c/garage-organization

Found a simple shelf trick at a garage sale that changed my setup

I was at a garage sale in Phoenix last month and this older guy showed me how he uses cheap wire shelving brackets upside down to hold spray cans. He had like 30 cans of paint and WD-40 lined up in his garage and they never fell off. I tried it in my own garage and it works great for $2 worth of brackets from Home Depot. Anyone else find random hacks like that from strangers?

I finally got my pegboard hooks sorted after a tool avalanche

I was in my garage in Cincinnati trying to grab a socket wrench, and the whole section of tools fell off the board onto the concrete floor. I ended up using a dab of hot glue on the back of each hook to keep them from sliding around. Has anyone found a better method for securing those metal hooks?

Saw a garage sale setup in Phoenix that made me rethink my own storage

They had all their tools hung on a single pegboard wall, but every single item was outlined in black marker. It looked messy but I bet they never lose a socket. Has anyone tried that outline method and actually kept up with it?

Finally got my old fishing gear sorted after three years of it being a pile

I mean, it only took a Saturday and a bunch of clear bins from the hardware store, but now I can actually see the floor. Anyone have a better way to store long rods without them getting tangled?

My buddy called my garage a 'dangerous maze' and I had to admit he was right

He came over to help me move a couch and straight up said, 'Dude, you're gonna trip on that extension cord and break your neck.' I looked around and saw cords everywhere, tools piled on the floor, and boxes blocking the path to the door. The next day, I spent $30 on a reel for the cords and cleared a 3-foot-wide walkway from the door to the workbench. Anyone have a good system for keeping hand tools from ending up in a heap again?

Finally cleared out the old paint can graveyard in the back corner

For years I just tossed every half-empty can back there, figuring I'd need the color someday. Last Saturday I sorted them all and found 14 cans, most from before we moved to Phoenix. I kept three that still had good paint and took the rest to the city's hazardous waste drop-off. Anyone else have a good way to keep track of what paint you actually have left?

Appreciation post: I just counted 27 different types of fasteners in my garage

I was sorting my old coffee can collection of screws and bolts, and I hit 27 distinct types before I stopped. It was everything from tiny #6 wood screws to lag bolts for a deck project I never finished. That number really showed me how much random hardware I've collected over the years without a real system. Has anyone found a good way to sort and store a mix like this without buying a giant cabinet?

Vent: Bought a fancy wall-mounted bike rack that needed special tools to install

Spent over $200 on it and then another $75 for a weird hex key set just to get it on the wall. Anyone know a simpler way to hang two bikes without needing a whole new toolkit?

My brother-in-law told me to stop putting my tools on the floor and it actually made sense

He was over last weekend helping me move a cabinet, and he just pointed at my socket set on the concrete and said, 'You know that's just making you buy new ones faster, right?' I mean, I always thought the floor was fine for stuff I use a lot. But he said the moisture from the slab, even in a dry garage, rusts things way quicker. I moved all my wrenches and sockets onto a basic pegboard the next day. Has anyone else found a cheap way to keep hand tools off the ground that actually works?

Update: My pegboard wall collapsed under the weight of my Milwaukee drill collection.

The whole thing came down on Tuesday because I ignored the weight limit and used the wrong anchors. Anyone have a better system for holding a dozen cordless tools?

Serious question, has anyone else tried using a pegboard for heavy power tools?

I put my 12-pound drill press up on a standard pegboard in my Atlanta garage last month, and the whole thing ripped right out of the wall after a week. I learned that weight ratings on the packaging are a best-case scenario, not a guarantee. What's a better wall storage method for items over 10 pounds?

Update: I finally labeled my bins with pictures instead of words.

My kids can actually put stuff away now, and I don't have to dig for the holiday lights every December, so what other visual systems have worked for your families?

Rant: I bought a cheap plastic shelving unit for my garage and it broke in a month

I saw a big plastic shelving unit on sale for $50 at the hardware store and thought it was a steal. I loaded it up with paint cans and tools, maybe 150 pounds total. Last week, I heard a loud crack and the whole middle shelf just gave out, spilling everything. Now I'm out the $50 and have a huge mess to clean up. What's a better, stronger option that won't just snap?

My neighbor said his pegboard setup was a 'waste of time' because he never puts things back, and it got me thinking.

Rant: I see so many folks in my neighborhood skip the wall studs when hanging heavy shelves.

They just drill into the drywall and hope it holds, but my neighbor's whole tool rack came down after six months. Should we really trust toggle bolts for anything over 50 pounds, or is finding the studs the only right way?

PSA: The $80 wall-mounted bike rack I bought is a total space saver

I got tired of my bikes leaning against the workbench and taking up floor space. I put up a simple vertical rack from the hardware store last weekend. It holds two bikes up off the ground and cleared a whole corner. Has anyone else found a good way to store bikes without spending a fortune?

My old garage in Spokane had a pegboard wall, but I went with slatwall for the new place.

The pegboard was fine for years, but I got tired of the hooks popping out... the slatwall cost about $200 more but holds my heavier tools without any fuss. Anyone have a good trick for labeling the bins on a slatwall system?

SafeRacks vs Ace Garage Storage motorized lifts?

Getting ready to install some ceiling storage this weekend. SafeRacks seems super popular for fixed racks, but I also looked at the motorized lifts from Ace Garage Storage. Anyone have strong opinions on either?