ORGANIZING THE GARAGE
... and creating storage space
Homeowners’ garages tend to become the dumping grounds for every big, bulky, awkward thing in the house — from seasonal and sports gear to storage containers, holiday boxes, and so much more. An organized garage, however, can also become one of the most useful and functional areas of the home — if done properly.
“The No. 1 thing to ask yourself is: What do I want to get out of this space?” said Eric Letham, president and founder of Proslat Garage Shop.
“Do you want everything hidden? Do you want to get things up on the walls? It really comes down to what you want to accomplish with the space.”
Mylène Houle Morency, a professional organizer and owner of FLO Organisation, agreed.
“Make sure to find the purpose of your space, which can be difficult,” she said, citing an interesting stat: 25 per cent of homes with one- or two-car garages don’t have enough space in there to park their cars.
“It’s comforting to know that many people have that challenge, and it’s worth thinking about what is it that you want to put in your garage.”
Do you want to be able to park your car in your garage, or use the area for storage? Is it a workspace? Will it serve as a mudroom?
It’s also important to schedule time to organize your garage. Morency said people underestimate the time it takes, adding that most people need an average of 24 to 30 hours to complete the task (although this amount is cut in half when two adults are involved).
“So book a weekend for the project,” she said. “If you have kids, get a sitter or grandparents to watch them. Organizing a garage is timeand energy-intensive. Choose a nice weekend (weather-wise) so you can bring everything out of the garage to sort it.”
Next, it’s time for the actual organization process, which begins with every professional organizer’s favourite acronym: SPACE — Sort, Purge, Assign a home, Containerize, and Equalize.
Sort things into similar categories (lawn care, automotive care, etc.) and then get rid of things — either by throwing them out in black plastic bags, or donating them in clear plastic bags. Once you know what you’re keeping and how much stuff you have left, you can then purchase the necessary organizing accessories to keep everything in order.
Letham recommended various slat wall systems to turn useless wall space into functional storage.
“They can basically hold anything anywhere and can be installed on everything,” he said. “They’re impact-proof, waterproof, made locally and from recycled materials, and they’re guaranteed for life.”
And for just a few hundred dollars, an entire garage can be custom organized to fit the needs of that particular household. It doesn’t get more straightforward or cost-effective than that.
Morency is also a big fan of ceiling cages for garages, something she’s not only used in clients’ homes but in her own home as well.
“There’s always so much wasted vertical space in a garage, so you hook these onto the ceiling on studs and you can put tires, offseason clothing, holiday decorations, and other things that you won’t need access to often,” she explained. “It helps to get things off the floor and is a really great addition in terms of freeing up space.”
Wall racks can be used for rakes and shovels, while tool chests, shelving and cabinetry with labels are ideal for everything else, like car and home repair items, electrical accessories, tools, and other miscellaneous things.
“Always bolt shelving to the wall to ensure that they’re safe,” Morency said, “and if you have small children, get a locked cabinet to store chemical products.”