Organizing Your Garage

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The garage tends to become a catch-all space for extra stuff but the time and thought you put into organizing it is an excellent investment. You walk through this space everyday on your way to your car so garage clutter is an inconvenience and a possible source of danger. Try the following for starters:

• Keep athletic gear in order. Visit a home center or closet accessories shop and you will find racks and shelves designed for all kinds of sports equipment including in-line skates, baseball bats, skis, basketballs, soccer balls, tennis rackets and golf clubs. Or you can also use scrap lumber to create an inexpensive storage device for your family sports equipment such as a rack for baseball gear.
• Store bicycles up and out of traffic zones. They can be suspended from walls with simple clips available in hardware store or on sturdy racks sold in bicycle shops and closet accessory stores.
• Store protective gear close to bikes, skateboards and rollerblades on hooks and shelves near the garage door.
• Install a fold-down table if space in your garage or basement is tight. It lays flush with the wall when not in use to keep traffic zones clear. When you need a surface  for potting plants or making home repairs, it folds out into a locked horizontal position.
• Assign camping and sports gear a place close to your van or car. Or use a wheeled storage chest to keep this equipment so that loading and unloading will be quick and convenient.
• Stackable storage drawers can be arranged to fit almost any space. They can hold workshop tools, garden supplies or toys for example. Clear plastic lets you see inside while keeping the contents dust free.
• Use inexpensive rain gutters to create convenient storage for molding, lightweight lumber, pipes and other long thin items. To install the vinyl or aluminum gutters, cut the lengths you want and use screws  to fasten the mounting brackets to studs, snap the gutters into place. Use brackets alone as hooks for garden hoses, extension cords and wire coils.
• Put a bench in the garage to provide a handy spot for your family to put on and remove sports gear. If you are buying a bench, check out home stores for a model designed with a storage shelf underneath to let wet boots and shoes drain dry. Or for the same effect, place a ridged plastic tray underneath the bench.

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