Small garage storage ideas

[joelowrider]

ME and my wife are in the process of building a new home.

I am going from a 30x40 garage down to a 20x22 attached garage that my wife plans to also park in all of the time. I need ideas that save space so I can make the most out of it.

Like I will have one work bench but I also plan to build a fold down bench also kind of hinged on the wall

 

[Jhoff310]

you're supposed to upgrade garage size regardless of what the wife says....

The walls are your friend..shelving mounted to the walls above 4' that way there is room for the car and room to put the lawnmower under the shelves. Is overhead storage a possibility? Is the garage finished? aside from a workbench what else do you do in your garage?

These might help us come up with some better ideas

Jeff

 

[supra90turbo]

If building, why on earth would you downgrade, knowing full well it's not what you want?

 

[tylernt]

Plan for a shed so that you can get all the yard/garden tools etc out of the garage. I know of some people that even use a shed for storage of misc stuff (holiday decorations etc) to keep it out of the garage. Or, if construction hasn't started yet, spec "storage trusses" so you you can use the attic space (regular trusses normally don't have the strength for attic storage).

What kind of work will you be doing in the garage?

 

[drooartz]

The most valuable real estate in your garage is the floor space, so you need to think up. Search here for soffit cabinets -- that space is mostly wasted otherwise and makes for great storage. Fold down workspaces are also handy.

The shed idea is a great one -- I moved my yard stuff out to a shed a few years ago, and it made a big difference in my garage.

The biggest thing is to have a clear plan for what you intend to do in the space. The smaller the area, the more clever you have to be to fit it all in.

 

[supra90turbo]

Another vote for shed.
If it weren't for my shed, my 10x20 garage wouldn't be nearly enough for one car.

That said, there is still wasted space in my shed and garage, even with a loft-style shelf in the garage and big cabinet in the shed.

The real answer is up. Get everything up off the ground and you will be amazed.

 

[R6 Racer]

Another vote for a shed. Only make it at least 24x24 with a standard "man door", an OH 8x8 door & accessible by car. Keep all the yard tools, kids bikes, wives storage & all that other **** in the attached garage.

Steve

 

[bdamico]

this topic has been covered more than almost any other aside from racedeck. lots of ideas. only thing to do is use walls all the way to top

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187681&highlight=soffit

 

[R6 Racer]

All kidding aside(see my last post), Storage trusses are a great idea! Try to get the garage built with as tall a ceiling height as possible, 12 to 14 feet if possible. Hang stuff from the ceiling like bikes or even storage shelving. Mezzanine storage is also possible with a tall enough ceiling.

I will add more pictures to this post as I find them.

Steve

 

[dubber]

my wife plans to also park in all of the time.

I'm sorry but this line made me laugh. I think you will need to coax her into seeing all the benefits of not parking within the garage. Too tight, damaging the car etc....I'm not sure where you live but get her set up with an auto-starter if you have cold climates like me.

p.s. made me think of this.

 

[michaelwright]

Garages are the most unloved and messy spaces of many people's homes. Here are some of the best ways for garage storage:

1. Store toys in big bins.
2. Go up the wall to store bikes.
3. Lock up cleaning products.
4. Don’t store food in your garage.
5. Containerize loose parts and small items.

 

[sams]

I suggest looking at my build- link in the signature, particularly the last page

 

[mrodgers]

4. Don’t store food in your garage.

Wait just a minute! No way you are getting me to rid my garage of my Pittsburgh Penguins Wheaties, Mario and Jagr Wheaties, or my 1995 (I think) Steelers Frosted Flakes! Been in the garage up on top of the cabinets since I moved in 2000.

 

[isaac338]

I'm sorry but this line made me laugh. I think you will need to coax her into seeing all the benefits of not parking within the garage. Too tight, damaging the car etc....I'm not sure where you live but get her set up with an auto-starter if you have cold climates like me.

Agreed. I don't understand parking a daily driver in a shop - mine's a rusty leaky piece of **** and I don't want its dirt and spilled fluids all over the floor!

