Author: Arthur K

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I need a Garage Organiser

garage organisers

I was speaking to a group of friends recently who both recently completed a major home renovation. One had just completed building a brand new home and had just moved in. The other had completed an extension to their home and had been living in the house for over a year. The common discussion point for both of them was the state of their garage and needing a garage organiser.

It is not uncommon that the garage is the last space in the home to receive any attention. It will usually take place 12 or more months after the owners have resettled. I happened to be at the home of one of the couples talking about the need for a garage organiser. We inspected their garage to take a look at what they had accumulated during and since the renovation. As expected everything was on the ground. It was a two car garage, one side had the stuff, the other the car.

I talked them through their garage organiser options and explained that there are several options depending on what type of help their thought they needed and how much they wanted to spend on the garage.

garage wall storewall garage organiser

Organising Expects

Search the net and you will quickly find the multitude of organising expects offering their design services. Most of them focus on design alone and then recommendations on how to un-clutter the area, prioritise what to keep and what to let go. From here there are recommendations on what type of storage the owners can invest in. Be it Shelving, Storage Containers, Wall Hooks, Cupboards, or Overhead Storage. The key service offered is the consultancy around advice and design.

Garage Organisers

In a similar vain, garage organisers also offer the consultancy piece but they have a focus on implementation of select storage options. By this I mean they will usually sell a range of storage equipment which is either their own or that of one or more other suppliers.

This type of garage organiser will review the space that is available and much like a kitchen designer will deliver a design and the cost to build and install.

In terms of price, the Organisers Organising Experts would tend to be more flexible with what services they can offer and therefore can cater for a lower budget easier. It’s not that the Garage Organiser is more expensive, its more that they usually offer the full deal of design, build and install.

garage organiser

Garage Solutions

The final category are services like StoreWALL, StorEase from Bunnings and many others. These services offer a more Do It Yourself option. The solutions range from full garage solutions, to basic shelving options, to wall storage solutions like that from StoreWALL. Home owners can pick and choose combining solutions to fit their space and budget. Much of the responsibility around design and even installation mainly sits with the home owner. Note that several of these solutions (including StoreWALL can also organise installation for the home owner).

Whilst it’s unfortunate that the garage is so often left as the final room of the house to be renovated, it’s important to view the garage like the kitchen. It might not warrant the same budget but it does require some design and investment. If you need a garage organiser, hopefully this article will guide you as to where you need to invest your time seeking advise on possible solutions.

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Surfboard Wall Rack

Surfboard Wall Rack Mount

Earlier this year, we introduced several new products to the Australian StoreWALL range, one of these being the Angle Brackets. Speaking to a client this week, we had an enquiry about a Surfboard Wall Rack or Surfboard Wall Mount. What this person was essentially looking to do was hang their surfboard on the wall so that it was out of the way and not likely to be damaged in the garage.

Surfboard Sizes

Surfboards can vary in size based on your skill level, size/weight and generally what you prefer. Asking a few questions from this client, I came to understand that you can start with a board around the 5 foot mark (150cm) and extend all the way through to 9.5 foot (280cm+). In between you get a whole heap of variations. You can also add to this your typical kid style boogie boards which most Australian homes have several of.

Source: storeyourboard.com

Surfboard Wall Rack Options

Having a look online, there are plenty of surfboard wall rack options to choose from including single surfboard mounts through to mounts that can hold up to 4 boards. One actually allows you to start with 2 mounts and then add an additional two. Pricing varies significantly from $50 all the way through to $200. Much of this is based on the material that the mount is made from.

StoreWALL Surfboard Wall Racks

Surfboard Wall Rack Mount

StoreWALL offers two Surfboard mounting options. The first is our Angle Rack Hook and the second is our popular Angle Bracket.

The Angle Rack Hook, is a simple pole set at an upright angle which fits to your StoreWALL wall panels and allows you to easily hang your Surfboards, Boogie Boards and even Skateboards. Each of these hooks can hold about 10kgs, so a set will support 20kgs.

