Help me organize my garage

[MattR302]

I've been doing(trying) quite a bit of garage organizing over the past few months. I've been trying to get as much stuff off the floor and hanging on the walls as possible.

https://www.harborfreight.com/l-shap...-pk-68997.html I use these for hanging bigger or heavy stuff like ladders and sawhorses.

https://www.harborfreight.com/v-shap...all-68995.html These I cut about 1" above the top screw to make two separate hooks that I screw into studs. I put a piece of rubber tubing over the bottom part and my other set of DR650 wheels hanging on them. I cut a hole in a tennis ball and jam it over the end and use them for hanging my helmets.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...7957/202249703 The curved ones work great for hanging my Pitbull stands. The flat ones are good for tools or pushbroom.

I mounted a piece of 1x3" furring strip horizontally on the wall into the studs, and put a bunch of 3" deck screws into that and use that for hanging lawn/garden tools (drill a hole in the wood handle to hang them). The horizontal furring strip across the studs lets you hang stuff wherever, you don't need a wall stud.

I picked up some industrial metal shelves on Craigslist from a plumbing store that was consolidating spaces, those have been super handy. Costco sometimes has Feit 4-foot LED shop lights for $20, I have 4 of them in the 1 car garage and it's super bright.

[nhbubba]

I installed a pack of these single-strip LED lights in my basement workshop recently. Dear gawd! So. Much. Light. I had a missmatch of T8 fluorescence and some pull-cord sockets with CFLs in them. Night and day (har har) difference. I took some care to mount in 2 rows offset from the walls and such as to not cast shadows at any of the workspaces around the shop.
I now want to rip out the quad T8 fixtures I have in the garage and replace with another kit. They also don't flicker in the cold. Just awesome. $60 well spent.

I also took the time to sheet-rock and paint the ceiling. Really helps brighten the space. My garage needs this treatment too.

[01xj]

I used 4 of the 38$ linkable LED shop lights that HD sells. They don't advertise it for some reason, but they also sell a 10' cord online only. Much more useful than the 4' that comes with the light package. I was able to light up a 1.5 car garage with 4 of them off one switch. Only downside is that they are sealed, so when they die there is no bulb to replace, the entire fixture has to go.

[loudbeard]

Turns out my solution to organizing my garage is building another. Going to put up a 20x10 shed to hold all of the yard care machines and snow blower. In Rehoboth under 200 sq ft doesn't require a building permit. I don't know how I've managed to fill up a 1,200 sq ft barn but here we are....

[MUZ720]

Turns out my solution to organizing my garage is building another. Going to put up a 20x10 shed to hold all of the yard care machines and snow blower. In Rehoboth under 200 sq ft doesn't require a building permit. I don't know how I've managed to fill up a 1,200 sq ft barn but here we are....

MY Dream Garage starts with a clean slate and Cash!

[union]

I was going to buy a couple of these plus some additional shelving but never pulled the trigger. It's similar to what we used in our warehouse.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Hu...dalType=drawer

I think it was a little cheaper when I was looking. Still want but no extra cash right now nor do I want the extra work of pulling my basement apart to get them up and running.

What a really need is a larger garage and a shed.

[Garandman]

Turns out my solution to organizing my garage is building another. Going to put up a 20x10 shed to hold all of the yard care machines and snow blower. In Rehoboth under 200 sq ft doesn't require a building permit. I don't know how I've managed to fill up a 1,200 sq ft barn but here we are....

MA changed the rule from 120sf to 200sf so towns have to follow suit. So now because Boston can't require a building permit, they require a "Plot Plan." For $50.

My NH neighbor bet this would be full to overflowing within three years. So far, I'm winning. No power but I have a really long extension cord if essential

[keeena]

What size is that? 16x24?

[Garandman]

Yes: 16x24 with an exrra foot of wall height; extra six inches of overhang; loft at one end; and doubled floor. Largest pre-fab shed I could find. In retrospect, should have gone for a barn but haven't uite filled it yet. Replaced that joke of a ramp with a much heavier-duty one.


Boston is a different story. Now that we have what amounts to a gym in the garage, not sure how we'll ever fit everything in organized fashion.

[breakdirt916]

My storage/bike shed is now a cluttered disaster...it is now storage for a sofa bed and full size mattress...I am scared to even open it

[Vovchandr]

I think we all agree we have too much shit.

Solution is two fold.

1) Moving un-needed/rarely needed stuff elsewhere from working area garage if space is avaialble.

