Garage is a disaster....Need some advice.

kris77 · Feb 6, 2015

So i'm up to my breaking point with my garage. I have to empty it and organize it or its going to become a big storage shed.

I need some ideas for some nice storage options. I have a 32x28.

And i need some ideas for the corners. Shelves, cabinets, wrap around work bench....Something to maximize space and help me have storage.

I've looked and looked on this site and found tons of pics. Would just like to have something in my own thread so i can follow it better.

Thanks guys.

I'm willing to drop about 3k-5k on this.

ratdoggy · Feb 6, 2015

How about some pictures so we can all feel better about our messes?

Modern Jess · Feb 6, 2015

Two things:
1) Throw stuff away. Take it to the dump or give it to goodwill. Be militant. You'll feel a tremendous weight off your shoulders, and it's cheaper than therapy or a storage unit.
2) see this long-running thread, one of my favorite storage and organization threads: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39367

Cypherian · Feb 6, 2015

Hey,

See the link provided it is very very informative however, you must post pictures of the current disaster :} Since we all have this OCD thing about pictures lol

Cypher

NUTTSGT · Feb 6, 2015

Start a thread in the gallery section with plenty of pictures and what you intend to do. Try to update it everyday with what you are doing and with more pictures. People will follow along, offer advice and words of encouragement. It's one of the easiest ways to stay motivated and keep the project going.

BillK · Feb 6, 2015

Kris,
I am at the same point and have decided that 90% will never get used and it is going on E-bay

Zeke · Feb 6, 2015

Sounds to me like you've got a workable budget. I'd start with a large tool box for storage and a work top. You can get a many of those as you have room for. Then above you could have cabinets. Kitchens are made this way and for good reason, they work. You will need some tall storage too for long things like yard tools or a pair of overalls you might keep around. Lastly, of maybe not lastly, I find that bin style drawers work well for large items like tools in their carry boxes. I use a system of duffle bags and metal office cabinets for hand power tools with a drill motor and bits in one, sanders in another, etc., each with its own blades and supplies.

QwikKotaTx · Feb 6, 2015

Garage sale time.

Kaizen · Feb 6, 2015

I just burned all my pieces of wood that I just had to save for that small project or repair. more then 4 full barrels of it.
Then backed the truck up and started tossing stuff.
its sooooooo cleansing. with that budget you should be able to do something great but if its to keep **** it will be ****

kris77 · Feb 6, 2015

One problem i have right now is this...I have a miter saw and a table saw...Both on rolling stands. No place to really store them. I need to figure out a way to keep them handy but out of the way.

Cypherian · Feb 6, 2015

Hey,

Someone here has a cart they built with table saw , chop saw and router built in the top flips open for use and back over the top to just use it as a bench. My google foo is not good enough to find the exact post someone else may recall the who , what , where etc

Cypher

Zeke · Feb 6, 2015

kris77 said:
One problem i have right now is this...I have a miter saw and a table saw...Both on rolling stands. No place to really store them. I need to figure out a way to keep them handy but out of the way.

Stands are not cheap and they are very functional. But, they take up floor space. Unless you take these with you from time to time you should consider storing them under a work bench and putting the stands completely away. When you need them put them on folding sawhorses.

You can't have handy and out of the way w/o using up immediate space. You need to PUT them away.

zkling · Feb 6, 2015

You have that problem in a 32'*28'? :wtf:

Just goes to show that the stuff fills the space. Go through everything. "Am I really going to use this, do I use this, is it worth saving?". If possible, take everything out of the the space and then put pieces back one by one in order if highest to lowest priority/need. Stop when the space gets full to your liking.

Denwood · Feb 6, 2015

My garage is a lot smaller but I started in with a few basic rules.

1. I rented a large waste bin and planted it at the front of my driveway.
2. Anything in the shop not touched in the last five years either went into the bin, was given to my neighbors, or given away on Kijiji (like CL).
3. My rule was everything off the floor unless it's on wheels.
4. Everything is slowly finding its place.

It's been 5 months now, although a lot of that was ceiling raise/lift install/slab pouring. One thing that is very apparent is that once you get organized, your ability to actually work in the shop (and transition between work modes) becomes surprisingly more efficient.

Disaster:

Work in progress:

Getting organized:

crewchief888 · Feb 6, 2015

Denwood said:
My garage is a lot smaller but I started in with a few basic rules.