The hook is secured to your StoreWALL panels with our unique CamLok locking mechanism.

The second rack mount option offered by StoreWALL is the Angle Bracket. This is also an ideal option for any wide item like a surfboard or even kayak that needs to be removed from the floor and hung on the wall.

The Angle Bracket range comes in two sizes: The 245cm Bracket and the 381cm Bracket.

  • Dimensions for the 254cm bracket are: 430mm (off the wall) x 50mm (width) x 300mm (height)
  • Dimensions for the 381cm bracket are: 660mm (off the wall) x 50mm (width) x 450mm (height) 
angle bracket

StoreWALL Angle Bracket

The great advantage of the StoreWALL Angle Bracket is that it can be used for so many different items around the home from lengths of wood, to skate boards, to surfboards and even Kayaks. StoreWALL can even handle weights of around 60KGs when installed with InstallStrips.

Not only do you get a very suitable solution with StoreWALL, you also get one that is versatile as your needs around sport, surfing and the home change.

StoreWALL Angle Brackets are made from solid steel are powder coated and also come with soft padding to protect your surfboards.

With StoreWALL and the CamLok locking mechanism, your Angle Brackets can be moved around your garage as required. Unlike your traditional Surfboard Wall Mount which is permanently installed on your wall and can’t be adjusted once it’s on there.

Angle bracket
Foam Padding Protection


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StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

We recently completed the make-over of a garage wall in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Whilst we have been selling StoreWALL for just on a year now, we don’t typically do installs. Rather we refer clients to carpenters or garage organisers to complete the installation. However given the size of project, the opportunity to install StoreWALL on a brick wall of 9m was very appealing.

Wall Panels on a Garage Brick Wall
Wall Panels on a Garage Brick Wall

The home is in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and the client was keen to cover 2 of the 3 walls with StoreWALL Brite White panels. The length of the main wall is 9.45m, with a 2.4m height.

The result as you can see below was a huge transformation of a boring brick wall which didn’t offer any storage capability. It has now become a very functional storage area which can cater for all tools, electrical accessories, gardening utensils, ladders and clothing.

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

It took two of us a full day to complete the installation of the Brite White panels. In total the whole area was some 22 square metres. The total number of panels used was approx 32.

Installing StoreWALL on a brick was is a much harder task compared to your typical plasterboard wall.

  • Firstly the drilling took much longer as each hole needed to be drilled using a Hammer drill.
  • Secondly the wall was not straight vertically, ie some bricks pocked out whilst others were indented. This meant we had to put extra effort into the placement and levelling of our InstallStrips to ensure they connected properly to each panel.
  • Thirdly, the installation was end to end both across the wall and from top to bottom, so we had to cut panels both vertically and horizontally.

Tools to Install StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

Detailed below are the tools we used for the project.

  • Hammer Drill – definitely need this for a brick wall.
  • 5mm x 150mm (length) Masonry Drill Bits.
  • Hammer
  • Brick Nylon Anchors. The size you will need is 5mm X 40mm.
  • Packers or pieces of cardboard to help level the InstallStrips installed on the wall.
  • Spirit level
  • Ladder depending on the height you are working towards
  • Second person to help you
Wall Panels on a Garage Brick Wall

InstallStrip Claws

Whilst the size of the wall was challenging, the hardest part of this project was actually the brickwork itself. The wall was not level and so we had to pay extra attention to how we placed each InstallStrip so that the claws grabbed the panels and created a sturdy fit.

It meant checking each Installstrip one at a time to ensure the claws grabbed the panel. In all it would have taken 2x as long as a plasterboard wall.

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

The below photo shows the final panels being added. In this case we had to cut panels both vertically but also horizontally (ie along the length of the panel).

The final piece of panel as about 195mm (just over half of the panel).

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall
StoreWALL on a Brick Wall

The final result was really impressive and the white colour of the wall added some light and practicality to what was a rather dark garage.

