6 Best Ways To Maximize Your Prefab Garage Storage
If you are the typical American, you look at your garage and wonder how it ever got so full.
How did your garage get full of boxes and exercise equipment and force you to park your car outside?
Don’t worry, you are not alone.
After all, roughly 1 in 4 Americans have a garage so cluttered they can’t park a vehicle in the garage bay!
That’s why we are excited to share 6 ways you can maximize your garage’s storage space. We know your garage should hold your storage items and your vehicle, and this guide shows you how.
Let’s start maximizing our space!
Use wall space
There are several options you can use to make the best use of your wall space. From conventional shelves and cabinets to some out-of-the-box thinking; here are some of our favorites!
Cabinets: Buy them new, or buy them used and repaint them. Either way, standard cabinets make great storage options.
Shelf standards: One of the staples of wall storage, these inexpensive shelving options are the best way to make a completely customizable shelving system in your garage.
Wire shelving and brackets: If you don’t like stacking tubs or supplies, wire brackets are a great option for easy storage.
Coated garage hooks: These are great ways to hang basic garden tools, hand tools, and even heavier items like bikes.
Slings and nets: Although they are not as traditional, hang netting or slings on your walls to hold loose items. This is especially useful for sports equipment.
Redeem attic storage in your prefab garage
If you have an unconditioned attic in your garage, then you may be missing out on some great storage options. Many people don’t make their attic organization efficient due to the rafters and trusses, but these tips will help you conquer these obstacles!
If you are interested in using the attic or second story as a living space, then read our article on building a loft in your prefab garage.
Hang loose decorations: Instead of throwing decorations in storage bins or on the floor, and then dreading taking them out again, keep it organized by hanging them.
Simply hang a clothing curtain rod, fasten your decorations (particularly wreaths) to clothes hangers with wire or string, and hang up your decorations.
Make your trusses work for you: It’s easy to get annoyed at storing totes between trusses, especially at the roof line. If you want to maximize this space in your garage, look at putting in a simple shelving system between the trusses.
Hang baskets from the trusses: If you have extra baskets and plenty of loose, light items; then putting hooks into the trusses is a good alternative. You can hang the baskets from the hooks for an easy hanging storage system.
Have easy access to the attic of your detached garage
Many people are unable to access their attic because they don’t have good access to the attic.
Why isn’t their good access?
If their attic isn’t conditioned, many people don’t want to waste valuable garage space by having a staircase to the attic. Instead, they might have a clunky folding ladder to access the attic or a simple hole in the ceiling.
Either way, it can be difficult and dangerous to access.
The other problem with not having a staircase is the difficulty of carrying loads up a ladder or steep stairway to the attic. Therefore, many people don’t even consider attic storage simply because they can’t get their items to the attic.
So how can you easily access the attic without needing a space-consuming staircase?
And how can you make it easier to carry your things to the attic?
You create a DIY pulley system and smart stair system!
No more worrying about hurting your back, dropping boxes, or breaking your valuables in storage; the simple pulley system makes it easy to raise and lower items to your garage attic without breaking your back or bank!
Instead, you have a safe and secure way to lift your items to your attic for storage, instantly freeing up valuable space in your garage for larger items or vehicles.
Hanging storage from garage trusses and rafters
Before we dive into this one, you need to be aware of a fundamental principle: Your rafters and trusses are made for a specific weight load, particularly if you live in areas with snow.
Why is this a concern?
Simple: Putting too much weight on your rafters from the interior, combined with a heavy load on the exterior, can result in your roof collapsing or being damaged. Consult with your garage builder in knowing how much weight you can hang from your rafters before you get started!
Netting: Cargo nets aren’t only made for tying down things outside, they can also be used to hold and store things inside. Securely fastening netting to rafters or a wall provides useful storage for light-weight objects such as sporting equipment or decor.
Drop shelves: Installing brackets on your rafters allows you to fasten shelving between the brackets for additional storage.
Garage Ceiling Storage Lift: If you don’t have good access to attic storage but want the opportunity to increase roof storage space, look into a ceiling storage pulley lift. These can be used for totes, bikes, and many other items.
Slings and hooks: These work great for larger items, particularly sporting equipment. Bikes, kayaks, canoes, hockey sticks, and other equipment can either be hung from slings or hooks attached to the rafters.
Store for the long term
Whether it’s transitioning decor between seasons, putting baby clothes away for the next newborn, or putting away memorabilia; it is important to think about storage for the long term.
Why long term?
Too often we grab the nearest or cheapest box or tote for storage without thinking about the long-term effects on our items. This can result in damaged items.
For example, putting too much weight on cardboard boxes causes the box to collapse, particularly if there is a leak and the cardboard gets wet. This result in water damage and possibly ruined items.
Don’t let this happen to your special items!
Here are some long-term storage strategies for your garage….
Store in plastic, not cardboard. Cardboard lets in water and bugs, and it is not usually as strong.
Use canvas storage bags for long-term storage. Large decorations in long-term storage don’t always fit well in plastic totes, and as a result we often hang them up on their own. This can result in dust, rust, and critters taking their share. Buying canvas bags according to shape and size protects these decorations.
Clean your items! This may be obvious, yet many items are stored dirty; resulting in damage to the items.
General prefab garage storage tips
Putting things into storage usually isn’t difficult, but sometimes getting the item you need out of storage is hard!
Why is it so difficult?
Because we don’t know where to look!
We think we put it in a certain tote, but nope, it’s not there. Then we look in this tub, then that basket, and sometimes we simply just give up.
So how do we avoid this problem when we put the items into storage? Here are some quick tips for the front end.
Use clear totes. If you see what’s inside you save a lot of time looking.
Organize your items by category. Keep your items with similar categories whether it is season decor, clothing, certain books, sports equipment, etc.
Label your totes. Put a clear label on your tote so you quickly find the category you are looking for. Use duct tape or a white label with a sharpie so you don’t actually write on the tote.
Keep a list. Keep a list of your totes and what is in them on a separate piece of paper. When you need an item, you simply reference your paper and find the correct tote and item quickly. This is especially efficient you both label and number your totes!
Conclusion
If you feel like you are losing your garage’s storage space to clutter, you are not alone. Remember over 25% of Americans can’t park a vehicle in their garage bay!
But you can change this!
Don’t worry about doing everything on these lists or using all the tools. Instead, pick a few of the tools and tips you know you can use, and implement them.
If the process of buying a prefab garage worries you, you can also check out our ultimate guide in preparing for a prefab garage.
And if you are ready to add some storage with your own Amish built prefab garage, then contact our garage sales team today!
What are your favorite ways to maximize space in your garage or attic?
Drop us a note in the comments below to make everyone's maximizing better!