The use of a garage isn’t limited to parking vehicles and keeping random gear. You can store many useful items without making it a dumping ground. Consider turning your dark and dingy garage into a clean and functional space with a little organizing and creativity.
From adding shelving units to epoxy flooring, here are some ways to make your garage look more appealing for a wide range of uses.
Avoid Storing these Items in a Garage
While some of you may already know this, many don’t, so it’s important to discuss the things you shouldn’t store in a garage and why.
1. Pet Food
Keeping pet food in your garage can attract possums, insects, and other animals, so make sure you don’t put any. In addition, excess heat will also ruin the food.
2. Refrigerator
Keeping the refrigerator in a garage causes a massive energy drain because of the higher temperature in this area.
3. Paint Storage
It’s common for people to store their paints in garages, but extreme heat or cold can ruin them. Make sure to store them in a moderate temperature area.
4. Paper Goods
Paper can cause roaches, bugs, and insects, so ensure you’re not storing any paper product here.
5. Propane Tanks
Don’t store propane tanks in garages because the slightest spark could ignite fumes. Make sure you keep them outdoors.
Creative Garage Storage Ideas
1. Add Vertical Wall-Mounted Shelves and Labelled Containers
Garages offer a lot of vertical space, so make sure you’re making the most of it. Adding vertical shelves will allow you to store more items without taking up any floor space and give a more organized look. You can add shelves as high as you want and place items according to their usage frequency. Make sure you’re choosing sturdier shelves (preferably steel) to offer adequate support to items and last longer.
To further organize items, you can get containers and add items grouped according to usage. For example, one container can have all the car care items while the other can hold biking or boating stuff. This way, you don’t have to make a mess looking for specific stuff. Don’t forget to label all your containers.
2. Use Metal Shelving Units
If your garage walls can’t resist the heavy work required to install wall-mounted shelves, you can opt for metal shelving units instead. You can also use them if you live in a rented space or need movable storage units. It’s important to choose metal units because plastic shelving can easily get deformed, break or fail over under heavy impact.
Metal shelving units are a long-term investment because you can use them for many purposes in your home, basement, or any other area. In addition, they are sturdy, so you can put anything on them (something you can’t do with wall-mounted shelves). To avoid monotony, you can also choose a mix of wall-mounted shelves and standing shelving units.
3. Use a Track System for Uneven Items
Many items with odd shapes and sizes don’t look good on shelves, so get a track system for them. A track system consists of hooks and attachments where you can hang stuff like cleaning equipment, gardening tools, ropes, etc.
4. Hangs Things That Take too Much Space
Things like fishing nets, hockey equipment, etc., are quite bulky and take up most of the floor space. This can cause inconvenience for you to work in your garage or even park vehicles. You can free up this space by hanging them directly on the wall to keep everything tidy.
5. Add Pegboards for Small/Light Items
Add pegboards to your garage if you want something cute yet practical. They work great for small and light items and give your space an organized look. It’s quite common for everyone to lose small—frequently required—items like keys, scissors, screwdrivers, etc., when you keep them in drawers or containers. With pegboards and hooks, all these things will be secure and easily accessible.
6. Small Workstation
If you or your spouse works in the garage, you can set up a dedicated workstation to reduce the mess. You can fix a sturdy table and a chair with a wall that gets the most light and air. Set up a few shelves and pegboards over the table to place tools and other stuff. This way, you can make notes, work on projects and utilize the space for increased productivity.
7. Utilize Overhead Space
You can use the garage ceiling to store stuff that you don’t use that often, such as seasonal sports gear or long flat stuff like ladders. While storing or hanging things from the ceiling, ensure they are away from the door and leave enough space for your vehicle. If you hang them too low, they might scrape your vehicle’s roof, so utilize the space wisely.
8. Color Co-Ordinated Items
While picking out shelves and other storage items, stick to a color scheme. This way, the whole space will look more appealing. Opt for lighter tones because they brighten up a space and make it look spacious. You can also use a mix of light and dark tones to combine function and style.
9. Secure the Entry Points
Make sure all the entry points are secure to avoid any break-ins or theft. Invest in high-quality locks with deadbolts, and always double-check that they’re properly locked before leaving the house.
10. Add Epoxy Floor Coating
Once you’ve organized your space, don’t forget to revamp the garage floor a little. Over time, concrete floors become worn out and affect the overall appearance of the space. Epoxy flooring will mask those imperfections and add shine and luster while protecting your floor from damage. While working in the garage, it’s common for you to drop heavy tools or spill chemicals; epoxy coating will ensure that your floor doesn’t sustain any stains, cracks, or other damage.
At Steel Coated Epoxy Floors, we offer premium quality epoxy coating for garage floors in Prescott, Layton, Draper and other regions. Contact us now for details or request a free quote before you hire us.
