Getting your garage organized is easier said than done. You have a lot of tools and off-season equipment that you need to store in a very limited space.
Not to mention, you need to make space for your vehicles. Therefore, storing other items aside from cars will take an extra effort. You need to adopt some smart garage storage ideas to help you sort the tools and equipment in their proper order.
The most common storage solutions that you can adopt are racks, cabinets, and shelving. However, they may not be recommended if your garage is overstocked to begin with.
This is why you need to maximize the unused space of your garage, like walls and ceilings. Risky, you might think, but selecting the right brand is the key in making all this possible.
Read on to learn about the various storage ideas that can help maximize your garage space into a more compact storage area.
Garage Storage Racks
You can organize the tools and off-season equipment in your garage through a good storage rack. A garage rack is a typical storage option which offers hooks, stands, and rails in holding or storing items.
It can either be installed as a freestanding or a wall mounted unit. No matter how its installed, its basic purpose is to hold your items a more space efficient manner.
When purchasing a good garage storage rack, consider the storage capacity and installation process. A rack is much preferred if it offers a large storage capacity to make room for your tools, supplies, and other equipments.
You also need to consider whether the unit can be left freestanding or offers an option to be wall mounted. If you are suffering from a limited garage space, then mounting the rack on the wall is much preferred over a freestanding unit because it covets less space.
However, you also need to consider the size and dimensions of your items to be stored. What if they won’t fit a wall mounted storage, then you have no other choice than to select the freestanding unit.
Therefore, selecting the right garage storage rack boils down to your storage needs. We’ve round up 3 brands which we think are great garage storage racks, and they are as follows:
- Rubbermaid 5E28 Deluxe Tool Tower Rack with Casters
- Origami R5-01 General Purpose 4-Shelf Steel Collapsible Storage Rack
- Lynk Sports Rack
To make room for your long handled tools, like shovels and rakes, you can try the Rubbermaid 5E28 which can store 40 tools. Casters are built on the base to make it easy for you to move the rack anywhere. All tools stay in place with the grid pattern design on its base.
The Origami R5-01 offers 4 shelves that can be used to hold boxes and bins of supplies. Aside from its large storage shelf capacity, the whole steel structure is collapsible making it easy to open and fold.
If you want a storage unit for your sports equipment and apparel, you need to use the Lynk Sports Rack which includes adjustable hooks to hang your baseball bats, rackets, and sports caps.
The best thing about this unit is its great space saving feature which allows you to mount it on your garage wall.
Overhead Garage Storage
You might think that ceiling can only be used for holding lighting fixtures, but not anymore because through an overhead garage storage system, you can utilize unused space for storage.
If you have no room left to accommodate a storage unit in your garage, then you can install an overhead garage storage unit to your ceiling. Quite dangerous, you might think, but great installation hardware, like bolts and screws, can securely attach the unit in its place.
It is best to check the durability of the steel frame of the product before thinking of buying one. Know its storage capacity and never overload to avoid your unit from collapsing to the ground.
It is ideal to pack light items so that if they fall, they won’t hurt you. To give you an insight of some popular overhead garage storage brands in the market, here are out top 3 picks:
- SafeRacks – 4×8 Overhead Storage Rack Heavy Duty
- FLEXIMOUNTS 4X8 Heavy Duty Overhead Garage Adjustable Ceiling Storage Rack
- MonsterRAX Ovehead Heavy Duty Garage Storage Rack
The SafeRacks storage system has an adjustable ceiling drop which can be modified from 24 to 25 inches. It can carry as much as 600 pounds.
Once installed, you can load boxes and bins of supplies that you may need anytime. With its powder coat finish, it offers a great addition to your garage.
If you want an easier-to-assemble unit, then you can try the FLEXIMOUNTS storage rack which offers a height adjustment between 22 to 44 inches.
It is made of cold-roll steel material which promises long-term use. Unlike the SafeRacks, the FLEXIMOUNTS offers a lesser storage capacity of 540 pounds. You can install this unit through wood joists and concrete ceilings.
The MonsterRAX storage rack has a similar storage capacity of SafeRacks, which can hold a 600 pound of load. The ceiling drop-down distance can also be adjusted from 24 to 45 inches.
The unit is constructed of durable steel and coated with a powder coat finish. Although it looks almost the same as the SafeRacks, both differ in rack colors. While the SafeRacks offers a white rack color, the MonsterRAX has a nickel rack color.
Garage Cabinets
If you want a more secure form of garage storage unit, try garage cabinets which can keep all your clutter free from eyesight.
Unlike all other garage storage ideas, garage cabinets offer a more enclosed storage space which can keep all your items safe from dust. Just make sure that you have the ground space to accommodate a garage cabinet.
Installation design, sturdiness, and storage capacity are among factors that need to be considered when buying a garage cabinet. There are garage cabinets which can be mounted on the wall, while others work as a freestanding fixture.
The material used for construction must be sturdy to endure the weight of stored items. It is much preferred if doors are securely attached to the frame without leaving a gap because it affects the security of the unit.
