TIP | Garage
How To Organize Your Garage Space With Shelving
Got a two-car garage, but only enough room to park one car? Don't be embarrassed. With storage at a premium, it's a pretty common situation. Thankfully, garage shelving can make a world of difference in freeing up floor space and keeping it tidy.
- Step 1: Clean It Out
Most likely, your garage has accumulated a lot of miscellaneous items, so start by decluttering. Bring in a large trash bin and recycling container and go through everything. Discard damaged items and make a pile of things to donate or sell. - Step 2: Upgrade Your Containers
Now is also the perfect to upgrade your storage containers. Get rid of cardboard boxes or flimsy containers and replace them with sturdy, stackable plastic bins. We recommend a storage option like our Weathertight Totes, which protect their contents from dust, pests, and water. - Step 3: Label Everything
Labeling makes things easy to find and put back. Be sure to label clear containers too! - Step 4: Install Shelving
Make room for your vehicles by getting everything off the floor and onto wall shelves. Our Elfa Garage+ storage systems are a great option. They're made to store items such as camping gear, seasonal items, power tools, and sports gear. It's easy to install, or we can install it for you. (And the wall is also a good place for a bike rack!) - Step 5: Make Use Of The Garage Ceiling
Maximize your vertical space! Installing a Heavy-Duty Ceiling Rack is another great way to create overhead storage space in an otherwise wasted area. Most ceiling racks are designed to hold quite a bit of weight, so they are ideal for storing bulky items and seasonal decorations. - Step 6: Organize Items On Shelves
Stack your labeled containers on your shelves. Put the items you most frequently access on the lower shelves. Use the top shelves for things you access less often.
Use the drawers in an Elfa solution to store things like gardening supplies, paper towels, car cleaning supplies, and lightbulbs; ventilated wire shelves are good for holding everything from manuals to storage bins. Put long-term storage bins on upper shelves, and hang a step ladder nearby. Need to store something new? Elfa Shelves and Drawers can quickly and easily be re-positioned as your storage needs change. - Step 7: Keep Tools Visible
When it comes to tool storage, easy to see means easy to find. Keep household tools and regularly used hardware visible by organizing them on Elfa Utility Pegboards. A variety of the wall-mounted hooks, pegboards, and storage racks are the perfect tool organizer for smaller items: hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, nails, extension cords, and the like. And be sure to set up a workbench for completing DIY projects.
To keep garden tools like brooms, rakes, and shovels off the garage floor, we suggest the Elfa Utility Storage Track. (They're great for sports equipment storage too— even bike storage!) While heavier items like lawnmowers and wheelbarrows are often kept on the floor, we do have sturdy wall hooks that can accommodate them too.
Lesser-used workspace items can be kept in a storage cabinet or locker—whether wall-mounted or on wheels. - Step 8: Make Use of Freestanding Shelving
You can also use stand-alone shelving to clear your floor of clutter. Metro and InterMetro shelving units are good options as their steel shelves are adjustable and designed to handle heavy loads. You can even add wheels, making it easy to move your shelving system anywhere. - Step 9: Create Zones
Group the same type of items together on your shelves to create zones. And make sure to put things back where they came from after you use them. You now have a system that everyone in your family can use. - Step 10: Enjoy Room For Your Car
Now that everything is put away and off the floor, you have room to park your cars!