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Four Ideas for Organizing Tools in Your Garage
- By Aaron Sapirman
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- 30 Apr, 2021
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You walk into your custom garage, look around, and all you see is chaos. Garages are more than just rooms for your cars. Besides being extra storage for your holiday decorations, you might use your garage as a workstation for your fixer upper projects. That means you have tools and lots of them, but do you have a place to put them that keeps everything organized and easy to access?
With these four ideas, you will have an organized area for your tools to get those projects done even faster.
• Clean out the clutter
• Create sections for your space
• Get your garage organized
• Use DIY organizing ideas
The above ideas will have you breathing a sigh of relief the next time you need a specific tool and can find it quickly and without wanting to call the handyman!
1. Clean Out the Chaos
The first step is to set aside a day or two to focus on cleaning out your garage in order to turn it into the custom one you always wanted. Like most people, you probably have some old tools, holiday decorations, or miscellaneous items that you meant to donate or throw out but never got around to. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe!
It is a good idea to give yourself time to sift through the items in your garage. Depending on the size of your space and how much you need to go through, think about dedicating one entire weekend to the process.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work. Consider asking a friend to help or get your whole family involved by making the clean-out process into a game. Turning the cleanup into fun family time will make it go faster for everyone and nobody will feel boxed in.
Make three sections for your items:
• Keep: In the keep pile, you will sort out all the items you want to keep inside your garage. As you go, keep similar items together, so you don’t have to reorganize your keep items when it is time to put them away.
• Donate: For items that are in good shape but you don’t want anymore, put them in the donate pile. Keep this pile away from your keep pile, so you don’t accidentally keep the donations.
• Throw Away: While you could make a pile for items you are tossing out, you might want to consider having a large trash bag out instead. This way you won’t get confused later and can take the bag straight to the garbage can when it is full.
Then, wipe down the surfaces, sweep the floor, and get ready to organize!
2. Create Sections for Different Tools
The Spruce suggests starting by identifying the four main zones in your garage, which are car items, sports and recreation, tools, and recycling. Next, you need to figure out how much space each zone will require to help you know how to best organize everything.
You have more than one type of tool in your garage, so making sections for your various tools is important for staying organized and knowing what you have and where it is. Here are some examples:
• Tools for Fixing: These tools include hammars, saws, clamps and grips, screwdrivers, drills, nails, screws, and more.
• Gardening Tools: Yard work tools such as trowels, shovels, gloves, knee pads, and stakes need a place to go, too.
• Sports and Recreational Tools: While these aren’t your typical tools, your equipment needs to be organized and easy to access. Bats, balls, cycling equipment, fishing gear, and tools to fix these items when they break all need a home in your garage.
• Housework Tools: If you don’t have a broom closet or a lot of space inside your home, consider having a section in your garage for housework tools, such as brooms, mops, and dusters.
3. Get Organized
You have cleaned your space and figured out the sections. Now it’s time to get your garage organized with all of your tools.
• Utilize Hooks: Hooks come in various shapes and sizes and can hold a variety of tools in your zones. You can keep your lawn and gardening tools, such as rakes and shovels, off the floor by hanging them. Hammers, ladders, and bicycles can also be hung on hooks.
• Try Slatwall Racks: Slatwall racks are a great way to organize your tools. They are easy to mount on the wall and can hold a variety of items. Integrating panels in your garage will make it easy to display your tools and access them any time.
• Use Sports Racks: Your sports tools are pretty cool, so why not show them off? Sports racks will keep your gear off the ground, clean, and easy to access. Because these racks are specially made for sports and recreational gear, they can hold heavier items like golf clubs, bicycles, and sports accessories, such as tennis items, different sized balls, and bats.
• Make Use of Toolbars and Racks: Hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers are important tools to have handy at a moment’s notice. Searching for tools when you need them is a pain! Using wall mounted toolbars and racks will keep everything in one place. You can use a screwdriver bar that lines everything up, magnetic toolbars for hammers and wrenches, and long toolbars for items with long handles, such as brooms and mops.
• Consider Adding Baskets: Certain tools may not fit on toolbars or racks, and that’s where baskets come into play. Baskets can be mounted on the wall or stored inside cabinets. They can hold all kinds of tools and items, too.
• Use a Workbench: Workbenches are great for both getting your projects done, and you can store items inside of them as well.
4. DIY Ideas for Organizing Tools
Quick and easy DIY ideas will make organizing your custom garage a breeze. Here are some tips from Family Handyman to get you started:
• Fishing Rod Holder: Using a “3 inch diameter PVC pipe and a foam pool noodle,” you can have your fishing rods neatly stored and tangle-free!• Utilize Vertical Space: This is an easy DIY organizing idea. You have lots of vertical space in your garage, so why not use it? Consider creating vertical shelves to hold storage bins. You can even color code your shelves and bins based on the sections in your garage.
• Consider Trying Overhead Storage: Like vertical space, your ceiling is another underused space for storage. You can store lightweight items in this area, including seasonal decorations. To do this, you will need 2x2 wooden planks, 1x4 wooden planks, 2 inch screws, and 3-½ inch screws.