next time you go to use your stuff. Gear that is abused just doesn’t last as long or even stay in as good of condition as it could. This ends up costing you more money and frustration. Too risky for me. So, here’s a thought for your consideration: garage organizers are fun. What a revelation! Just makes me all giddy thinking about them.

You are probably thinking, “give me a break” right? Okay, here’s my deal. We all have stuff all over the place that we think we will remember where it is when we need it, and then when we do we just can’t seem to find it. I have had some experience with this cute little aspect of modern living. Four kids and two pets give me lots to keep track of. Until I discovered the power of garage organizers I would drive myself crazy looking for items I thought I would never misplace, searching for any possible square inch to put just one more thing into. This is not fun. But with garage organizers I walk around with a Cheshire cat grin on my face all day long just knowing how safe and sound all my stuff is. No more worry, no more risk, no more irritation. Just fun!

So go ahead, get yourself some garage organizers and try it out. You know, cabinets, workbenches with shelves and drawers, racks, hooks, and bins. Stuff like that. Heck, why not go all out and get a whole garage storage system. You know, those beautiful matching garage organizers that you’ve been dreaming about. Life is dreary enough. You deserve some fun!

Garage organizers come in many shapes and sizes. There are specialty racks, shelves, and cabinets. There are hoist systems, overhead platforms, and other ingenious ideas that people have come up with to help organize stuff. Sometimes “garage organizers” even refers to a type of person, as in people who organize garages. Usually it just refers to ways and means of making sense of life’s various things that tend to clutter up our garages and homes. Lets take a closer look at this last area. A good place to start is to break down the things that you and your family members use on both a regular and an occasional basis.

You and your kid’s bikes are probably things you use often. These things can be stored with specialty racks that make it possible for you to access your bikes easily and quickly. without having them lying all over the floor. Picture how nice it would be to not have to deal with bikes flopping all over the place, or tripping on them when you try to navigate your way past them to try to get to something else. All in all, garage organizers for bikes is a wonderful idea.

Other things you use frequently that really benefits from garage organizers is sports equipment. Soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, golf clubs, roller blades, and all sorts of other things can be safely and neatly stored in bins and on hooks designed just for such things. This sure beats the normal dump-it-on-the-floor-and-run routine that most kids use. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times you ask them to put their things away, they somehow just end up all over the garage floor. If the kids know that there is a specific rack or bin for their stuff, it makes it more likely that they will use it.

Things that you use infrequently would be things like fishing gear. Garage organizers help make sense of this stuff too. Chances are you have fishing poles, reels, nets, and other fishing stuff that only gets used every once in awhile, but mostly just sits in a jumbled mess. Instead of piling all that stuff up willy-nilly in a corner of the garage somewhere, why not organize it neatly. Next time you get ready to go fishing, loading up will be a snap. Plus, you’ll save yourself the frustration of dealing with rods and reels that are a mess.

Probably my most favorite garage organizers are garage storage cabinets. These can be left on the floor on rollers, or mounted on the wall, or even situated on a table top. Many are lockable, and most have adjustable shelves. Paints, stains, sandpapers, miscellaneous hand tools, and other items that can really turn your tool boxes into jumbled messes go great in these sorts of cabinets. Like all garage organizers, these cabinets make our lives easier because the frustration of dealing with things out of place goes away. Instead, we create an environment where we can think clearly, access things we need easily, and just create a more relaxing vibe in our day to day lives.

Garage organizers come in all shapes and sizes, and I recommend them highly if you are interested in simplifying both the frequently, and infrequently, used items in your life. Do an inventory and decide to take action. Get the organizers you need and smile.

It’s becoming a joke these days that a garage is used for almost anything except storing a car. Most people store their sports equipment and other large items and also use their garage as a workshop. Some have even put a home office or a gym in the garage space. If it has reached the point where you cannot fit your car in your garage, maybe you should think about putting in some shelves for additional storage.

Garage shelves can be obtained either site built or prefab. If they are site built, you will have to fit them into your existing space but you can adapt them to your needs with equipment you can find at your local home center, lumber yard or hardware store.