We have rounded up 3 brands which we think are best garage cabinets for their price and quality.
- Gladiator GAWG28FDYG Full Door Wall Box EZ RTA
- Gladiator GALG36CKXG Mobile Storage Gear Box Cabinet on Casters
- Ulti-MATE GA-30 3 Piece Garage Cabinet System
The Gladiator wall box offers an easy assembly process through its panel tab and loop design which reduces the necessity for hardware. It includes a wall bracket kit which allows your cabinet to move above ground and be installed on the garage wall.
This saves space because you can use the ground below for other storage needs. The doors of this cabinet are well secured through its durable magnetic catch design.
If you want a more portable cabinet, you can try the Gladiator storage cabinet which is built with casters. The front casters allow you to move the cabinet anywhere in the garage while the back casters offer stability.
Its construction is made of steel and Allen head bolt screws which provide a remarkable cabinet structure for long-term use.
A higher-end brand, like the Ulti-MATE garage cabinet system, offers a large capacity and neat cabinet design at an expensive price. You get 3 tower cabinets with this model.
Each cabinet is made of fiberwood and particleboard. Each unit is built with 2 doors, adjustable hinges, and elegant handles. You can stuff your items inside on its 3 shelves.
Garage Shelving
Another great way to de-clutter your garage is to store your boxes of supplies and tools in a garage shelving unit.
Assembly is mostly easy for this type of storage idea because you only need to put the pieces together to fit a freestanding unit or mount the shelves on the wall for a mounting installation. This form of storage design is much preferred if you want easy access to stored items.
The most important factor to consider when buying garage shelving is durability to hold heavy items. Versatile shelves are also much desired because you can adjust the height of the shelves at any time if you want fit items different height.
Of course, the most basic criteria to look for is a unit with a large storage capacity which can hold as much stuff as possible. We recommend these top 3 brands which we think can accomplish your garage shelving need:
- Edsal UR-364BLK Black Steel Industrial Shelving
- Hyloft 967 45-by45-Inch Wall Shelf
- Boltless Rivet Steel Shelving, SafeRacks
The Edsal UR-364BLK offers 4 adjustable shelves which can hold a maximum load of 3,200 pounds. The frame is constructed of steel for sturdiness while the shelves are constructed of particle board reinforced with double-riveted beams and braces.
You can stack the shelves to form a 4-shelf rack or separate the shelves to form 2 separate units.
If you want to use the vacant wall of your garage, then you can try the HyLoft 967 which comes with 2 wall mounted shelves. You can mount these shelves to studs in the walls.
Each shelf can hold a maximum load of 200 pounds, pretty high for its simple structure. Such durability is made possible by its steel construction and low-key bracket support. You can connect more units for maximum storage space.
The Boltless Rivet Steel shelving offers the largest storage space with its dimensions: 2 x 8 x 7 feet. Unlike the Edsal UR-364BLK, the racks are not made of particle board but of wire grid shelves.
The frame is made of 100% steel which is known to last longer. The shelf heights can be adjusted to suit the size of the items you will store.
Garage Pegboard
Transform your unused garage wall into a more useful storage space through the installation of an innovative garage pegboard. This type of storage idea allows you to organize your tools by category in a neater manner.
You can use hooks, brackets, pegs, and shelves in accommodating all your tools for storage. Before resorting to this type of garage storage solution, make sure that your wall can accommodate the dimensions of the pegboard and can handle the installation required for assembly.
It is best to look for a garage pegboard system that offers stability and durability. Since most panels are made of tiny holes to fit hooks and other sorts of attachments, you must ensure that the holes are able to hold the hooks securely in place.
You need to evaluate the construction of the pegboard, whether it uses of steel or hard resin. It would be preferable if the package already included hooks and all hardware needed for hanging tools.
Here are our top 3 picks for the best garage pegboards that can suit your garage wall.
- Wall Control 30-P-3232GV Galvanized Steel Pegboard Pack
- WallPeg Pegboard Panels, Shelves, Bins, Locking Peg Hooks Garage Storage Kit 96 W-B
- Wall Control 30-WRK-400WB Standard Workbench Metal Pegboard Tool Organizer
Both the Wall Control 30-P-3232GV and 30-WRK-400WB models are made of galvanized steel which are built for long-term durability. As compared to traditional pegboards, both models are much stronger.
The only difference is that the 30-P-3232GV pegboard pack model offers a 2-pack panel with no accessories, while the 30-WRK-400WB workbench offers 3 panels and hanging accessories, like bins, holders, and hooks.
That is why the 30-WRK-400WB workbench is more expensive than the 30-P-3232GV pegboard pack.
The WallPeg pegboard panels already include the necessary accessories for hanging and storing tools, like shelves, bins, and peg hooks. This model includes 4 panels which are made of tuff-poly material.
In comparison to the Wall Control pegboard models, the WallPeg may be less in terms of construction material, but it includes specialized Flex-Lck peg hooks which can be secured to the board while maintaining flexibility.
