Organization and finishing solutions for your home garage

Tips and Experience

 

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Here is our story.........

At the Carpenter house, I was ultimately responsible for the garage. That is not to say that I had any responsibility for the things that went into the garage - I was only held accountable to ensure that it was organized. A thankless task. Every couple of months I would spend a full day, working to organize and store homeless items in my garage. After cleaning, Suzanne and I were always amazed at how much room we actually had when things were put away. Alas, within a couple of weeks new homeless items would make there way into the garage and the items that I thought I had created a home for became homeless again, usually ending up on the floor. Bikes, toys, camping gear, gardening equipment, hockey bags, ladders.........

So why do we spend so much time and frustrating hours trying to keep the largest room in the home clean and organized? A big open space designed by builders as a place to park the car, the residential garage is morphing into much, much more than just a parking spot in the winter. The key to getting the most out of your garage is to create a space that is efficient, organized, and most of all, easy to maintain.

Here are some tips gained from first hand experience:

Decide what you want your space to do. Hobby Shop, garden center, work out area, or strictly cars and storage. What is the big picture?
Divide the clutter into three piles - "keep'', "get rid of", and "don't know". Keep working the "don't know pile into either "keep" or "get rid of". My advise - be aggressive in the "get rid of". If you have not used something for a year or more, chances are you will not need it in the future.
Have a yard sale, donate to charity, make a trip to the dump.
Decide on a flooring solution. Bare concrete will stain, crack and deteriorate over time with exposure to the elements and drippings of your car. There are numerous solutions available to help in protecting and finishing your floor.
Use wall space for on the wall solutions or cabinets. The things that go on the wall should be items that are used frequently and require easy access. Cabinets are a great way to "hide" irregular items such as camping gear, lawn chairs, paint cans, etc.
Use overhead storage for seasonal and less frequently used items.

There is no right or wrong way to organize your garage. Each garage is unique in the use, design and, appearance. Think about the vision (big picture), and decide on a budget. Finished drywall, improved lighting, floors, cabinets, will all require a certain level of investment. Decide on your budget to make the finishing choices easier.

This is my garage with the enormous amount of clutter. We would never think of parking our car in this space let alone open the doors so that our friends and neighbours could see the state of our affairs!

                                                   

This is my garage after the renovation. Finished drywall, painted, organized - a space we are proud to call our garage!

                                                   

One of the many benefits of creating an organized space like this is that it is a final solution. Sure there will be enhancements and improvements made over time, but I will not - ever - have to invest a full day to clean the garage again.

The Carpenter Garage is still a work in progress - there are always homeless items looking for a place to go. In my garage, items either have a home, or they have to go somewhere else........

Telephone       905-702-9303

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                                                  Copyright 2006 by Garage Works