Any tips on how to deal with multiple garages

[GooberMcNutly]

I've been lucky enough to find and move into a house that has two garages, a 3 car garage on the first floor and a 2 car garage + workshop in the basement. (House is built on a hill)

I'm putting most of my workshop and all my metal and woodworking tools in the basement workshop and my general yardwork, car and motorcycle maintenance stuff in the first floor garage. But at least 20 times a day I find that the tool I need is in the wrong garage. I can't really buy 2 of *everything*. I've picked up duplicate socket, screwdriver, pliers, etc. Tools are gradually migrating to the location they seem best situated. I have to walk through the whole house and down stairs to get from one to the other, not the best if I'm getting grungy in either.

But if any of you have suggestions or McGyver tips on managing tools and supplies between two locations?

 

[GMCGarage]

Only thing I can think of is a elevator you keep your tool chest on and it goes up and down depending what floor you are on.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

Oh please cry me a river with your “troubles” with your dream dual garages!!! Haha

If I had that set up I would have one that is dedicated for shop work and projects and the other one strictly for storage, parking and whatever else

Otherwise you might not be able to totally solve the issue of having something you need being in the other garage.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[finn]

I bought two of everything. At least of the basics. Most of the duplicates are from when the two garages were 450 miles apart. Now it’s only a mile, but, the next problem is that I now have three garages.
I keep the dually, wife’s Jeep, and lawn equipment in the third garage. They usually don’t need tools. It’s easy to move lawn equipment to the shop or other garage if it needs work

 

[OilPull]

I have a similar situation, in that I have three 'workshops' at our farm to use.

One is in the basement of the house, and that's where I keep my homeowner and home improvement tools -- drills, circular saws, sawzall, etc. -- anything carpentry oriented. Also have a range of basic hand tools to supplement. This is a real nice area that even has a fireplace, so I try not to do any real dirty jobs down there.

Another is in our garage, and I have dedicated that whole space to lawn and garden equipment. Again, with a basic set of hand tools as a supplement.

Finally, there's the real shop -- the farm shop, and that has everything else.

 

[vavet]

I have the same situation, essentially.
My detached garage holds my serious auto repair tools and any sort of woodworking or metalworking tools.
My attached garage holds things commonly used around the house - a basic socket and wrench set, a screwdriver set (one of the freebie sets from harbor freight), paint brushes, plumbing supplies, etc. The two garages are not that far apart, so it's not a big deal. It's nice to be able to dash out to the attached garage in my pajamas with no shoes to grab a screwdriver instead.

 

[speed bump]

Eventually you will have duplicates of things that you need all the time in both places and you will get better at planning. It's inevitable and the only part that ***** is if you go back down to one garage you will end up selling or giving away a bunch of tools.

 

[engineer2]

There are hillside homes in Florida?
I would use the 3 car as a workshop and use the 2 car for the wife's car, and storing yard tools, bikes, etc. Keep a few spare tools in the 2-car, but make the big garage the main workshop.

I tried to set up a basement workshop, but it was a PITA hauling tools and projects up and down the stairs. I gave up on the idea and now just use the garage.

 

[BikerDad]

There are hillside homes in Florida?

Yeah, I call "fake news" on this one. There ARE some hills in Florida, out in the Panhandle. Central Florida? Nah.

Seriously though, the OP can either get more effective at organizing based on how he actually uses the tools, and/or buy more tools and/or get more exercise. There's no magic bullet here.

 

[rburke65]

Buy more tools.

 

[marineman]

I have a similar situation, main garage has all my auto tools and stationary woodworking equipment. Small woodworking shop in the basement mostly for finishing and a pole building out back 200 yards from the main garage. I just get used to doing stairs and walking up the hill to the pole building a lot.

Only thing I can say has helped is walk through the entire project in your head before hand and grab any tools you may need out of the other garage at once before the project begins. Then at least it's only 1 trip all the way through the house and you're clean when you do it.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I also have a similar situation.
I use my detached 30' X 52' garage as my shop.
I use my attached 2 car garage to park.
all of my lawn equipment is in a shed.
It is really nice being able to park in an attached garage. Give it a try for a while before you set up two shops.

