The Efficient Garage

Utilize space that you didn’t know you had using these tips and tricks of organization specialists.  Most people let the garage get out of control from time to time.  It’s easy when you are in constant need of storing everything from the baby furniture to the lawn mower.  Get your garage to a point where it is easily manageable and easy to maintain.

First clean everything out.  Choose an organization system that meets your needs.  You can get shelves, but they usually end up being a catch-all for things that don’t have a specific place to be stored.  You can arrange everything outside of the garage in categories to help you decide which system would be best for you.

If you have a lot of tools, you may need a peg board or slat wall system to keep things visible.  Get a label printer to label where each thing goes if you want to make sure that everything goes back where it belongs after use.  This also encourages people to return things that they borrow because they know that you have a labeled place where that hammer goes and you are not likely to forget that they have it.  If you want to use a tool box, get one with a lot of shallow drawers.  Piling and stacking screwdrivers, wrenches and sockets just creates an unorganized mess in no time.

Station out your garage like an office.  If you walk into a well organized office you will see stations for everything.  All paper and supplies will be together in one place.  Everyone knows to go to the supply closet when they need something.  They know where to go for lunch, copies, reference books, etc.  Set up your garage like this and you won’t be relying on hundreds of sub-categories to keep things neat and clean.  Too many people spend a lot of time separating nuts and bolts, and then fail to put them with other items that will be needed for projects.

Tools should be at a tool station.  Power tools can make up another section of the garage.  Yard equipment should be hung on special hooks near the lawn mower.  Fertilizers and other chemicals need to go in a locking cabinet or storage chest.  Yard shoes and other things that can get strewn about should have a special place to go as well.  Create a sports equipment station.  Large baskets that are sectioned off for bats, hockey sticks, golf clubs and balls are very helpful.  Bikes can be hung from the ceiling or on special wall mounts.  If you have kayaks or canoes, buy boat racks or slide them into a ceiling storage unit to keep them out of the way.

Stationing off everything will make it easy to find when the time comes.  Whether you need a deck screw or a paint roller, you’ll know exactly where it should be.  Other efficiencies like a small air compressor, automatic extension cord reel, and a shop vacuum should be kept handy as well.  Once the garage is set up in this fashion, you’ll reap the benefits for a long time to come.