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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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StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

cincinnati-garage-bike-rack-with-gardeners-and-lawn-care-services-shed-traditional-extreme-storewall

When you are investigating options for reorganising your garage storage area its important to see working examples others have completed. This week I have searched the web and found several examples of StoreWALL garage installation ideas.

maximising your garage walls

Two Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation

This is a busy garage on the left has much of the wall area installed with StoreWALL. They have implemented a large range of hooks as well as shelves to manage their many tools, brooms and other gardening equipment. Notice the use of StoreWALL’s specialist pole hanging hooks. They are both secure and can hang multiple poles from the one hook. This approach saves space on your limited wall.

StoreWALL Stairwell Installation

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

This is a much smaller fit out of StoreWALL. It’s also not in the garage but inside the home. Making better use of your smaller storage areas is ideal use of StoreWALL accessories. In this small area they have lined the wall with StoreWALL panels. The use of accessories has enabled this family to hang and store all sorts of cleaning tools. Each item has its rightful space and so can be returned once used. This eliminates that cluttered cupboard which most of us end up with.

StoreWALL Sporting Garage Installations

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

This StoreWALL garage installation has been built on only one side of the garage. To the far left we have brackets for storing the bikes horizontally. As you can see this method of storing and hanging bikes is effective but takes up one third of the space. This garage has also combined a range of hooks for helmets and other sporting gear. They have kept all of their sporting balls within tote bags which enables them to see what is held in the bag and easily grab it. In addition you also have box hooks for gardening scissors as well as hooks for smaller ladders and electrical cables.

StoreWALL Fitness Room Installation

Whilst this isn’t your typical garage, many people (including myself) have converted part of their garage area or an internal room into a workout area. This example is rather large but it shows how you can hold weights whether in dumbell form or as free weights using StoreWALL accessories. Baskets and shelves can also be used to hold much of the smaller equipment like skipping ropes, grips and weight gloves. Hooks are then used to hold your boxing gloves, belts and weight balls.

Part Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

This example shows how you can use StoreWALL for only part of your garage wall and still allow for what is hanging to be removed from the floor. Floor space can be used for heavier items that need to be accessed frequenlty. This garage has installed StoreWALL on the rear wall but has only used StoreWALL on half of it. StoreWALL is installed about 600mm from the ceiling and about 1000mm from the floor. In total you have about 3 panels of StoreWALL running horizontally across the wall. Interestingly this garage wall also has smaller cupboards at one end. StoreWALL has been cut to size around this cupboard to create a clean and professional wall and garage setup.

Complex StoreWALL Garage Installation

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

If you are looking for a great custom build for your garage then this example will provide you with some inspiration. The owners of this garage have combined 6 sets of mid sized cupboards, two sets of drawers, bench space, built in shelving and a full wall of hanging accessories. This is a very busy wall.

StoreWALL is used end to end on the wall and in-between each of the pieces of furniture, including in between cupboards. The main tool section is above the bench space and in-between the two cupboards. One end of the wall has been lined with hooks to hang a range of garage items from sporting to gardening equipment. They have also added additional StoreWALL shelving to hold baskets and some bags.

Wall to Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

This is a great example of having StoreWALL from floor to ceiling across the entire garage. Two walls are shown in this example. The garage floor is nicely tiled. StoreWALL’s slatwalls then butt up against the lower tile to create a really clean finish for the wall.

This garage combines tall cupboards, bench space with cupboards as well as hanging cupboards. The range of accessories is minimal at this stage but they combine brackets for the biles and baskets for the larger items.

Notice they also have power points on the wall which they have cut around. Similarly they have trimmed StoreWALL around the windows.

StoreWALL Bike Installation

StoreWALL Garage Installation Ideas

This basic bike installation was included because we have been inundated with calls regarding bike hooks for the garage. You can see the StoreWALL bike hook in this example holds the bike vertically from the tyre. The rear tyre is either touching the floor or also suspended. If it is not touching the floor then it is likely to be touching the wall.

This garage has combined a range of hooks and baskets to cater for helmets and other bike related gear.

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Garage Organisation Starter Kit

storewall small angle basket

As part of our year rate payment, our local Council also runs its yearly hard rubbish collection. This annual ritual (which is bi-annual for some suburbs) sets a range of household activities linked to better garage organisation. A few weeks prior to the annual collection, households receive a reminder that it is approaching and then week after week, surrounding suburbs begin to place their hard rubbish out for collection.

