Closet System
If there's one room in most houses that can benefit greatly from a closet system, it's the garage. Most homeowners wouldn't invite anyone into their garages. Typically, this is the one room in a house that smacks of disorganization and chaos. Coffee cans filled with nails, screws, bolts and various and sundry small tools line shelves while chemicals, paints and other hazards are strewn about where ever they will fit.
A good closet system that's designed to meet the needs of the individual homeowner can really make a difference in the garage. By providing order for the chaos, these systems can make it not only easy to find things when they're needed, but they can add a level of safety that might not have been considered before.
While it's true most garages don't come with their own closets, a closet system can still be used to store items within this room. In the case of a garage, a system will generally need to be built out from one of the walls, but the resulting "loss of space" can actually create more overall useable room. Really!
To design a good closet system for use in a garage, it's a good idea to first take inventory of the items that will need to be stored within it. Also, when doing this, take note of belongings you might not want others to get into. Paints, chemicals and sharp tools in homes where small children are present, for example, should have their own storage space that's either high up and covered or locked.
Once an inventory of items has been completed, it's time to measure out the space necessary to create a closet system. For garages, you'll find you have a lot of options. There are custom closet designers who can do all the work for you, pre-made modular pieces that work together to create a system of storage or you can build your own system. Whatever the case, there are some considerations to take into account.
If, for example, you want your closet system to double as a workspace, you'll want to make sure the working surface is long and wide enough to tackle the kinds of jobs you do in your garage. You will also likely want the system to have electrical access for small hand tools and lights.
An upper cabinet level built into a closet system with doors can work well over head to hold paints and other chemicals you'd like out of reach. Consider drawer systems, possibly with locks, for small tools, nuts and bolts. Get drawer dividers to keep these small items sorted neatly. Other possibilities include mounting boards for tools along the open wall of a system, tall pantry like cabinets for lawn equipment and so on.
If creating a closet system for the garage is on tap, you'll find the possibilities are endless. Take your possessions and needs into account when designing, shopping or having a system created and you will likely find one of these closet systems is just the ticket to turn a disorganized garage into a showplace.