StoreWALL on a Brick Wall
StoreWALL on a Brick Wall
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Slatwall Garage Storage

tidy up your garage

StoreWALL has recently launched its latest Wall Panel range – StoreWALL Basic Duty. StoreWALL Basic Duty will launch as our entry level slatwall garage storage solution designed to be more affordable and accessible for home and garage owners.

Slatwall Garage Storage

StoreWALL Basic Duty Wall Panel will be reaching Australia in mid to late June 2019 and will join our already popular StoreWALL Standard Duty range. The Basic Duty Slatwall Garage Storage Panel comes in two colours, Grey and White and both will be available in Australia.

The new range continues to be provide a hard plastic wall panel finish ideal of your garage or home. It is easy to clean, hard wearing and weather proof. Installation is made even easier than before. InstallStrips are NOT AN OPTION with the Basic Duty Panel, it can only be installed via screws from the face of the panel directly into the wall.

Slatwall Garage Storage

Many Australians are looking for new ways to tidy up their garage and have admired the simplicity of StoreWALL. Unfortunately for some, the Standard Duty Slatwall Garage Storage Panel has been outside of their budget. The Basic Duty Panel gives Australians a new option which is affordable, easy to use and install.

Tidy up your Garage

StoreWALL’s Basic Duty Wall Panel is compatible with all StoreWALL accessories including all Hooks, Brackets, Shelves, Baskets and Bags. CamLok is just as effective with the Basic Panel.

We are launching the Basic Duty Panel in a 1.2m size with both Grey and White colours. They will be sold in packs of 4 (1 carton) and as individual panels. A 2.4m option is available in the US and we may consider this down the track as we get feedback from home owners.

Pricing for the new range is almost half of the Standard Duty Panel at $170 for 4 panels. Each panel is 1219mm (length) x 304.8mm (height) x 16.7mm (thickness). Four panels per carton covers 1.48 sq meters.

In terms of Installation, we recommend you use approx 20 screws per panel. Get more details from our online store.

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DIY Garage Hooks

DIY Garage Hooks

Visit your local hardware store and you will find an extensive range of DIY garage hooks. From small to large, and hooks for heavy and light objects. Many of these hooks are designed for you to attach directly to your garage wall with a screw or bolt. There are also hooks designed which are specifically designed for a pegboard or a slatwall.

DIY Garage Hooks

This week, I looked through my own garage and found a variety of wall hooks that I have collected over the years. I spent some time reviewing and comparing them to the StoreWALL range. The review which is pretty detailed focuses on the thickness of the metal used, the use of backing plates, the quality of the finish, the style of hook and the installation options.

Most slatwall designed hooks are not build for direct installation without the slatwall. StoreWALL’s range gets a Yes and No answer here. Whilst not designed specifically for this, its backing plate has a pre-drilled hole to allow for direct installation. What complicates the installation is the CamLok mechanism which protrudes at the rear of the back plate. This stops the backing plate from sitting flush on the wall.

Therefore it is a more versatile option than StorEase which also has a protruding backplate but doesn’t have a predrilled hole.

StorEase & Sure Hook

My review is included in the video I have added below. It runs for about 10mins and compares a range of hooks I have purchased from my local store. I have pegboard hooks, StorEase hooks, as well as Surehook.

The video reviews each DIY garage hook so you can get a better understanding about the strength and practicality of each hook and hook system it belongs to.

Slatboard or slatwall systems whilst requiring an upfront investment eliminate the need to drill holes into your walls. Each hook or bracket or shelf can be moved around as required. They can also be removed altogether if no longer needed. Given the amount of storage found in our homes today, it is certainly worth considering when designing your new home.

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Ball Storage Rack

storewall large tote bag

My son and I really enjoy playing soccer. Over the past 4 years since he started playing we have accumulated about 6 soccer balls. Some of these we purchased ourselves and some have been received as birthday presents. Finding an effective way to store these balls in some ball storage rack of sorts has really been challenging.

