Location — garage storage occurs in one of three spaces:

on the side wall,
on the end wall or
in the space over your head.

Depth — because garage space is limited, you won’t have much depth along the walls to work with, typically 12 to 24 inches — rarely more.  The first thing you should do is measure and decide what “depth” you can use for your garage cabinets.

Organization — there are two critical issues to organizing your garage storage space: 1) deciding what needs to be stored and 2) ensuring  you can find it later!

You will need to decide what should be stored: lawn and garden tools, holiday decorations, sports gear, hobby or craft items, painting supplies, or that cigarbox filled with extra nuts and bolts.  How and where do you put it away? And, more importantly, how do you find it later?

• The most common organizing principle is to store similar items together, e.g., leftover paint in a cabinet you think of as “the paint locker.”
• Another way is to leave the items visible — on a pegboard, in a drawer, or on a shelf visible from afar.
• Don’t forget labels: a box of woodworking tools, labeled ‘woodworking tools” can be more easily located than an unlabeled box.

ALONG THE WALLS

The most common garage storage occurs along the walls, either the side walls or the end walls. Consider these components:
.         .
photo credit: mtneer.                                       . photo credit: berbercarpet.

• full cabinets – these are cabinets that run from the floor to eye level or above.
• half-cabinets (low) – these are cabinets that run from the floor to your waist.
• half-cabinets (high) — these are cabinets, like kitchen cabinets, that are at a eye level or higher.
• corner cabinets – if your garage storage needs to turn the corner from a side wall to an end wall, a corner cabinet could be very useful.
• drawers, shelves or sliders – cabinets are not the only solution. Open shelves, drawers, or sliding shelves also provide excellent storage areas.
• workbench – a workbench can be a simple surface on top of some half-cabinets, or it may be a freestanding, heavy-duty table used for woodworking, crafts or otherwise.
• pegboards, wall hooks and on-the-wall systems – pegboards allow flexible presentation of commonly needed tools and other items. Wall hooks work well to hold garden instruments and  fancy wall systems can support special needs.
• baskets, bins and boxes – don’t forget the simple basket, bin or box, especially those that  are partially open or transparent.  This not only helps with storage, but with the finding what you need later.

courtesy: Tombre

Pegboard systems organize small items

OVERHEAD SOLUTIONS

Most garages have high ceilings, often 10 or 12 feet off the floor. Using that space to store items, especially bulky items is often an excellent storage solution. Consider three alternatives:

• Attached To Ceiling – most overhead solutions are composed of a bracket that attaches to the ceiling joists and extends down 12 to 40 inches. The platform hanging off the brackets can vary from 2 to 8 feet in one dimension and 2 to 4 feet in the other.
• Pulleys and Lifts – another overhead solution is composed of two pulleys attached to ceiling joists, suspending a platform or rectangular basket for storage. The platform can be raised and lowered, either manually or with a winch.
• In the Rafters — if the ceiling joists are open, the space between the joists and the rafters can be used for long-term storage.

ISSUES

Once you’ve made the major decisions — where the cabinets will go, how deep they are, how to organize your “stuff” and so forth, then the fun begins!

• Should your cabinets be on the floor or above the floor? On wheels? Hanging from the walls?
• What is better? Would, metal, composite or plastic?
• Should you use a professional installer or install it yourself?
• How about environmental considerations — moisture, temperature, wait, hazardous materials?

Check out the other articles and resources here — and good luck with your garage cabinet project!

Wood

“Wood” refers to all sorts of wood — plywood, veneer, natural woods, and even pressboard or particleboard.  There are major benefits to using wood. Normally it is less expensive.  It is easier to paint and maintain.  It is easier to install.  And it is normally it is easier to modify for your particular needs, for example, changing hinges or decorative hardware.

That said, however, wood is susceptible to a destruction by pests, moisture, and age if not properly maintained. This is particularly true for particle board if it is not kept dry.

Another benefit of using wooden cabinets is that they do not need to be “special made” for the garage.  You can repurpose kitchen cabinets, old furniture, and even shipping crates and convert them to use as garage storage cabinets.  By painting them a common color and unifying hardware, you can create the look of a custom-made solution.

Metal

Custom Made Aluminum Cabinets

The most common metal cabinets are steel, primarily stainless steel, and aluminum.  Steel cabinets can be very effective, especially when carrying a heavy load.  Stainless steel and aluminum cabinets are resistant to rust, but still need to be maintained.

Buying metal cabinets works best when you know what you need and want and can buy a complete set of cabinets.  Adding or changing cabinets later is difficult, as the model may no longer be available.

Consider, for example, the cabinets at the left.  What would you do if one of them were damaged?   Or you decided that you needed another one with drawers?   Unless the manufacturer were still making this model, you might have to replace the entire set.