2) Eliminating items and coming to terms that it's going to cost money in the future by freeing up space now. Arguably smart storage also costs money, so it might be a net equal in the end. Cabinets and shelves (new) can get expensive.

[keeena]

...Largest pre-fab shed I could find.

What was the company and do they just spec/provide assemblies (walls, floor, trusses) or do they do the entire install? Would you recommend them?

[RandyO]

I think we all agree we have too much shit.

Solution is two fold.

1) Moving un-needed/rarely needed stuff elsewhere from working area garage if space is avaialble.

2) Eliminating items and coming to terms that it's going to cost money in the future by freeing up space now. Arguably smart storage also costs money, so it might be a net equal in the end. Cabinets and shelves (new) can get expensive.

I am trying not to be a hoarder, one thing that has helped is a local scrapyard (Metal Farm)that takes things, even in small quantities, I recently took a bunch of old computers and a plotter, got myself $35 for the trip, next trip will be some old batteries, and starting to compile another pickup load of light iron/steel

[breakdirt916]

so the city will dispose of 2 bulky items per year



scheduled it and they took it!

need a way of re-purposing, but also removing rusty tools/unused items?

(bought those wrenches in MA...10+ years ago)


facebook marketplace is fire!

posted and picked up in 30 mins

I can see the floor again!



seriously, don't toss stuff...list your clutter on facebook marketplace

I'm going to have a moto shed again real soon!

just needs:
-12v LED shed lights wired up all around
-bluetooth speaker
-small drop down table for carb cleaning/soldering
-shelf for HF ultrasonic cleaner
-solar panel for my 110v battery-in-a-box



EDIT 10/4: Facebook marketplace FTW! I gave away:
-a full bed frame
-sold an Ashley coffee & side table
-have a ton of people interested in free two pairs of used 36 waist dirt bike pants with no buckle

half of the floor is clear!



LED lights on the way this week!

meanwhile Garandman has a 16x24 & loudbeard is making a 10x20

[breakdirt916]

kitchen table, portable space heater, under cabinet roll out trash can all gone...goodwill & facebook marketplace again

and we're now clear enough to work on a bike!



do you guys vent these sheds?

I may get a 12v window fan or roof vents

2 squirts of brake cleaner & the place stinks

[02redhawk]

Yes: 16x24 with an extra foot of wall height; extra six inches of overhang; loft at one end; and doubled floor.

I'm embarrassed to ask but what is a doubled floor? Like 2 layers of flooring?

[Garandman]

I'm embarrassed to ask but what is a doubled floor? Like 2 layers of flooring?

Exactly.

[RandyO]

I've cleared out 400 sq ft in the past month, sold 2 drafting tables and a desk, sorting stuff and getting it back in file folder and folders put away.

[breakdirt916]

400sq ft! sounds like a pita...but hopefully it feels good



I also finally installed the 12v LED lights



4.5 watts



would recommend!

4 of them have similar illumination to 3x40w halogen tubes

will last 11 hours on the battery box!

still has shadows at night inside the engine bay under the carb, but an LED headlamp FTW on that last 5% of space

[breakdirt916]

the shed stinks as soon as you walk in

so I ran this



on low...for 5 mins...and it doesn't smell anymore.

I don't need *that* much extra ventilation, so a wall vent & maybe the wind powered spiral thingie should be enough

or a 12v computer fan

the power supply wasn't too happy holding bars of power w' 60w coming off the fan & an ultrasonic cleaner...12v fan should be 'nuf

[01xj]

I finally did something with this room in my basement. Had all kinds of extra trim, molding and other crap laying around that I didn't want to get rid of. Some of its painted and primed to match out kitchen cabinets so certainly something worth having around as extras. Bought a ton of those 10 inch pegboard things from depot and got all the stuff that's too long to sit on the floor somewhat organized.

I also grabbed some of those small parts organizers. 2 pack for 11$ and they lock together which is pretty useful. Better deal than the store house brand from harbor freight.

Over winter I'm hoping to grab some storage cabinets, tear those shelves down and move everything info those. I'd like to do one for parts, one for riding gear and have one cabinet for some easy essentials, like bottled water. I'm about the worlds worst woodworker so its becoming more apparent the room is just storage at this point and not a wood shop like the previous owner had intended.

[nick5446]

Yes: 16x24 with an exrra foot of wall height; extra six inches of overhang; loft at one end; and doubled floor. Largest pre-fab shed I could find. In retrospect, should have gone for a barn but haven't uite filled it yet. Replaced that joke of a ramp with a much heavier-duty one.