My son plays for a local soccer team and trains twice a week. We also train together once per week. So our collection of soccer balls are always scattered between the garage floor, boot of the car (multiple) and the back yard.

Ball Storage Rack

Inside the garage we have used a ball storage rack of sorts which is essentially a storage bin. Now storage bins are great, but not really the ideal solution for balls.

The local soccer club that my son plays for uses Tote Bags to store the soccer balls that the teams can share. In fact each coach has their own tote bag for training balls.

Sports Tote Bags

StoreWALL offers its own range of canvas tote bags, but best of all they also offer hooks long enough to enable you to easily hang the tote bags from your garage wall. This is a much more effective ball storage rack than using a bin.

ball storage rack - sports totes

Tote Bag Sizes

The Tote bags offered through StoreWALL come in 4 sizes, small, medium, large and extra large. They are made from a tick heavy duty mesh canvas material with draw strings which can be spread across 2 hooks. The hooks which are attached to the wall with CamLok, are called 300mm Universal Hooks (you will require two of them which can be shared across bags).

ball storage rack - sports ball totes

The sizes of the Tote Bags are

  • Small – 279mm (d) x 304mm (h) x 457mm (w)
  • Medium – 279mm (d) x 457mm (h) x 457mm (w)
  • Large – 279mm (d) x 457mm (h) x 609mm (w)
  • Extra Large – 279mm (d) x 609mm (h) x 863mm (w)

These dimensions refer to the actual width, depth and height of each bag.

Easy Access

What is actually great about these bags is that once they are removed from the wall (essentially slip off the hooks), the draw strings can be used to close them and they can be taken with you to your sports activity.

ball storage rack - sports ball totes
Removing the Tote Bag

Take a look at our wall storage options here. You can combine a Basic or Standard Duty Wall Panel with a StoreWALL Tote Bag and still have room on your panel for a few more hooks to cater for other garage or gardening storage needs.

Compatibility with Slatwall Systems

If you are already an owner of a StorEase panel (wider silver panel) sold by Bunnings or slatwall panels from GarageTek or GarageSmart, you can also combine StoreWALL Hooks and Totes to your panel(s).

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Home Garage Storage

slatwalls for workshops1

Every day I pass new homes and catch a glimpse of their garages only to see a mixture of home garage storage made up of shelves, hooks with hanging items from the wall and lots and lots of items sitting on the ground by both walls.

I suppose once you have invested so much money onto a new home and garden, the last thing you want is to invest more money into your garage? It’s already built, the four walls are there.

Just like a kitchen however, it needs cupboards, bench space, cooking appliances, washing accessories and so on.

Home Garage Storage Options

Your garage is much the same. It needs furniture to make it work. Furthermore, garages in most modern homes sit at the front of the home and are usually the first room you see when you arrive.

Garage Storage Solutions Sydney

Pass any new home with a packed and messy garage and you don’t get a great first impression. Unlike the older homes with the garage at the end of the driveway, new homes make a statement with their garages. They are also another entry point into the house.

Home garage storage is best done over time but with a combination of furniture which will help you manage both large and small items. Items which are used regularly and those that aren’t. Items that are long and short as well as awkward. Garages also need to store everything else the home doesn’t want.

Home Garage Shelving

Every garage definitely needs shelving, but going end to end with shelving will also take up a lot of room because it is usually 500mm deep. This is space you no longer have if your garage is made of mostly shelving.

Wall panel storage options are a great option because not only can you utilise the full height and length of your wall, you can use it to store garage items of all sizes. This includes the awkward ladders and wheel barrows. It also includes the brooms, rakes and other pole based equipment usually forced into the corner so they remain upright.

Wall based home garage storage can also cater for your bikes hanging either vertically or horizontally. The great range of hooks will also cater for all of your power tools. Then there are the great range of smaller shelves. These come in wire, plastic of heavy duty metal. Some are about 800mm on length and others 1.2m.