Chris

 

[firebirdparts]

I have absolutely nothing in the attached garage and absolutely everything in the detached. Works great. I move the project but not the tools.

 

[glentre]

Doesn't matter how well you plan.......the tool you don't use every day is always in the other garage.

Glen

 

[Jinks]

There ARE hills in central Florida, where do you think MT. DORA is located....

****, the OP is suffering from a first world problem. At one time I had worse, I had three houses!... I just broke down & bought three sets of everything I needed. Now that I'm reduced to one two story house I have catches of tools strategically located on each floor... That & a small tool carry pouch has reduced the trips from the work site to the tool site for any project to only somewhere between 5 & 10..........

 

[slow]

Must be Mt Dora or Clermont area. Good problem to have! it's flat here in Sanford/Lake MAry

 

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I'm experiencing the same dilemma. I'm slowly moving most of my tools to the workshop. Basic sets stay in the attached garage. It also has all of the lawn care equipment and home repair tools.

 

[GooberMcNutly]

Yeah, I call "fake news" on this one. There ARE some hills in Florida, out in the Panhandle. Central Florida? Nah.

There are. I'm close to Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest place in the peninsula of Florida. Or what I call "The Floridian Alps", nearly 400 ft above sea level!

 

[GooberMcNutly]

Only thing I can think of is a elevator you keep your tool chest on and it goes up and down depending what floor you are on.

That's a great idea. If it weren't for the upper garage having prestressed concrete floors, a toolbox dumbwaiter would be great. But I would still need someone to load and unload it.

I've joked about putting in one of those man-lifts like they used to have at parking garages with a chain that went around in a circle with steps bolted to it that you could hop on and off to go up or down.

It sounds like everyone's answer is to split the purposes of the garage, which I am already doing, and buy more tools, which I am also doing. I'll probably get a bigger tool bucket and just try to assemble whatever specialty tools I need from the "other" location before I start anything.

It was fun this morning. I was swapping out broken door locks on the old Mercedes and it only took 8 trips down stairs to get picks, contact cement, tape, a hemostat, self tapping bolts, etc. It's always leg day for my workout...

 

[Homerr]

Even with one detached garage I still find I have these problems all the time. I did put together a small toolbox for the house but there is always *something* I have to go out to the garage for.

At least it isn't a two-way ordeal. The garage has everything so if my project is out there I'm all set.

 

[firebirdparts]

My FIL lives near Inverness, also hilly. Not terribly far from you.

To expand on my situation, we have a 1.5 story house, and a driveunder basement, and so I build a 1.5 story garage, also with a driveunder basement, to match. So I really have 4 garages and 4 sets of stairs. All my tools are in one garage of the 4. I have plumbing and electrical for the house in a "grab and go" toolbox for each. Pipe fittings are in the basement of the house.

 

[kbuhagiar]

I've been lucky enough to find and move into a house that has two garages, a 3 car garage on the first floor and a 2 car garage + workshop in the basement. (House is built on a hill)

My situation is almost identical to yours, except my lower garage can hold 2+ cars in a tandem-park arrangement. Although the lower garage is attached to the main dwelling, there is no access from inside the house. I keep cheap rain ponchos in both locations in case I need to make a 'tool run' in inclement weather. I tend to use the lower garage for longer-term projects (auto wiring, engine rebuilds, etc.), but my 4-post lift is in the upper garage, so that creates the occasional logistics snafu.

With all that said and done, I'm just grateful for all of the garage space, it is my retirement dream come true, and I consider the exercise an added benefit.

 

[TractorJeff]

Woodworking shop in the house, few mechanical tools that maybe needed for the woodworking machines or basic home maintenance.
Detached Garage to park car and truck in, has an air compressor.
Attached Shop that is insulated and heated to do long term overhauls in.
Detached "Accessory" building to store completed projects in, also where heavy rigging equipment is stored.
If and when I am working on a large machine in there, then the tools from the Truck boxes get used, if need more other shop is only a 100 feet away.

 

[NES]

Please post pics of your garage. It sounds really cool.

 

[Blazinzuk]

I would say start keeping a list. After a year or so the amount of duplicate tools you need might be less than you think