Organisational Tips for a Modern Garage

Rita Deo Rita Deo
Garageflex: Designer Garage Transformations, Garageflex Garageflex Modern garage/shed
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A garage is that secure part of the house which gives shelter to vehicles owned by the house-owner and protects it from theft and natural elements. Sometimes it becomes a storage shed for garden tools and also a dump yard for large objects that are not used in the house like old tyres, small vehicle repair tools and other knick knacks. Depending on the neighborhood and availability of land, the garage can be large and situated at a corner of the property or carefully integrated into the design of the house. 

Want to avoid people making comments about your unorganised garage? Then try out our simple organisational tips to turn your garage into a beautiful space that you will be proud to show off.

Get rid of unwanted stuff

Treat your garage like any other room in the house and after taking  measurements draw floor plan to help you visualize where each object that is likely to be required can be fitted besides providing sufficient space for the car and other vehicles you own. Keep a separate section for storing unwanted stuff from the house that can be sold off or given away and weed out all the junk annually so that every inch of space in the garage can be used to keep useful stuff. Maintain a category of items that are used often and where it should be placed so you can find when required. Here in this home designed by architects LIVIA MARTINS ARQUITETURA E INTERIORES you can see how the garage is well integrated into the facade of the home, making it aesthetically pleasing and feel like one continuous space.

Clean and repaint

Once the garage is clear of clutter and every wall hanger both temporary and permanent has been removed or covered it is time to give the area a complete makeover. Sandpapering the walls can clean both the dirt and grime from walls, but removing oil stains from garage floor is a challenge and you may require advice of a professional about chemicals that will remove them easily. Strip paint off the door with brush made up of wire that will remove rust too and finish the job by using either a chemical stripper or a sanding sponge to remove all of the old paint before applying fresh paint.

Thorough cleaning of walls and floor of the garage is important before starting any painting exercise. If you are not planning to relay the floor then use tide detergent powder or strong grease remover like oil eater to take off stubborn stains from the floor. You can either have the same colour for the roof and walls or a slightly darker shade for the walls so that dirt and stains are not easily visible.

Add more wall shelves

Once the painting on the walls and door is dry it is time to organise the objects in your garage and create an uncluttered atmosphere. First make up your mind about activities it will be used for besides keeping the vehicle to ensure that it does not return to the messy state it was in before the cleanup. There are many things that you can store in wall shelves to create extra storage without taking up the floor area that you need for bikes or cars.  Keep nails, screws and other small items in separate jars and put them on wall mounted shelves along with small screw drivers and tools. If you have old pallets at home that are lying unused then make a bike rack using the same. Use magnetic strips for tool storage on shelves or keep them in labeled totes.

Label the boxes

When you are trying to organize a large area that works as a storage room for diverse items it is very important that you label all the items that are kept in different boxes. This detailed work may be tedious initially but will save time when you are looking for them urgently and very moment is precious. When labeled boxes are used to store items like nails, screws, repair tools and other essentials in the garage even an outsider not used to the layout of the garage can easily find the items in shelves and boxes. For the small tools you can use pegboards on walls that can assist in locating them when required.

Arrange according to size and utility

Once the wall shelves and storage areas are created arrange everything in the garage according to size and utility. In this neat and spacious industrial style garage with drop down lamps and built in open shelves in walls, arranging things is an easy task. The lesser used items can be kept inside the cabinet and regular items like engine oil, helmets, car jack etc can be kept in the open shelves. Work table built against the wall makes small carpentry works a breeze as all the tools are within easy reach.

Employ separators for small items

There is always a need of organizational effort in your garage and shelves or cabinet drawers with separators made of wood or metal can help in that effort to store them neatly. Separators can be made even on open wall shelves in the garage for large and small items that create clutter when bunched together. Keep a few compartment drawers exclusively for small items like nails and some for large ones like polish tins, brushes, cleaning liquids and other essentials that are commonly required in the garage.

Use vertical space

Have you sorted out and organised everything in your garage and still require space for few items that have to be accommodated in the garage? Apply the concept of vertical storage in the garage to create extra space for storage of items like bicycles or large garden tools that cannot be kept anywhere else. Look for wall that can be turned into bicycle hanger and for setting up pegs or hangers for large garden tools and garage tools. You can even turn the garage roof into a bicycle hangar to create more space in the garage and have a clutter free area. For more innovative ideas about keeping your garage well organized refer to this ideabook.

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