There is actually very little a wall based storage solution can’t handle. Best of all, hanging items directly on your wall means they are off the floor. An additional advantage is that the depth of your storage is linked to the depth of your stored items (unlike the fixed depth of a shelf).

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Garage Storage Shelving Systems

cans-on-angle-shelf-front_1

StoreWALL offers a great range of Garage storage shelving systems which can be attached to our StoreWALL Wall Panels and easily moved around. The range comprises plastic and metal garage wall shelves of 800mm or 1.2m lengths.

Metal Garage Wall Shelves

StoreWALL Metal garage wall shelves come in 1219mm and 760mm sizes and are made from solid industrial grade steel, with a steel reinforcement bar on the underside. Our Metal Shelves will keep all your items safely stored. All of our Metal Shelves also come with CamLok backplates and are coated with a heavy duty powder finish.

Light Plastic Shelves

Compliment your StoreWALL panels with our new light weight plastic shelves. The 812mm & 1219mm shelves are made from a sturdy plastic and are supported by StoreWALL brackets (sold separately). One side has no edges, flip it over and it is a tray with a lip edge all the way around. The shelves have a maximum weight capacity of about 45kg.

Garage storage shelving systems – Ledge Shelves

The 1219mm Ledge Shelf fits directly onto your StoreWALL wall panels (no brackets required). Shelves are moulded of strong, lightweight thermoplastic, do not require paint or finishing and are simple to keep clean. The Ledge Shelf can easily be converted into a custom display shelf or tool organiser.

Metal Wire Shelves

StoreWALL offers two Wire Shelves (Small and Large). The Large Wire Shelf (760mm) provides more space for storing a wide variety of supplies and is perfect for places where Garage storage shelving systemsbrackets cannot be used. A great place to store muddy boots and boxes off the floor.
The Small Wire Shelf (760mm) is designed for storing items such as a tackle box, small cooler or a tool box.

Wire shelves are equiped with our CamLok locking mechanism.

Tool Organiser

Our garage workshop storage solutions now extend to our tool organiser. Made of extruded, lightweight thermoplastic, pre-drilled and ready to use. The 406mm Tool Organiser is incredibly strong, easy to clean and does not require paint or finishing.
It also attaches easily to StoreWALL without additional brackets.

All of our shelving options can be found here.

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How to organise your garage and bikes

How to organise your garage and bikes

Whilst garage spaces are similar from one home to another, how you use your space and what you keep in it can vary significantly. That is why tips on how to organise your garage and bikes can be useful but they can’t really delivery the full recipe for each and every person.

The benefits of being organised inside the home are exactly the same outside it. An organised garage can not only make it easier for you to find things, but it can also reduce the chance of damaging items kept in your garage like cars and the bikes themselves.

Today’s article has a focus on bikes because bike riding is becoming a whole lot more popular in Australia. Many people not only ride on the weekends, they now also ride to work. Bikes can be a much bigger investment than what they used to be, and people take that investment quite seriously.

Greater popularity also means more bikes in homes and a bigger challenge on how to how to organise your garage and bikes without compromising the bike or the rest of the garage.

The Bike Plan

The tips for your bike plan are to consider what amount of space you need for storing your bikes, ie look at the size of each bike and the space you will need around it. The last thing you want is damaging the bikes as they are taken form storage and then returned.

You will need to consider where in the garage you want them to be stored and how they will be accessed. This includes taking the bikes off and stand or hook and then returning them. Consider that you might need access to all bikes at the same time, particularly if you are riding to work on weekdays and with the family on weekends.

Storing bikes is not just about the bikes themselves, its also about the accessories. Think about helmets, pumps, shoes and other clothing. These items also take up space and can actually be quite awkward to store.

How to organise your garage and bikes

There are lots of different ways to store your bikes. Vertical storage is by far the most popular and where you will find the most storage ideas and options.

If you’re opting for indoor storage, you need to accept that any effective solution will require you to drill holes in your walls. The only other alternative is to run poles from floor to ceiling, or to consider free standing solutions which are effective but take up lots of valuable space.

