Garage Makeover

[DTro]

Like every other guy, that's king of his ca......er garage.

I've tried a few time to organize and currently have a few rubbemaid enclosures, shelves, etc.

The problem is, that I'm always forgetting all the stuff that I have because it is always out of sight.

Looking for good ideas to organize, yet keep things handy without looking like Sanford & Son live here.

Also, anyone have a fish cleaning setup or ideas for the garage?

Don't want to spend a ton of money, so keep budget in mind.

[eyepatrol]

For organizing, I haven't done anything spectacular except to use some heavy duty nails to hang things up or some screw-in hooks. I try and keep the more dangerous things (spade, metal rake, saws, etc) up higher out of reach of young children.

I also have a cleaning table which is set up near one corner of my garage. It's about 36" wide by 24" deep and is just the right height for me. I've got a brother who works on home construction and can get me extra wood from time to time. If you know someonw in this type of business, you may want to see if they'll bring some spare wood back for you....cheap way to get it. I also have a 100W light mounted just above my cleaning table along with a garbage can to throw the remains in. Plus I mounted some small shelves using spare wood on the garage wall where my cleaning table is to store knives, sharpening stone, paper towels, cleaning solution, etc. Works well for me.

Good luck!

[DigitalFisherman]

Great, a home improvement forum... as if I don't already spend enough time on this web site.

dtro, I have had the same problems and have been trying to get organized since I bought my house (five years ago). I finally put somthing togeather that seems to work well. My set up is a little unique but perhaps some of the info will be helpfull. I have a two car garage, half of which has been finished and is now a work shop (lots of light, heat, AC, TV, stereo and a few tools) but this system would work just as well in an open garage. In the shop, I have an 6' section of shelves on which I store paint and chemical cans, larger tools (miter saw, boxed tool kits ect) and a bunch of rubber maid tubs. The tubs are all work specific so there are individual tubs for painting, plumbing, electricial, hardware (hooks, doorknobs) and anything else you can think of. Why it works for me is because now if I need a washer for a "P" trap, I just go to the plumbing box; if I need a grounded outlet, I go to the electricial box; paint brush, paint box and if i cant find what I need in the box, it's off to the hardware store. One thing that I did splurge on is a tool box (roller cab and top box). Now all of my hand tools are in one place and everything has a home. I also picked up about thirty hardware bins and mounted them to the wall; small hardware is organized buy type and size.

In the garage I have hung all of the garden/yard tools on one wall. I also have a 6' section of shelving along that wall; one three foot shelf is for gas cans, two cycle oil, washer fluid and the like and the rest of the shelves, as well as the rest of wall and rafter space, is for hunting and fishing equipment.

Don't have a fish cleaning area although that is a good idea. My kids like to watch me clean fish so that useualy happens in the kitchen.

Sorry to ramble on, hope this helps.

[HaywardBound]

Digital...I like the bin idea. I need some shelves that can hold the weight. Did you make the shelves yourself?

My problem is too much stuff in my garage, but some stuff I need and other stuff needs to go on HSOList.

10 years ago I could park 2 cars in there, now I have to make room to get the riding mower in there!

[anyfishwilldo]

I was lucky enough to salvage the cabnets when I remodeled our kitchen. Great storage area, plus the double kitchen sink for cleaning fish. I just took the trap out of the sink on one side, and put a garbage can under it. It works great, and keeps the wife happy cause i'm not putting guts down her garbage disposal any more.

[nitroant]

I only have a 2 car garage and because I live in a townhouse, 1 stall is taken up by the sled and trailer. I have shelves on the wall that are heavy duty. They are they kind that you buy at Fleet Farm or Menards. They are metal risers that bolt right to the studs and then you buy brackets that fit into the slots on the risers. The brackets also have a "kicker" on them that also goes back to the riser. They are very heavy duty. Just throw some 1/2" or 3/4" plywood on them and your good to go. These are not to be confused with the interior shelving straps you can buy that allow for the brackets to be adjusted to different heights, I don't know a brand name, but if you look around at Menard's shelving systems you should find them. I also have a metal cabinet with shelves in it for things I use more often like buckets to wash the car and stuff. Provides a nice clean look when the doors are closed and you can lock the doors to keep the kids out. For tools, a rolling tool chest is a must. Great way to have everything at hand and organized, also provides a clean look and you can lock it up too.

For a fish cleaning station I built a platform that sits on top of my Waste Managment garbage can. I move the can under the lights, throw the platform on and clean away. It provides a nice height to work at to clean fish. I have a board on top of the platform that is removable to allow me to take it off and clean it. I dump the guts in a plastic bag that I have in a 5 gallon bucket as I go, then wrap it up when done, toss the guts and clean the board and then I am done. It works pretty good. You will need to do some shim work and stuff to get it to lay just right.

Hope this helps.