 

[joelowrider]

this topic has been covered more than almost any other aside from racedeck. lots of ideas. only thing to do is use walls all the way to top

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187681&highlight=soffit

I really like this

 

[joelowrider]

I'm sorry but this line made me laugh. I think you will need to coax her into seeing all the benefits of not parking within the garage. Too tight, damaging the car etc....I'm not sure where you live but get her set up with an auto-starter if you have cold climates like me.

p.s. made me think of this.

She has a very nice car that I have done a lot of work too that needs to stay out of the weather and away from car thefts

 

[bighouse01]

I have the same size. Built a 10x10 shed, across the back wall of the shed I build a 3' deep shelf 2' from the rafters for plastic totes. And man did that clean up the garage. I told my wife she can park in the garage when I can build my 3 car detached. That has sped up the process.

 

[MelBrandle]

There's the one space that everybody forgets, which is the ceiling space! Not just building cabinets up to the roof but also to hang things from and really create a "loft" kind of idea. If you're lucky enough to have high ceilings where the garage is, or even on top of, that would be a great spot for creating some extra storage.

 

[mikec35]

Can you build a lean to off the side or back of the garage for items less valuable to keep out of the garage?? How about a carport on the side then you could gradually close it in and keep her car in there?

 

[nolimits76]

mikec35....more details about that shelby in your avatar -- please???

I have a 3 car garage with a 2 car space about this size. Unless you drive a midget car or park outside it's just NOT enough room for 2 cars to comfortably park inside and have any sort of real work bench or storage space. If you have, or get, a truck -- fahgetta about it!

My previous house was a custom build with a 25' x 25' two car garage. I would have liked more but that was a compromise I made with budget. And for two cars, it was a pretty good choice. It offered a comfortable space to park 2 daily drivers and have ample storage and work space. At the time I even had a zero turn mower stuff in there.

It wouldn't cost you much more to expand your 2 car to these dimensions and you would be much, much happier. Still do the other things mentioned, but when building -- make sure you get good "bones" to start off.

One last thought -- if possible, leave yourself a good sized attic above that you can floor and use as storage. I have one above mine and it has been a life saver!

 

[67carl]

What does your garage roof structure look like? I had a few measly, sagging 2x4s running across mine and it was open all the way to the roof. I put in 2x8 joists, OSB flooring and an attic pull down ladder for access. Just finished insulating and getting ready for drywall. Now I have a lot of attic storage that wasn't there before. Is this an option for you? 2x8x12 doug fir is <$10 at HD, so the cost wasn't too bad.

Also notice the wall on the right side of the picture. I cut down white wire closet shelving to fit in between the studs for extra storage space. This may or may not be an option for you depending on the climate you live in.

Another clever storage idea I found online but did not use was to utilize the space in between the 2 x 8 ceiling joists. A guy made some wooden boxes to fit flush in between the joists and ran a rod through the joist, then through the back of the box. On the joist next to the box front he had a little piece of wood nailed in place that could swing under the box to hold it up or out of the way to let the box swing down. Good storage for less used items...

 

[67carl]

Just found 2 images to show what I tried to describe...

 

[67carl]

#2....

 

[JMartel]

ME and my wife are in the process of building a new home.

I am going from a 30x40 garage down to a 20x22 attached garage that my wife plans to also park in all of the time. I need ideas that save space so I can make the most out of it.

Like I will have one work bench but I also plan to build a fold down bench also kind of hinged on the wall

I would love to have a 20x22 garage. Right now, I've got a 16x18.

 

[Radio Ron w4ron]

my wife plans to also park in all of the time.

If your wife had seen as many homes burn to the ground because
of a car parked in an attached garage, she'd change her mind.
I'd NEVER park a car inside of my house, there have been four
houses burn down because a hot car started a fire inside an attached
garage within a mile of me with in the last 15 years.

I would NEVER EVER park a car inside my house.



.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

If your wife had seen as many homes burn to the ground because
of a car parked in an attached garage, she'd change her mind.
I'd NEVER park a car inside of my house, there have been four
houses burn down because a hot car started a fire inside an attached
garage within a mile of me with in the last 15 years.

I would NEVER EVER park a car inside my house.

.

Exactly how many is that? I can't recall the last time I heard of such a story. I thought garages were originally created as a place to park your car.

-Brian

 

[Modern Jess]

I thought garages were originally created as a place to park your car.