Melamine, Plywood, Particle Board (MDF)

Melamine is heavy, hard to modify but resistant to moisture.  Plywood and particle board is the opposite — not good around water, but easy to modify, paint, install and maintain.   And veneer-covered plywood can be very attractive and durable if not subjected to moist conditions. Largely, this is a matter of aesthetics and personal choice … and cost, of course. I’m not going to argue for one over the other.

Whatever you decide, work with what you have … and it will serve you well!

You even know where to get it all.  Now comes the question.  Do I buy all (or most) the cabinets from a single source AND buy installation as part of the bundle?  Or do you buy installation separately?   Or do you do the job yourself?

Assuming you are a reasonably competent handyman or handywoman (otherwise, hire someone!), what should you consider before deciding whether to do-it-yourself?

Cost, Quality and Time – Pick Any Two Out Of Three

There’s a famous saying that all projects have three dimensions: cost, quality and time.  And you can optimize for any two of them, at the expense of the third.  Some examples:

• If you need it fast and good, it will be expensive.
• Taking your time saves money.
• If you do it fast and cheap, it won’t be good.

So, if you have the time and the tools, you can probably do just fine.  After all, with an appropriate amount of time, you can learn what you need to know and even do it over if you must.

credit: mrbill

The actual “how to” courses are beyond the scope of this page, but, basically, installing cabinets is no more complicated than attaching the cabinets firmly the wall (or overhead) when needed. Those cabinets that simply sit on the floor require virtually no installation. The only difference is that some garage cabinets will carry much heavier weights that, e.g., kitchen cabinets).

Metal cabinets may require a wrench set and most cabinet suppliers will happily point out the need for anything special – if only so they can sell you what you’ll need.

The only other considerations other than time, money, your skill, special tools and whether installation is bundled with the purchase price of the cabinets is liability for mistakes. If you damage the cabinets during a botched installation, likely you have voided any warranties. And if improper installation causes injury (e.g., a cabinet pulls loose from the wall and falls on someone), you could be liable.

But installing cabinets is not rocket surgery either – most experienced handymen/women can get the job done adequately, within a reasonable time, and without having to buy or learn any exotic new tools or installation methods.

Here’s a very short video that shows one rail and a couple brackets:

The most popular rail systems are made by Rubbermaid™ and FreedomRail.™   The Rubbermaid FastTrack system  (which is shown in the video) installs horizontally and claims a 2000 pound carrying capacity.

By staggering the rails, you can make room for long items like rakes or shovels and shorter items like baskets or boxes (which can fit on a shelf).

The main benefit of garage rail storage solutions, other than flexibility, is keeping everything off the floor. By keeping the floor completely free, the garage is easier to keep clean, pests are not invited to make nests and the items you are seeking are closer to eye level.  And because there’s a “system,” there is a wide range of storage components – from open mesh or solid shelves; to boxes or cubbies; to S-hooks or dual prongs; to multi-drawer units; or to complete 2-door or 4-drawer cabinets.    And the systems can support organizers of varying depths – 9”, 12” or even 16” depths, as well as those that hang on the wall.

Another approach to a rail system is to mount the rails vertically, as is shown just below. There, the rails are attached vertically, several times to the same stud, and the rails have reinforced holes where shelving, garage cabinets, storage baskets, brackets or other garage storage solutions can be attached.

Garage Cabinets On Vertical Rails

Most people think of rail systems as a sort of heavy-duty pegboard – something that will support garden tools, bikes and stuff on a shelf.  But they also can hold a more conventional garage cabinet, with or without doors or drawers. Even a sort of bookshelf can hang on a rail, either a rail mounted horizontally or two rails mounted vertically.   We have even seen a “worktop” cantilevered off one of the vertical systems — although we wouldn’t want to load it as heavily as a traditional workbench.   (Also, at 16 inches in depth, it isn’t as useful as a full workbench.)   But rest assured: If you want a tall cabinet, bookshelves or other traditional garage cabinets, they all are available on rail systems.

The systems can be a bit expensive if you have a huge space to cover, but for modest installations, or for filling in just a portion of your garage, these “rail” oriented garage cabinet storage solutions are great.

If you want to start a fight, just say which brand of garage cabinets YOU think is best! I have my preferences, but, bottom line, there are many brands that can meet your particular needs better. I’ll mention the leaders here to give you a start.

Second, decide if you need to buy installation services with the cabinets. That’s much easier to do in a local retail store.

Okay, here are the major / leading brands you should consider and my comments. ($ numbers in parentheses are street costs of a middle sized wall cabinet.) At the outset, let me remind you that a “garage cabinet” is just a cabinet in the garage, not some exotic beast of its own. You can easily consider regular cabinets or furniture – even things from IKEA or industrial shelving – in addition to items specially designed for the garage.

