Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but I will try. Our spring project is to totally organize our garage. The first thing we will do is to take everything out and put wallboard up on the 2 walls that have none. We plan to do lots of sorting (keep/throw/donate/yard sale). We will also paint the floor. What we really need help with are ideas for storage, tool hanging etc. Pictures (that would be great) or descriptions would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

JR

Some pictures of some overhead storage shelves in the blog link below.

Still snowing where I live so the project has to wait. Hoping for sunshine and warm weather!!!!!!!

JR

We didn't buy any special organizers but DID replace some metal shelving with plastic. I know it sounds strange but the metal shelving (the kind that is about 6 feet tall and freestands on the floor) made rust spots on the floor. My hubby did take the time to prep the floor nicely and painted & sprinkled it to give it a nice terazzo effect. The plastic shelving units are much like the metal but won't rust. We divided our "stuff" into: plumbing, electrical, car maintenance, pool and gardening. Some areas needed more storage than others. Many a jar of rusty nails was thrown out! We called a friend to get their washing machine that we stored for three years (sheesh!) and I sold my grandmothers sewing machine for a song on Craigslist because I couldn't bear to put it in the trash.

In the end we got familiar with the stuff that we kept and where we kept it. I wouldn't be adverse to getting nice organnizers in the future. When I see shows on professional organizing they do warn people not to buy organizing containers until they have sorted through their stuff first. When you know what you have to "keep" then you should figure out what container best suits your needs. We'll be tweeking our garage again when it warms up! Good luck with your project!

Also-great advice about waiting to buy containers, shelving etc. until we see what we have left after all is sorted etc. That is my favorite part, the actual organization so I would probably have gone out and bought a bunch of stuff that would have to be returned or exchanged.

One more thing-can you tell me about your experience with painting the floor. Would power washing be enough prep or did you do something else? Also, was the paint mixed with sand or some abrasive so that it does not get slippery? We were in a garage this winter that was newly painted and dangerously slippery! We will not want to repeat our work-want to get it right the first time!

Thanks.

JR

1) Brand new tackle box
2) three barbells and 2-25# plate weights
3) Echo weed wacker -- took 20 minutes to get it running although my mech. skills are limited
4) huge number of shelving -- track pieces and 60 support braces, even a bag with the wall screws

Dozens of other things I won't list.

One suggestion you might start with is to look at the magazines your library carries. Such as titles with words like 'Home', 'Workshop', 'Garage', 'Improvement', etc. I find very short stuff with pics to be better than longer articles. Never get around to making the big projects.

A good weekend project for the garage might be a DIY long handle tool shelf. Made of 3/4" plywood, with some 2x4s. Instead of wasting wall space by hanging shovels, rakes and snowshovels one by one, make a shelf such that you can place 3 or 4 items front to back in one shelf slot.

If your neighbor pitches two feet of pvc, take it. My pens, pencils and markers are kept in DIY desk organizers that are way cheaper and customized to boot.

A second use for pvc, larger pieces anyway, is for holding tools. My four toolboxes are not used much. Why, its too inefficient. Instead of trying to remember which tool is kept in which box, I have screwdrivers and pliers each lined up on a bright colored piece of pvc out in plain sight. This is in the basement where rust is not much of a concern.

My carry 'toolboxes' are two 5 gallon buckets with seats, interior shelf for drill, slots for various drive bits, and holes for four sizes of nail and screws (accessable when you are sitting on the bucket).

I've got pictures of all my mini projects. Must be one of the few people who choose to carry a camera instead of a cell phone.

Bob

But the question I should ask the poster -

What type of person are you -

1) DIYer trying to recycle and spend as little money as possible
2) Likes to go to store and guy pre-made storage system and put it up
3) Likes to call someone and have them put up storage system.