We did some research and found several stores selling a variety of bike storage options. In terms of vertical storage ideas consider:

Wall mount bike storage

The most common types of indoor bike storage is a simple set of hooks screwed into your wall. One hook allows you to hang your big vertically (on its side). Two hooks allow you to hang your bike horizontally.

A hook designed for bikes allows you to hang your bike vertically with the tyres facing the wall. This saves you space along the wall.

Hanging your bike horizontally on the wall requires that you either have two hooks or brackets. Alternatively there are also options like the one below which combines a bracket and two hooks. This type of hooks has the bike sitting off the wall and easy to view and admire.

How to organise your garage and bikes
Source: Catch.com.au

Below is a more modern hook which needs to be screwed into the wall but allows for the bike to face the wall.

How to organise your garage and bikes
Source: Catch.com.au

An alternative hook solution is the one below which has one for the top and one for the bottom. This solution enables the tyres to rest without touching the wall. In this case however two hooks also means more holes in your wall.

How to organise your garage and bikes
Source: bibelo

StoreWALL Bike Hooks

StoreWALL bikes hooks are also a great alternative for hanging your bikes vertically on your wall. The StoreWALL solution utilises a wall panel which is installed on your wall. The Bike hook is then attached to the panel.

Use of a wall panel allows the Bike Hook to be moved around as required. Additional hooks can be added for your helmets and other bike accessories.

Freestanding storage stands

If you own more than one bike or you live in a house of cyclists, then buying bike storage specific furniture may be worth investigating.

Pulley & winch systems

A pulley system is directly attached to the ceiling or on the wall high up. Having your bike high up has it out of the way. The Pulley and Winch system uses a harness and hook to lift the bike up towards the ceiling.

A secondary attachment is used to secure the bike from movement making it safe dangling above your head.

Using the ceiling in your garage can be useful as long as it doesn’t interfere with any garage door systems. It looks like a pretty effective way to organise your garage and bikes

How to organise your garage and bikes
Source: 99bikes

Bike Storage Sheds

If the challenge to organise your garage and bikes is getting too hard, consider a separate bike storage shed. It does require more space and quite a bit more in cost but it also get the bikes out of the garage and securely stored.

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Garage Wall Tool Organiser

tool organiser

StoreWALL recently launched its new Garage Wall Tool Organiser and we have been fortunate enough to have received a supply. The StoreWALL range includes 2 sizes the 16 inch (420mm) and the 10 inch (250mm). We are stocking the 420mm option plastic tool organiser at the moment and its already proven to be popular.

Measurements

The StoreWALL Garage Wall Tool Organiser sits about 115mm off the wall, 420mm in length and 15mm in height. It is made from 4mm thick lightweight thermoplastic making it super durable like every other StoreWALL accessory. It’s also very easy to install on your StoreWALL Standard or Heavy Duty panels.

Garage Wall Tool Organisers

Our Garage Wall Tool Organiser is very light weight, easy to clean and doesn’t need any painting or finishing. It also comes with pre-drilled holes for your tools making it ready to use. You can see from the several images in this post that about half of the tool organiser is made up of pre-drilled holes. The rest can be used as shelf or you can drill additional holes as required.

Garage Wall Tool Organisers

Installing Your Tool Organiser

To install the wall mounted tool organiser you will need an exposed edge from a wall panel and then just slip it in and adjust where along the panel you want it to hang. The organiser doesn’t come with the CamLok locking mechanism but as you can see from the below video, its impossible for it to come off the wall due to the edges that are hooked into the wall panel grooves.

Garage Wall Tool Organisers

StoreWALL has a range of Thermoplastic shelves which we will be launching in Australia late February. They range in size and have a very similar look and feel to the Garage Wall Tool Organiser.

Combined with our Heavy Duty Shelves, StoreWALL’s range of baskets, shelves, bins, brackets and totes can help you get the most out of your garage or work shop space.

Tool Organiser Video