Garage Organisation

Whilst hard rubbish collection is not just about your garage and garage organisation, it seems to set off a string of spring cleaning activities within my household. Most of these activities have to do with inside the home but we eventually also end up outside in the garage, re-organising, cleaning up, and throwing out.

Garage shelves are emptied, tubs are opened, benches are cleared so that we can see exactly what we have stored since the garage organisationprevious clearance and what we no longer need nor want. As the family grows up its a lot easier to determine what needs to be kept for the kids. Certain furniture and toys are just no longer needed and better off with others. Seeing it all once again makes it easy to simply remove it and place it out for collection.

Easy Access

Much of our garage storage is made up of garage racks and shelves. They work a treat by holding lots and allowing lots to be buried away (out of site and mind). This is a problem in itself however. When you store tools and work related equipment on shelves, seeing what you have and finding it becomes really difficult. It uses up precious time and generates frustration. Having your tools hanging or stored via a slatwall rack can be a lot more practical.

Slatwall panels are a wall panel with grooves that allow accessories to securely hook into them. You can then use the accessories to hang and store your equipment on. What I like about slatwall panels is that they allow your tools to stay visible and most importantly accessible. This is unlike a racking or deep shelving system.

Garage Organisation Starter Kit

Hard rubbish collection in my neighbourhood isn’t until August but I have already begun to review what can and can’t go this year. To help you with the garage reorganisation part of your clean up project, StoreWALL has launched its StoreWALL Starter Kit. The idea behind the kit is to bundle a selection of accessories that inspire you to see what you can achieve with your garage as well as how StoreWALL can help you get organised.

To help you get started, StoreWALL offers a simple bundle of accessories which can be added to your StoreWALL slatwall panels.

The Starter Kit comes with these accessories:

  • 1 x StoreWALL Square Shallow Basket
  • 2 x StoreWALL Heavy Duty Universal Hook
  • 1 x StoreWALL Crade Hook
  • 1 x StoreWALL Heavy Duty Utility Hook

You will obviously also need the slatwall panels and we make these available as single sheets as well as in packs of 6 or 4. The packs of 6 are 1.2m in length and the pack of 4 are 2.4m.

When you are ready to get started with your next garage organisation project, give us a call so we can help you with ideas and pricing on how our garage solutions can solve your storage problems.

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Organising your garage into Zones

rganize the Garage into Zones

Whether your garage is big enough to hold one or two cars, organising your garage is not easy and over time with more and more “stuff” filling it, the task seems almost impossible to start. Giving your garage an almighty clean and declutter is one thing, setting it up to stay organised means you need to create a garage organisation plan. The best way to get started is by organising your garage into zones.

A simple redesign of your garage can make all the difference.  Try assigning “zones” to each section of the garage.

First of all, what are storage zones?

Storage zones are areas in your garage where certain (similar) items should be stored. Sounds pretty simple, but you’d be surprised at how many garages just evolve over time with items all jumbled in together instead of being gathered together in certain designated areas.

Below I have listed a range of Zones or categories which comprise most of the items found in a typical garage. They will give you a head start to create your own Zones for the items that make up your garage.

Zone 1 – Household items

These are mainly items you will use at some stage within your home. You’ll want to store bulk items like laundry detergent, toilet paper, pet food, extra pantry supplies, brooms, mops and buckets, the vacuum and any other items you are likely to use inside your home in this area. Keeping these items close to the interior door leading to your garage allows you to grab them quickly and easily.

Zone 2 – Backyard tools and garden supplies

These are all outdoor items and will be needed when you are working in the backyard. This particular area should be kept toward the front of the garage since you’ll want these items to be handy while the front garage door is open and you’re working on the lawn.

Zone 3 – Workshop space

Keep your hammers, pliers, nuts, bolts and clamps in the area of your workbench. Keeping these items together will make any “fix it” project much easier to manage if all of your tools are all easy to find and access.

Zone 4 – Sports Equipment

Cricket bats, soccer balls, bike equipment, even a surfboard! Keep these items together for quick grab-and-go availability. Look at how high you want to store them so that even the kids can grab them on their own.

Zone 5 – Holiday Decorations

Plastic storage bins and bags are a great way to organise this type of stuff. These items are not accessed often, so can be stored on shelves up and out of the way. Be sure to clearly label all bins to make locating particular items an easy process.

Depending on the types of items you have and your particular interests and hobbies, you may have several more zones.

The single most important thing to remember is to group “like” items together.

Life works so much better when it’s organised!