There’s nothing quite like owning your own home, no matter how humble. After all, your home is not only one of your most valuable assets, but it’s also the place where you can raise a family and collect many precious memories. At the same time, however, most homeowners find themselves collecting lots of stuff. From toys and video games, to old clothing you can’t get yourself to get rid of, to holiday ornaments and gardening tools, you need to find the space to store these items.
That’s where the garage comes in. But what if your garage is small? Add to that the need to park your car in a safe place at night, and you end up with limited storage space. Or do you? These days, all a homeowner needs to do to find the optimum storage space in any-sized garage is to look up.
Overhead storage solutions are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to use your small garage for keeping your stuff safely stored and out of the way. According to the professionals at Arizona’s Affordable Ceiling Storage Racks, or ACER, from outdoor furniture, to seasonal décor, to sports equipment, customizable overhead racks and shelving units boast an innovative design and are considered one of the best small garage storage solutions available.
That said, what are some other savvy storage solutions for small garages? A recent report by Home DIY Online states that for lots of homeowners, a small garage can pose a significant challenge when it comes to storage efficiency. What result is disorganization and clutter? Naturally, this makes it difficult to find available space when you need it most.
The major problems homeowners with small garages face are inadequate shelving, limited floor space, and almost no storage options. This can result in damaged equipment and a lack of productivity when it comes to maintaining your home.
So, how do you fix the small garage storage problem? By being creative and using every space available, such as the walls and the ceiling.
Important Small Space Storage Philosophies
When it comes to small garage storage, maximizing all available space is of paramount importance. This entails getting a grasp of the basics of small space storage solutions. For instance, one effective strategy is to utilize all your “vertical space.” You can accomplish this by installing wall and ceiling-mounted hooks, shelves, and even storage units. This helps you free up much-needed floor space, and it better organizes your clutter.
You can also utilize plastic waterproof storage baskets, bins, and containers to better organize your stuff and to make it more accessible. By using these items along with all your vertical space, you will enjoy a small garage that’s free of clutter and that optimizes all available space.
Utilizing Vertical Space
Vertical space utilization is said to be a major strategy for maximizing all your garage space, no matter how small. You should install shelves, storage units, hooks, and more that not only ascend to the ceiling, but also utilize the ceiling. Some of the more popular options include:
–Zoning your garage space
–Wall-mounted shelves and racks
–Hooking systems for tools and bicycles
–Custom overhead storage rack systems
Properly Zoning Your Garage
Like the term implies, the process of zoning your small garage means segmenting or separating the space into specific areas, each one dedicated to a special purpose. By doing this, you can make finding items easier while order is maintained. Some common zone ideas include:
–Sports and outdoor adventure equipment zone
–Tool and yardwork equipment zone
–Storage and seasonal items zone
Traffic Flow
Home DIY Online suggests that as you tackle your small garage storage system, it’s of vital importance to make traffic flow your priority. You need to design a path that is largely unobstructed and that provides for smooth, safe movement. When you focus on garage traffic flow, you will ensure the space is functional, safe, and that it caters to your needs and wants as a homeowner.
Custom Overhead Storage Solutions
Maximizing storage space in your small garage takes savvy thinking. All too often, the space over your head is overlooked. Custom-designed racks and ceiling-mounted shelving are said to transform the area into a “treasure-trove” of usable space. Using your ceiling means freeing up work benches and the floor. You can park your car in the garage and still have room to spare.
Overhead storage solutions work best for seasonal items that you plan on storing for months at a time. It also works well for items you might only use on occasion, such as kayaks, skis, sleds, bikes, out-of-season clothing, and more.
No matter what storage solution you utilize, you should keep in mind that an organized garage is a more productive and safe space, no matter how small and compact.