Innovative Ideas to Use your Garage Space

A dismantled motorcycle.
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If used properly, your garage can turn into a multipurpose space – not just somewhere you keep your car. It can be used as a workshop, a toy store, a warehouse, a jam room, and the list goes on. In the following paragraphs, we will look at some simple but effective ideas to use your garage space. 

Build a Folding Workbench

Sometimes, due to limited space in the garage, it becomes impossible to bring in a permanent full-size workbench. However, you do need a place to spread things out. A compact folding workbench is the answer. When opened, this workbench can spread to a significant 4 feet by 7 feet workspace. When not in use, it can be folded and kept in the corner of your room. It serves as the perfect working space for basements and garages.

Use Walls for Storage

If you are hanging items on the hooks on the walls, you are wasting a lot of space. The best thing to do would be to add a layer of plywood to the drywall. The layer of plywood will give you extra space to mount extra storage hardware. You can add shelves or racks to store your tools, machinery and other garage appliances without having to leave them lying around on the floor.

Utilize Higher Spaces

The space near the ceiling adds to your garage’s storage capacity. The higher storage spaces aren’t the perfect places for storing everyday items, but they prove useful in the long run. You can install cabinets or deep shelving near the ceiling. These storage spaces can be used to store camping gear, Christmas decorations, and similar items.

Use a Bench Top Organizer

Smaller items such as screws and screwdrivers are likely to get lost or left to stay outside. However, you can save yourself another visit to the market by using benchtop organizers. A benchtop organizer is a wooden cabinet with several small plastic containers or bins stacked on top of one another.

These bins have multiple smaller compartments to classify the smaller items and tools in your garage. You can easily pull out these bins from within the cabinet like drawers, retrieve the necessary items, push them back, and shut the door.

Invest in a Space-Saving Workbench

If you have a smaller garage but need a workspace, you can use a fold-down workbench. This bench can be set up in a few seconds and doesn’t occupy any floor space. It serves as the perfect mechanic workbench in smaller garages. Here is what you need:

  • A 2-by-4.
  • A couple of beefy hinges.
  • Some threaded pipes and flanges.
  • Some screws.

For work surfaces, most people use a 30-inch solid door. However, you can also use plywood or any other option. To set up the bench, all you have to do is to screw up the pipes into the flanges.

Build Some Big Cabinets

If you can build the right cabinets at the right place, it doesn’t really matter whether or not you know the art of woodwork. All you have to do is to screw some 2-by-2s to the wall and the ceiling. Then, you can screw the plywood panels to your 2-by-2s. By doing so, you will form the top, bottom and sides of your cabinets. Such an approach is fast and economical. To make these big cabinets, your total expenses won’t amount to more than $250.

Include Some Outlets

In most areas, the local laws allow a single outlet in a garage. Unfortunately, the builders are way too serious about these rules and regulations, and they provide you with a single outlet in your garage. If you have some open studs, consider yourself lucky. All you have to do is to run wires and add some more outlets, as long as you aren’t breaking any local laws. If your walls are covered, your job will become even easier. All you have to do is to mount some plastic or metal wiring channels and some outlet boxes on the walls.

Use Outdoor Space

No matter how much you try, you will always run short of space in your garage. Therefore, you are bound to take the storage space somewhere else. Have you seen the outdoor cupboard that holds gardening gear and tools? If it has some leftover space, you can use it to keep garage tools. If not, there is nothing to worry about. You can add a similar cupboard outside the garage. This outdoor cupboard will provide a major relief to an overcrowded garage.

Keep Ladders at Bay

Ladders can take up a lot of space if they are left on the floor or rested against walls. The best thing to do is to hang them from the ceiling. To hang the ladder, measure it for its length and width. Now, install four strong wooden planks to the ceiling, and make sure they are parallel to one another. Now, between each set of planks should be a smooth metal roller. The rollers will allow you to easily slide the ladders in and out of the hanging system. You can easily retrieve the ladder and then store it once the job is done.

Store Your Bikes Higher

Ladders aren’t the only objects you can hang to the ceilings. You can even hang entire bikes to your garage’s ceiling. Storing bikes is quite difficult, especially if you want to keep them readily available. You need two metal hooks on the ceiling, one for each wheel. You will be amazed at the sheer amount of space they help you save.

Utilizing your garage space is not as difficult as you think. All you have to do is be creative and think outside the box. Make sure to use the aforementioned tips when redesigning your garage. However, before you do, consider the local laws regarding building and renovation to keep yourself out of any legal trouble.