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A change of season tends to bring up some storage issues you may have in your garage. The fall sports seasons are ending, and it is time to put away the basketballs and footballs in favor of snow gear. You gather it all together with the intention of finding a great place to store it, but by February, all the stuff is still on your garage floor. This situation is both dangerous and irritating. Overhead storage can make the difference between keeping your seasonal gear under control, and letting the mess take over your garage. With these handy tips, you can learn how to best use overhead storage to restrict garage clutter and make space for the tasks most important to you.
Clear Floor Messes
This time of year, it is common to start thinking about ways you can beef up your winter garage organization. After all, the family will be tracking in snow and dirt from the cold weather and snowstorms, and you do not want anyone to trip over clutter and get hurt. You also want to keep your possessions in good shape all winter long. Before you can take advantage of overhead storage in your garage, you have to remove all the clutter. As fall wraps up, invest the time to really clean out your garage. Gather a group of items for donation for your end-of-year tax deductions, and throw out any garbage that has accumulated. Use boxes, bins or baskets to sort and help you get an idea of what you might need to store in various places in the garage.
Organize Items
It may be tempting to give priority of place to the biggest items in your garage, but you also need to think of your things in terms of use. It makes no sense to take up the floor and walls with equipment and materials that you only use a few times a year. The stuff that you need on a daily basis has to be very easy to reach. You will want to reserve the walls for these items. Sort the other things by type and frequency of use. For example, you may have a couple of bins for seasonal decorations and outdoor gear, and a bin or two for items that you are saving but may not need for a year or two. Either of these categories could be placed into overhead storage. Overhead storage is intended for the things you do not need to use all the time, but that you prefer to store in the garage.
Benefits of Overhead Storage
If you think about it, your garage is like a storage freebie. It could be an incredible boon for you, particularly if your home is small or does not have a lot of built-in storage otherwise. With that in mind, why would you ever leave the ceiling bare? You could put much of what is currently sitting on your garage floor into overhead storage and watch your floor become the clear, easy workspace or parking space you always wanted. Even better, overhead storage frees up your garage walls for efficient storage of the items you use all the time. During the winter, you will appreciate the benefit of keeping bins and boxes up and away from the elements. In summer, it will be nice to know that there are no boxes and bins on the floor for rodents and insects burrowing into.
How Does Overhead Storage Work?
If you have never hung anything on your ceilings heavier than a ceiling fan, you might wonder how your garage ceiling could possibly hold everything without coming crashing to the floor. The secret lies in the design of the overhead storage. The storage is installed into the ceiling joists, providing sturdy support for the weight of the bins, bags and boxes that you want to put inside it. Each overhead storage unit contains one or more racks. Many racks are stationary, while others are adjustable in height. Some products even allow you to move the rack to better access the stuff on it. You could not hang your lawn mower from the ceiling, but overhead storage is certainly up to the task of holding your holiday decorations and summer sports gear until you need it next year. All you have to do is place the bins onto the racks, and switch them out as needed. It allows you to keep your garage walls and floor current to the season and your family’s unique requirements.
Overhead Storage Installation
There are two important safety aspects of overhead storage installation. First, you must be able to install it safely in the first place. Second, you have to be sure that the installation will hold up over time. Both of these concerns make hiring a professional to install your overhead garage storage a simple decision. You do not have to worry that an installation error will cause untold damage to your car, your garage floor or your family. You also do not have to waste an entire weekend trying to figure out how to install the equipment and confirming that you did it correctly. With a professional install, you may be ready to store items in one or two hours.
If you have never used overhead storage in your garage, you do not know how much clutter you could be getting rid of. With a good cleaning and organization of your garage, overhead storage can lift items out of the winter weather and open up your garage for daily tasks. There are many overhead storage solutions out there, and you just need to find the one that is right for you. Contact us today to learn more and schedule a free overhead garage storage consultation.