• Ameriwood – Ameriwood is known for kitchen and bathroom cabinets, but they make “multi-purpose cabinets” that work just fine in the garage. ($150)

• Closet-Maid – Again, this company makes all sorts of storage products for inside the house (and closets) as well as wire and laminate products (white melamine, too) for the garage. ($150)

• Coleman – Coleman makes private labeled cabinets for Lowe’s and Builder’s Square. Some Coleman products are metal, but many are MDF, so be sure to check. ($160)

• Craftsman – The store-brand for Sears, known for tools, it’s not a surprise that Craftsman also sells garage cabinets, workbenches, and floor cabinets with tool-storage drawers. Most Craftsman models are made from heavy-duty steel construction with baked enamel finish. ($140)

• Frontgate – Yes, this is the same Frontgate that makes beautiful furniture for your house. They have a line of steel garage cabinets, one with glass panels on the front doors. A bit pricey, but also nice. ($ N/A)

• Hercke – a collection of stainless steel and baked steel cabinets, drawers, and work surfaces — some on legs, some on wheels and a real mix ‘n match set of possibilities. ($219)

• Husky – Available at Home Depot. Some are all steel construction and some are advertised as “metal front” – the latter being resin (synthetic) cabinets with metal doors. ($150 for the all steel; $80 for “metal front”)

• Powell – the “hot rod collection” includes steel cabinets and a butcherblock workbench. ($250)

• PremiereGarage – garage storage solutions delivered by a nationwide network of specialty shops – and solutions range from custom-designed layouts to “standard cabinets” in a host of materials from maple to stainless to “powder-coated” (whatever that means) to melamine “cabinetry systems.”

• Ulti-Mate – Two lines – Ulti-Mate and Ulti-Mate Pro, the latter being optimized for auto enthusiasts. Ulti-Mate cabinets are constructed from MDF with solid hardware and nice finishes. Middle-of the road options. ($120 – $185)

• Vault – An upscale provider of garage storage systems.

The two most popular places for overhead storage are 1) between an overhead garage door (when it is up / open) and the ceiling and 2) a platform which extends out over the hood of a car.  

Some overhead storage solutions use a pulley and winch to hoist a basket or platform, like that shown here. You put the items to be stored in the basket or on the platform and then pull on the rope or cable to move the basket / platform up toward the ceiling and out of the way. The benefit of this system is that you don’t need a ladder and you may not need to move the car to get something out of storage.

Another solution which is common but far less popular is the “overhead bike storage.” Unlike the platforms or baskets that basically hang in the middle of the garage, the bike storage takes advantage of the headroom over the passageway along one of the passageways around the cars. You wheel the bike into the garage, and either lift or hoist the bike into the space above the heads of those who walk through the space.

Overhead storage can be a real blessing, but there are some warnings: 1) Don’t invite “varmits” to nest there. The fact is that an undisturbed spot in your warm, dry garage is pretty attractive to squirrels, birds or other pests. 2) Don’t store gasoline or other items that won’t handle heat well – as the area under the roof can get very hot in summer and 3) Make sure you have adequate ventilation and no leaks in the ceiling before installing an overhead storage area. If moisture accumulates there, in an enclosed area, mold, mildew, rot or worse might be the outcome.

Last, remember: Storage only makes sense in the context of retrieval. If you store something and can’t find it … or can’t get it back – then the item is “lost,” not “stored”! Most overhead storage systems help you FIND what you stored by being made of wire racks – so you can see what is being stored. And use either clear plastic bins so you can see what’s inside without climbing a ladder or label things boldly enough to be visible from below.

You see, there are devices that thieves can easily buy called “code grabbers.”  When you leave your garage and press the remote, it sends an unencrypted signal to the motor that runs your garage door opener.  The door shuts.  All’s well.  But if the thief has a code grabber, his “black box” had just made a copy of your code.  After you are gone, the thief presses the button on the black box, pulls into your garage, shuts the door and robs your house at leisure!

Here are some tips:

*  First, be alert.  Look for any unusual cars parked in the vacinity, especially if someone is sitting in them.    (If so, use the keypad, not the remote control and note the license number in case one of your neighbors gets robbed.)

* Second, get in the habit of locking the door to your house.  It’s not a big bother — you do it when leaving your front door.  You have your keys in your hand anyway.

* Third, consider getting further countermeasure s — encryption or a remote with randomly rotating opening codes.  We also recommend that you lock the door between your garage and the house, just like you would your front door.

* If you plan to be away from an extensive period of time, unplug the motor that opens the door.

* Make sure your installer hasn’t left the factory (default) settings on.   Just open the unit and set a random number for the starting codes.   It’s good to do this when moving into a new house or apartment, too.

All of these ideas apply when you are coming home, too — not just when you leave.    Thieves are less likely to want to break in with you home, but rapists aren’t.

Another risk is losing the remote — or leaving it in your car and having it stolen.  One solution to that problem is to use a “key fob” remote — in that case, you take the remote with you and don’t leave it in the car.  After all, you wouldn’t leave your keys in your car, would you — especially in plain sight?

Forewarned is forearmed.