Boston is a different story. Now that we have what amounts to a gym in the garage, not sure how we'll ever fit everything in organized fashion.

Dude, that is GORGEOUS! Not just because I love barns, sheds and garages....it's a work of art!

[nick5446]

I'll play along! I'm always watching threads like this because I have storage issues. My issues come from hoarding bikes and parts more than anything; I have more storage than a lot of people, so I apologize in advance for complaining. I also took on an old truck project which has really screwed me up.

I'd take any and all suggestions on better organizing/optimizing my space. My garage is 18' wide and about 20' deep. Door opening is 16x7. I do have a loft, but the rafters are 2x4's, so I don't put anything heavy up there. I also have a basement where I keep bikes and some parts, but the stairs are a little steep, and clearance is tight, so anything heavy gets sketchy. I never keep any lawn mowers, weed whackers, snow blower, etc in my garage. Those all live under a porch. The rule of thumb is that if it doesn't go on a motorcycle, it doesn't go in the garage. I'd love to add a shed, but I don't have a great spot for one. I'm always buying and selling bikes, so I need the space to be flexible.

I just switched over my garage to "winter mode". That typically means:
- Making sure I can easily access my year-round bikes (plated KTM 300 EXC and a Mulistrada)
- Kick out the bikes I know I'm not going to use, and those go to the basement (not pictured, 1970 Benelli Dynamo, 1970 Torco mini bike, 1984 Yamaha Riva 180, 1984 Honda VF1000f (FS/FT: Squishy, aka 1984 Honda VF1000F))
- Set up my kerosene heater
- 1-2 project bikes on lifts (in this case a Sportster bobber project and a Suzuki RG250 I recently imported from Japan)
- 1-2 summer bikes covered up (Suzuki GT750 and Honda NSR250 I also imported)

Typical/year round stuff:
- Race stands and misc bodywork hanging from the rafters
- Racks on the left. One holds oil and stuff on top, with enough room for a bike underneath. The other holds mostly plastic storage bins of disorganized parts.
- Bench at the back which is virtually unusable because it's covered in junk 365 days/year. Also on the bench is a vapor blaster and beer fridge.
- About a dozen wheels and tires under the bench
- Tools against the back wall
- Misc ramps and a lot of front ends leaning against the back wall
- Compressor (30? gal) on the right by the door
- Desk against the right wall
- Scrap metal and misc wood against the right wall
- Waste oil/batteries/junk on the left by the door
- Mountain bike between the red lift and the wall
- Chalkboard wall on the right
- 3 overhead LED lights
- 135A MIG welder wherever I can find space for it

Summer specific stuff:
- More bikes
- More bicycles

What I like about my garage:
- Good size
- Relatively flat concrete floor
- New power/outlets everywhere
- Flat driveway in front for overflow/work on nice days
- Good lighting

What I dislike:
- Cinder block walls make it annoying to hang stuff
- No plumbing (had it, but the underground pipe broke and it didn't make sense to dig it up and fix it)
- Need a retractable air hose for my compressor
- Likely need to replace the bay door soon
- I do a lot of tires, so having my HF tire changer secured to something would be helpful
- Loft not super useful
- Not enough space to keep a sidecar bike (which I REALLY enjoy having)
- Constantly overflowing into the driveway/yard/basement
- Doing anything significant means pushing a bike or 2 into the driveway. Can be annoying in rain/snow.
- No dedicated space for bulkier tools (welder, tire changer)

Here's how it all looks as of today:

[Stoneman]

After looking at some of these "before" pics, I don't feel so bad about my garage anymore!

[OneCheekRider]

I've had enough of the old decrepit hand-made shelving that attracts junk


So I tore it all out from each side:

those are LED shop lights that I bought at Costco I need to mount. Linkable with remote and motion detectors. Will probably just run to the switch next to the door though.

Then I added outlets every 4 feet and put an outlet above the door for a small TV (cheaper 40" maybe?)


Next up is drywall, paint, and epoxy/something to clean up the floor. I'm looking into folding home-gym type stuff (I do mostly body-weight exercise) but if the gyms reopen that may change my plans. I'm considering using pallet racks for shelving (adjustable with a high load capacity) but may end up going a different route and installing shelves 6' up or so along the perimeter. Would like to install shelving above the garage door also. Need to figure out what is staying and what I'm chucking first I suppose. I've thrown out a lot already.

Also shopping for a rolling tool cabinet/workbench. Any recommendations? Admittedly, I'm just playing a lot of this by ear right now.