1. I rented a large waste bin and planted it at the front of my driveway.
2. Anything in the shop not touched in the last five years either went into the bin, was given to my neighbors, or given away on Kijiji (like CL).
3. My rule was everything off the floor unless it's on wheels.
4. Everything is slowly finding its place.

It's been 5 months now, although a lot of that was ceiling raise/lift install/slab pouring. One thing that is very apparent is that once you get organized, your ability to actually work in the shop (and transition between work modes) becomes surprisingly more efficient.

Disaster:

Work in progress:

Getting organized:

thats quite a transformation :bowdown:

lookin' good :bounce:

crewchief888 · Feb 6, 2015

i try to keep as much stuff off the floor as i can,

but.....

i have a toolbox problem.....

i store bulky & lightweight stuff in the rafters, and use nearly every inch of wall space above 4-5ft for makeshift shelving, and use acrobins for storage.

nearly everything in the garage is scrap salvage, side of the road finds or leftovers from previous storage in the house

:beer:

Modern Jess · Feb 6, 2015

Let me just add another vote for pictures. Seeing what you have to work with will be really helpful for us. For instance, how high is your ceiling? Do you have storage shelves or cabinets up high? Can you put some in?

There are many variations of the high suspended shelf. Here's my version, which helps me keep a lot of stuff off the floor:

Bowtieguy8490 · Feb 6, 2015

if its an option, build a shed. my garage was getting over run with lawn equipment, boat stuff, building supplies, etc. I built an 8x12 shed for all that stuff, and now I have a ton of space in my garage for just car projects

mpire · Feb 6, 2015

I moved all my lawn equipment/fertilizer/pesticides/gas to a small Rubbermaid shed that's only about 4 feet tall on the side of the house. Definitely helps to keep the garage cleaner.

Slednut · Feb 6, 2015

If you have the room you need a shed.

I bought a 20x20 metal carport frame off the internet and purchased the metal roofing and siding locally. I then framed both gable ends with 2x4s and sheeted it with T-111. One gable end has two 7x9 (modified to fit) garage doors I received for free off Craigslist. In it I have my table saw set up permanently with an out feet table and all my yard stuff. It is also where I store lumber I want to keep dry.

Denwood · Feb 6, 2015

On the shed issue..yes. I banished all construction materials from the garage, and also relocated compressors in the shed.

DonPowers · Feb 6, 2015

Good luck with your project kris77.

Before I built my new garage I also had some significant clutter issues. Ended up buying a 20 ft shipping container for the overflow. I'm still using it for seasonal and occasional use stuff. Found it on CL for $1,200 and it was in pretty good shape. About all that I did to it was remove all the old decals and give it a new coat of paint. On the inside I put shelving units on one side and racks to hang stuff on the other side.

One thing that I find helpful is using Excel as a drawing tool to try out different layouts. Just set up the cells into a grid and make templates of the various things you want to have in there. Move the templates around until you find an arrangement that works.

Here is a copy of one.

View media item 48056

mpire · Feb 6, 2015

Slednut said:
If you have the room you need a shed.

I bought a 20x20 metal carport frame off the internet and purchased the metal roofing and siding locally. I then framed both gable ends with 2x4s and sheeted it with T-111. One gable end has two 7x9 (modified to fit) garage doors I received for free off Craigslist. In it I have my table saw set up permanently with an out feet table and all my yard stuff. It is also where I store lumber I want to keep dry.

You know we are going to want pictures, right?

Chevy-SS · Feb 6, 2015

Here's my top rules:

1) If it doesn't NEED to be in the garage, then it goes somewhere else - moved to another area (basement, shed, etc), sold, trashed or given away.

2) Get EVERYTHING POSSIBLE off the floor. Floor space is vital. Build/buy shelves, buy cabinets and storage bins, etc, etc, but get it all off the floor.

Good luck! It's a lot of work, but you'll be happy with the results.

Slednut · Feb 7, 2015

mpire said:
You know we are going to want pictures, right?

Ok, it's obvious the door on the right is the one that's open when the saws are used. Its covered with sawdust.

rsanter · Feb 7, 2015

kris77 said:
One problem i have right now is this...I have a miter saw and a table saw...Both on rolling stands. No place to really store them. I need to figure out a way to keep them handy but out of the way.

Pallet racking is the best for high density storage and being organized.
Larger items like table saws, shapers and such can go under the lower shelf and you can still store the other tools or materials on the shelf above them.