That's crazy talk.

 

[MonoxieChild]

What is going on in North Carolina that there is so many car fires?? Holy ****!

 

[BajaScout]

Just found 2 images to show what I tried to describe...

I have that issue of Handyman. I need to make a couple of those storage boxes.

 

[Binrat]

I have that issue of Handyman. I need to make a couple of those storage boxes.

scan that page and post it here, i like that idea also.

 

[ihrescue]

I like the idea of suspended shelves over the space above where the doors open. This is good space for stuff you don't need as often like coolers, beach umbrellas and chairs, project materials like wood and metals, as well as storage containers that can accumulate and organize smaller stuff like painting supplies, drop clots etc. I also like the idea of flat suspended storage for ladders. Ladders can take up a lot of space hanging from a wall. You could rig a system up where one end of your ladder remains hooked to the ceiling and the other attached to a pulley and halyard lowering system.

 

[Tex Arcana]

If your wife had seen as many homes burn to the ground because
of a car parked in an attached garage, she'd change her mind.
I'd NEVER park a car inside of my house, there have been four
houses burn down because a hot car started a fire inside an attached
garage within a mile of me with in the last 15 years.

I would NEVER EVER park a car inside my house.



.

do you live in Death Valley under a giant magnifying glass??? I live in DFW, with heat as ferocious as it gets in summer; and the ONLY garage-based fires started by cars that I ever heard of were the '97-'04 F150's that went up because of a faulty cruise-control cutout switch under the hood--which had nothing to do with heat buildup.

 

[ihrescue]

Even though this is not a storage idea consider a wall mount vacuum as shop vacs can be an impact on your floor or shelf space. They come with stretching hose that extend and retract and if well positioned can give you vacuum access through the garage and out to a limited area of the driveway.

 

[NKlamerus]

Didn't notice anyone mentioning an attic? You don't store are your holiday and misc. Stuff in your garage do you? If your building go ahead and finish your attic. that and a shed is a lot of extra space.

*friend of mine goes "all out" for ...has 80+ bins for lights. His attic alone is nicer than my room

 

[Tex Arcana]

Didn't notice anyone mentioning an attic? You don't store are your holiday and misc. Stuff in your garage do you? If your building go ahead and finish your attic. that and a shed is a lot of extra space.

*friend of mine goes "all out" for ...has 80+ bins for lights. His attic alone is nicer than my room

We did that in our attic when we built the house, the builder very nicely upgraded the joists for the load, then decked part of it out, and even left extra plywood for more decking.

Now to turn the attic stairs around...

 

[mikec35]

mikec35....more details about that shelby in your avatar -- please???

I wish it was a Shelby! It's a clone, a 6 year work in progress. Pictures are located here-
http://s81.photobucket.com/user/mikec35/library/

OP, like has been said, just go up. Fixed or adjustable shelving as high as you can go. The more the better.

 

[bad_idea]

Be careful of that adjustable shelving they sell at HD or Lowe's that works like the stuff mikec35 posted up. I had some in my garage when I moved in. I parked my Camaro in the garage. The wife and I went out for a drive. When we got home the shelf was on the floor w/ all the stuff scattered in the area previously occupied by my car! That would have dented my hood! Needless to say, those shelves went away. BTW... no animals in the garage, the door was closed. Luck would have it the shelf decided to fail while we were out.

 

[Tex Arcana]

Be careful of that adjustable shelving they sell at HD or Lowe's that works like the stuff mikec35 posted up. I had some in my garage when I moved in. I parked my Camaro in the garage. The wife and I went out for a drive. When we got home the shelf was on the floor w/ all the stuff scattered in the area previously occupied by my car! That would have dented my hood! Needless to say, those shelves went away. BTW... no animals in the garage, the door was closed. Luck would have it the shelf decided to fail while we were out.

Typical cheap chinese **** that cheapo-depot and (b)Lowe's sell... not worth the bird metal it's made of...

 

[mikec35]

The stuff I have holds over 300lbs per shelf, it's heavy duty retail shelving. Quite expensive new, but if you find a store closing or resale store you might get lucky and pick some up for a good price. If you choose the adjustable shelving sold at mass retailers just be mindful of the weight limits and proper, secure mounting.