Jazz up garage and create storage space
Q: I am cleaning up the garage and get things arranged properly. What suggestions do you have to free up space and jazz it up a bit? — Steve W.
A: Cleaning and jazzing up the garage area is becoming a very popular home improvement project. With the attached garage door typically opening up to the kitchen or family room, the garage is often considered an extension of these rooms. If you do the job properly, it can become an activity area for your children.
Your budget will determine how many improvements you can make.
If you have several thousand dollars to invest in this garage makeover, consider hiring a professional contractor.
They can analyze everything you need to store and the activities you wish to perform there and then develop a remodeling plan for you.
When doing the design and work yourself, the first improvement most people make is trying to get commonly used items off the floor. These may include garden tools, lawn chairs, children’s toys and bikes, pet food, fertilizer, etc.
A good option for lightweight items is installing wire grids on the wall. Matching plastic hooks are designed to easily snap into the wire grid. These range in price from about $3 to $6 per square foot and are very easy to install on the wall. If the existing wall surface is in good condition, these grids will look quite nice.
For about double the cost, solid slotted walls made of PVC are available. These panels attach securely to the garage wall and can support a substantial amount of weight. They are rust proof and will completely hide a garage wall in bad condition. You will have to use special hooks and hardware designed to fit into the slots.
Cabinets and shelving are the next items to consider. Shelving is much less expensive than cabinets, and it gives you instant access to frequently used items. Although good-quality shelving can be acceptable, it does not look as clean as cabinets with doors.
Quality is key
You will find a huge range of quality and prices among garage cabinetry. Always select ones raised up a couple of inches from the floor. This will allow you to hose out the garage occasionally to keep the floor clean. Also, during warm humid weather, moisture will condense on a garage floor and make everything damp.
Powder-coated steel cabinets are some of the most durable.