Help me with re-organizing/re-doing our garage space

[coderedpl]

Well we moved into the house 1.5 years ago and the garage isn't the best garage available. Especially from what I've seen around on these forums. I'm trying to figure out a good way to organize everything and maybe do some kind of flooring and some walls or something but I'm not exactly sure where to even begin, I want to make it look and function better without doing a major overhaul and spending too much right now. Plans down the road might include moving it up the driveway more so I dont want to spend crazy amounts of $$$ on a major rebuild or something.

I know one thing though, the floor doesn't let water flow OUT of the garage, the water sort of collects into the corners. My idea was getting some floor tiles like racedeck, or lock-tile, and then just placing something underneath it to raise it a teeny-weeny bit at the back so water doesn't collect there and once it comes closer to the front then have the side tiles kind of swoop to the inside so the water flows out towards the garage door the opening.

I have no idea if what i just said above even makes any sense. -_-
Also, the garage, as you see by some pics has an "attic" but to get to it I need to have garage door closed.

I have pictures here:
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/Coderedpl/Garage/










Any tips? =D

 

[jkrswld]

I think one thing you should consider is moving the work bench along side the big shelf, and any other large items that go out into the area all on one wall. That way you'll have more room in the working area. As most others would suggest, moving stuff off the floor is huge - so shelves galore and also getting rid of stuff you don't need.

I'd get some kind of wall-mounted garden tool organizer for your rakes and such - they're cheap and easy to hook up. It'll save space and keep you from tripping over them. You may also want to hang your ladder on hooks from the ceiling too.

I don't see a regular toolbox in there either - so perhaps a toolbox and some pegboard can help get all of your hand tools in one area - and most toolboxes have at least one or two drawers tall enough to hold drills and a couple power tools.

I'd say you've got a decent amount of space there and de-cluttering will work wonders. So first I'd see about shoving everything to the side without the door (or back, if its deep). Having no obstructions around that door will help it feel bigger.

 

[crewchief888]

your garage looks amazingly like mine did at one time

you didnt mention having to park vehicles, (or maybe i missed it)

if it was my garage

pull everything out, sweep and clean
put in as many shelves as you can (eye level and higher)
old kitchen cabinets work for upper storage.
cut the workbench to 1/2 the depth from the wall. (workbenches are "catchalls" for everything)
hang up your garden tools (simple homebuilt storage, wood and long screws)
get as much as you can off the floor.
if you need seasonal storage, use the rafters

i keep coolers, chairs, camping eq. extra tarps, spare wheels, propane heater, halogen floodlights, ect up in the rafters unless i need them.

during warm weather, the wife parks her car outside, and i have enough room to park my off road truck, get my harley out, and a little workspace, during the winter her car gets parked inside, theres almost enough room to walk around, but i dont do much cold weather work out there unless i have to.

i think the biggest thing is getting stuff off the floor, creat vertical storage for everything, my horizontal compressor is 5 ft off the floor, making storge underneath.

most of my shelving brackets, shelving, and cabinets are leftovers, dumpster finds, and thrift store buys.