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We have been trying to get our garage organized for the entire year we've lived in our house now, but it's really hard to make that happen on a budget and with limited space, but the real truth is - we have too much stuff! I am on a mission before the end of the year, we will be able to utilize the garage as we are supposed to... you know for our cars.
One of our biggest problems, which in my husbands opinion is a good problem to have, is all the tools we own. I'm pretty sure Wesley could build an entire house and manicure it's lawn with the tools we have in our garage. BUT we also have some boxes of stuff from the old house, a few pieces of furniture and kid stuff that gets used a lot.
So, this is really just step one of our #garagecleanup, but I will show you what we did and how we did it!
Step 1. Pick a place to start.
We decided that first we should get the tools, especially power tools, out of reach of the kids to protect them and the tools. We also like to have guests over and we can't exactly have a Fourth of July celebration utilizing our beverage fridge in the garage and the only full shaded outdoor space we have with tools where the kids can reach them.
Step 2. Utilize the space you already have. It's hard to start organizing when it feels like you've already used up all of the available space, so the easy solution that was right in front of our faces was to go up the walls. The space is there and not being used, so it's the perfect solution, except this stuff is heavy... we'll get to how that worked out in a bit.
Step 3. Consider where and when you will use the items you are organizing. Since we are starting with tools, they don't necessarily get used everyday, like bikes, brooms, or even lawn equipment. So, they can be stored kind of our of the way. So, we chose our small storage room inside the garage to store the power tools. This door can also be closed for safety reasons.
Step 4. Consider your layout. We already determined we were going up the wall to store the tools, now we wanted to look at how we'll utilize them in their space.
Wesley built a simple tool bench/work table last year and uses the top for small projects and for nail, screw and small part storage. This isn't really part of the tutorial but I guess it should be because I think this is genius. He used these small stackable 6-drawer containers to store all his small pieces that he needs to be able to find. For screws and nails, he cut off the bottom of the box that tells you the size and put them where you can see what's in each box like a label.
Anyway, we decided to go up the wall behind this table and above this small storage to make his work area more efficient. Now he will be able to see all of his tools along with the parts and pieces he needs for any project.
Step 5. Measure your space and take a trip to The Home Depot! Since we are going over the table, we wanted something that was about the same length, but we can always expand along the wall later if we need more space.
Now for the fun part, shopping! (I think that's just me though, I'm pretty sure his fun part was actually putting everything together).
Project: Garage Clean Up:
Step 1. Pick a place to start.
We decided that first we should get the tools, especially power tools, out of reach of the kids to protect them and the tools. We also like to have guests over and we can't exactly have a Fourth of July celebration utilizing our beverage fridge in the garage and the only full shaded outdoor space we have with tools where the kids can reach them.
Step 2. Utilize the space you already have. It's hard to start organizing when it feels like you've already used up all of the available space, so the easy solution that was right in front of our faces was to go up the walls. The space is there and not being used, so it's the perfect solution, except this stuff is heavy... we'll get to how that worked out in a bit.
Step 3. Consider where and when you will use the items you are organizing. Since we are starting with tools, they don't necessarily get used everyday, like bikes, brooms, or even lawn equipment. So, they can be stored kind of our of the way. So, we chose our small storage room inside the garage to store the power tools. This door can also be closed for safety reasons.
Step 4. Consider your layout. We already determined we were going up the wall to store the tools, now we wanted to look at how we'll utilize them in their space.
Wesley built a simple tool bench/work table last year and uses the top for small projects and for nail, screw and small part storage. This isn't really part of the tutorial but I guess it should be because I think this is genius. He used these small stackable 6-drawer containers to store all his small pieces that he needs to be able to find. For screws and nails, he cut off the bottom of the box that tells you the size and put them where you can see what's in each box like a label.
Anyway, we decided to go up the wall behind this table and above this small storage to make his work area more efficient. Now he will be able to see all of his tools along with the parts and pieces he needs for any project.
Step 5. Measure your space and take a trip to The Home Depot! Since we are going over the table, we wanted something that was about the same length, but we can always expand along the wall later if we need more space.
Now for the fun part, shopping! (I think that's just me though, I'm pretty sure his fun part was actually putting everything together).
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Some of the things we started with were the 48" Rubbermaid® FastTrack® Wall Panel ($14.97) and the 48" rail ($9.97) and of course you'll need the Rubbermaid® FastTrack® hardware packs for each of those
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Step 6. Install. It took very little time to get this project done. I think the most time was spent on where to put each item, but it worked out great and it can be rearrange, added to, and the accessories can be changed out when we add more rails and wall panels.
This system allows for you to store 10x more by using the space between studs. That's where that heaviness of the items becomes a non-issue. Some of the accessories we chose for the tools pictured above are the Rubbermaid® FastTrack® utility hook, Rubbermaid® FastTrack® multi-purpose hook, and Rubbermaid® FastTrack® 2-handle hook which was perfect for the power tools on the top rail. We also used Rubbermaid® FastTrack® shelf brackets. We are so happy with how it turned out and since we spent under $100 on the whole thing, we will be able to add to it later!
The whole Rubbermaid® FastTrack® Garage Organization System was a great way to clean up the garage and free up space for those 4th of July festivities. Organizing your garage with FastTrack was an easy weekend summer project to help create more space in your garage and also helps free up space to finally fit our car in there. We are quite there but soon...very soon!
Now, we are already for fireworks and we know just where to find our ear protection!
You can find all you need for the Rubbermaid® FastTrack® Garage Organization System at your local Home Depot. Be careful though, the guys are like a kid in a candy store with all this cool stuff that will make both your lives easier! I might actually use some of the tools now that I know exactly where to find everything!
Tell us your best organization tips and how you are preparing for the 4th of July!
You can find some great inspiration on Rubbermaid's Pinterest and by browsing the aisles of The Home Depot!
I just love how organized and accessible everything is now! It looks like such a great way to get a space in order! #client
ReplyDeleteLooks great! We attempted to organize ours when we moved in almost 4 years ago. It's gotten pretty cluttered since and needs a little help now. Great tips and good reminder - we need to make better use of the vertical space in our garage.
ReplyDelete