Basic garage shelves can be built out of 3/4 inch plywood of 1x or 2x lumber, simply set on heavy duty shelf brackets. The brackets should be attached to the studs with long screws and the shelves should be attached to the brackets. This is necessary because of at he weight. For additional strength, a brace can be added at each stud.

Floor supported shelves are very stable and are made by running vertical 2X4s every 50 inches and placing them on the floor, then attaching them to rafters or ceiling joints at the top., Then, 2X4s are run horizontally between the uprights and particleboard is used for the shelves. Usually 19-25 inch deep shelves are used and the 2X4s are placed on 25 inch spacing. The advantage of this is you can change the spacing to accommodate larger items.

If you are storing small items, it is better to attach a series of 1X2 strips to the inside edges of 2 adjacent studs. Then, cut some 1X4 and 1X6 lumber and fit them between Th studs and slip them on top of the 1X2s. This creates some small shelves that can be adjusted for small items such as cans, jars, bottles; you may want to organize your screws and nails in these jars and bottles.

For really durable, heavy shelving, choose steel shelving. Plastic shelving may be alright if you are storing things that are light weight, but if you have heavy items, you should choose steel. The disadvantage of steel is that you cannot cut it to size to suit your needs, but have to pick from the standard shelves. These do come in different widths, depths and heights, so you can find the ones most closely suited to your needs.

You should make sure that the prefabricated shelves you choose can be adjusted. AT least two different levels of adjustment between the framework is desirable. Make sure the pins are heavy duty and have a bar in place to prevent them from working loose.

Finally, make sure your prefabricated shelves can be attached to the wall for security against tipping. If you are going to use the shelves for heavy items, this is really an important feature.

When you are setting up your garage storage, there are six important things that you should do for optimal success in access and organization of your garage. Let’s take a look at these six tips and some examples that apply to most of us.

Organize your stuff by topic, just like you would in a filing cabinet. The same principles apply, just on a lager scale. Some common things that you may need garage storage for include: gardening tools and supplies, sports equipment, Christmas and other holiday decorations, regular household tools, and kid’s outdoor toys. Within each category of items, consider how often you need to access each item. For example, among your sporting items, you may have things like racquetball rackets that you use all year long, skis and snowboards that are only used during the winter, bikes that are access spring through late fall, as well as other seasonal sporting items such as equipment for baseball and football which may be accessed off and on during the entire year. Consider all the garage storage options available, and what will work best for each group of items. Looking at the sporting items again, you may want hanging baskets to keep various balls in, and hooks to hang skis and snowboards up high during the off season. For your gardening items, you may want hooks to hang often used tools on the wall, or cabinets that can be locked for keeping fertilizers or bug sprays out of reach from children. These types of cabinets are also good for locking away stains, paints, mineral oil etc. There are also special bike hooks and pulley systems to store them out of the way during the winter. Some good basic garage storage options that can be used in any home are shelves and storage bins. When storing things away, consider how often you will need to access them. Things that are only used once or twice a year can be placed in bins and on high shelves. This is especially great for things like Christmas decorations. If your garage is small and space is at a premium, you can use overhead garage storage options. These nifty solutions allow you to hang bins from you garage ceiling, or there are actual shelves that hang from the ceiling. This is great for seasonal and keep sake items that are only accessed once or twice a year.

Things that you use regularly, should obviously be down low and easy to get at. Garden tools should be near the door, preferably on hooks and shelves where you can easily see what you have and where it is. Regular household tools should be on cabinets or shelves,or hung on pegboards where you can easily see what you have, and should be located next to the door going into the house. This makes it really easy for sending kids out to the garage to grab a screwdriver or wrench.

Label you bins and cabinets so anybody can find anything easily without looking through everything. Put anything that you use back into its proper place when you are done. This may seem obvious, but for some, this is hard to do. If you have kids, you know what I mean. When you take your clothes off at night, put them away or in the laundry. Easy concept, but how often at the end of a week is your child’s room a mess? The same applies to the garage, if you put something away after you use it, you avoid the clutter and mess that so easily takes over a garage.

Well, hopefully these five tips will be helpful. There is nothing magical about them, but if you apply them to your organizing your garage, you will find that your garage storage solutions are successful.