Decide what you need and what you want. Sell, trade, give away, donate the rest

Bob

bigsteve2011 · Feb 7, 2015

DonPowers said:
One thing that I find helpful is using Excel as a drawing tool to try out different layouts. Just set up the cells into a grid and make templates of the various things you want to have in there. Move the templates around until you find an arrangement that works.

Here is a copy of one.

That's awesome I would never have thought of using excel for it, I've always had access to AutoCAD at work so I never think outside the box. It would work perfectly. Size columns and rows to whatever scale you wanted and just fill in the cells colors to match the measured size. Great tip!

jeffgbook · Feb 7, 2015

I've got a 36x24 and have just decided to do this. I've done it before in a previous house with a 40x20 shop.

One day I was trying to draw out some rough plans for some cabinets. For some kind of writing surface I was using my table saw in the middle of the shop with a bunch of junk piled on it because there was nowhere else to put it (yes even in a 40x20 shop). I couldn't see because, what little lighting was in there, came from T12 fluorescent fixtures. I felt like I was trapped in a bad rave :shocking:

I cracked. Couldn't take it anymore. I abandoned all current projects, took everything off the walls, moved EVERYTHING to the center and literally started from scratch. Redid walls, added/moved electrical, drywall, mistint (cheap but high quality) paint from SW, painted the floor, T8 lighting, T.V. for instructional videos (this was before Youtube and wifi), etc. It went from a poorly lit, poorly organized/equipped storage area to a well lit, new construction-like house! Kind of like Denwood's place up there ^^(Awesome job btw!). I was then able to go in with a clean slate, layout all my stuff in order of functionality, frequency, etc. to suit my needs. I was really into woodworking back then and it made for a space I could do just about anything in. Don't get me wrong for a couple of months everything was in total chaos, but it paid off.

When you've got something like that you are A LOT less likely to:
1. EVER let it get unorganized or cluttered again.
2. Neglect using or cleaning it again.
3. See your wife again JK

I am currently planning this process again. Only this time I'm taking 1-2 years to weed out, add to and figure out what I wish I would have done or not done last time. My shop is currently very functional, but I'll never be completely satisfied until I had something like I had before.

Your budget should be plenty to do enough to get your sanity back. Trust me I know how you feel. And start a shop reno thread. I'm sure everyone would like to see the transformation!

zkling · Feb 7, 2015

bigsteve2011 said:
That's awesome I would never have thought of using excel for it, I've always had access to AutoCAD at work so I never think outside the box. It would work perfectly. Size columns and rows to whatever scale you wanted and just fill in the cells colors to match the measured size. Great tip!

Even better is grizzly's workshop planner. Free and accessible from any internet location.

http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

kris77 · Feb 9, 2015

Pics will be taken tonight hopefully. I know a lot of my problem is junk. I literally have 30-40 boxes of baby toys, baby clothes, and tons of kid stuff that my kids no longer use in there taking up space. Its good stuff so i hate to just throw it away and I know my wife would kill me if i just donated it. I bet there is upwards of $1,000-$1,500 worth of stuff in those boxes.

I cleaned a bit over the weekend. Hopefully when it starts warming up i can open the doors and take it all out and sort through it.

There are some good ideas on here....I just have to spend some time looking through pages and pages of them!!!!

bigsteve2011 · Feb 9, 2015

zkling said:
Even better is grizzly's workshop planner. Free and accessible from any internet location.

http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

Thanks for the link. That is some pretty sweet software.
I like the dog just laying in the middle, that gave me a good laugh.

theoldwizard1 · Jul 20, 2016

The best thing was actually done by the PO before I bought the place 35 years ago !

A very large (4'+), very heavy duty shelf, sort of a mini-mezzanine, built about 5' off the ground across the whole back wall of the garage. You can put the nose of your car underneath it (maybe on a pickup) or store other items under it. You do need a step ladder to reach anything that is pushed up to the back wall.

I actually have enough room that I put some shelf brackets above that, about 1' below the top plate, and store long pieces of trim and 1' up there.

ZRX61 · Jul 20, 2016

Hard to go wrong with 5-10 of these:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Edsal-48-...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

JonnyMac · Jul 21, 2016

Any baby clothes that are too beaten up to donate, cut em up and use them as shop rags..

Garage is a disaster....Need some advice.

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