As spring creeps upon us it’s time to consider what to do with all of the clutter we packed away as soon as it started to get cold. Many people have sheds and garages packed with things they’ll need to get out again: bicycles, garden tools, sports equipment and more. If you’re tired of going through this routine year in and year out, you need to find a storage solution that works all year round, where it’s not only easy to get all of the seasonal gear you need, but where daily and long term storage are exactly the same. While many people are content to just drive nails to hang things and be done with it, nails bend, poke you when you walk by them, don’t hold much and lead to an ugly looking storage space.

Pegboards are one of the most common garage storage solutions. A basic pegboard system is wood or treated cardboard with a series of holes. These holes hold hooks in any configuration you like, which can be used to hang your tools. Unfortunately, traditional pegboards have a number of problems. They grow, shrink and warp with as the seasons change. They can break or tear if they aren’t mounted properly, and the holes wear and rip over time. As a result, most people banish their pegboards to one corner of their garage, tool shed or workshop – hardly a solution that gets rid of the need to spring clean.

Fortunately, the pegboard concept can still work, but you need to have the right kind of pegboard. Metal pegboards don’t have the breaking and warping issues of their wood and cardboard counterparts. Like any other product, metal pegboards come in different levels of quality. One tough, high quality steel pegboard is Ironsides Storage Solutions’ Holey Rail™. The Holey Rail ™ is made of thick steel with peg holes that are extruded, not drilled. This means that the pegboard holes are molded into place, so they won’t compromise the integrity of the steel. As a result, this system can hold very heavy objects, including rakes, bicycles, large tools, bags and even plastic containers. The mounting will fail before the steel does, and if you mount it properly, that’s unlikely to happen at all. Combined with large peg hooks and reinforcing peg strappers, the Holey Rail™ serves as a permanent storage solution that’s also accessible.

A garage storage solution like this will greatly simplify your spring cleaning. There don’t need to be “summer” and “winter” storage locations for your bikes, garden tools or other seasonal equipment. You can confidently leave everything where it’s supposed to be for the long term. This steel pegboard rating is easy to mount as well, because it won’t bend between anchor points. Instead of having a small pegboard sitting just above your workbench, you can mount these across the entire inside of your garage or shed. Give steel pegboards a try. You’ll cut your cleaning down and put everything you need to enjoy the warm weather close at hand.

“Get your dirty hunting crap out of my bathroom!”

Is this something you hear often upon returning home from another successful hunting trip? Wives, do your husbands leave their tools, greasy car parts, and other manly miscellanea laying about on your good Jennifer Convertibles? Husbands, do your wives stock your closet so full of old baby clothes, dresses she will never fit into again, and knick-knacks from when you first got married that finding your shoes is like searching for Bobby Fisher?

If either spouse answers yes to these questions, then something must be done. You should get garage storage!

A Place For All Things

Your closet is not the place for all the stuff you never use. Your closet is where you keep the things you use on a daily basis. Your garage is where you hide away all those things that get used rarely, if ever. Garages aren’t just for cars anymore. Men can keep their tools there, and women can stash away the baby clothes for the “just in case.” There are so many options these days that it doesn’t make sense not to store things in the garage.

With all the extra things you have tucked away in your overstuffed house you can use a little garage storage space. And believe me, you spouse will thank you for not putting your “crap” where it doesn’t belong.

Garage storage comes in many different types and sizes. You can choose to have just a small shelf, basket, or cabinet attached to an unused wall, or you can splurge for the much bigger cabinet with tons more storage space.

The storage basket is more for toys, sports equipment, and small miscellaneous tools. Anything you want to put away with a fuss. The garage storage shelf is for stuff that won’t fit in a conventional cabinet. Things that you use often and want to keep in immediate reach. The storage cabinet is the grand daddy of garage storage. With storage cabinets you can choose from preconfigured sets consisting of 4, 6 or 10 cabinets. Add additional individual cabinets as needed.

Garage Storage Makes Things Nice

When your closet is finally free of unworn clothes and your furniture is free of messy tools, you and your spouse can finally stop bickering about not having enough space, or things being where they don’t belong. Use all that unused space in the garage for storage, it’s a good idea. Heck, it might even save your marriage!