In many homes, the garage is the most spacious “room”, especially if it is for 2 cars. Yet, it can also be the most cluttered. It is a known fact that a high percentage of residential garages around the US have no space for one car, let alone two. The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” is conjured up. If the household clutter is attracted to a garage like iron to a magnet, then it need not matter so much, as it is just “out in the garage.”
The problem with that theory, though, is that a large proportion of Americans enter their houses through the garage, so “out of sight out of mind hardly applies.” They have a storage problem, and they know it. They may try to relieve that problem by shifting a few things out to the wood storage shed in the garden, but really it is a problem that needs a more comprehensive solution. That solution starts with discovering a determination to tackle it.
Garage storage solutions do exist. In fact, if you will pardon the pun, there are a whole stack of them. What most people lack, if it is not just budget, is the will to actually get on with doing something about it. Perhaps now is the time to clear out that garage once and for all.
First of all you need to take a good look at what has been accumulated in the garage, and dispose of anything you really have no need for. It is time to be ruthless. Then take a close look at what is left that you must keep. Are there garden tools that could be transferred to a garden tool rack in that wood storage shed of yours? If so transfer them, along with anything else that should really be in the garden shed.
For what remains, you need to visualize how best to store them. Modern storage racks and garage shelving can do a wonderful job in helping you. Garage organizers are plentiful, so take a good look at what is available, and then see what you can afford to tackle your garage clutter.
Most garages have a lot of wasted air space, so one of the most effective solutions can be overhead garage storage. The picture above gives you a good idea, but there are many variations on the market. If you have a modern well built garage, then chances are you can have ceiling racks. They may solve your garage clutter on their own, with the aid of a bike hoist or two.
If overhead racks are not enough, and the existing wooden shelves stuck on the wall are insufficient, then some modern metal wall racking is likely to solve any residual garage shelving problems. Again, there is a big choice available, but choose carefully. It is best to make your garage storage solution a permanent one.
The final step is to proudly drive your car back into the garage, maybe for the first time in months or years!
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood Storage Sheds
The traditional garden shed was made of wood, and was simply for storing garden equipment and tools, such as mowers, rakes, spades, shears and everything needed for keeping the garden trip and proper. To a large extent, that is much as things are today, but there are a couple of things that are different in the modern garden.
Firstly, people have developed a tendency to use the garden shed for storing things other than gardening equipment. To an extent which varies greatly between individuals, the shed now tends to be used for overflow storage from the home, and even the garage.
The other development has been that the traditional wood storage sheds have competition from other materials, notably metals and plastics. However, most true gardeners will still naturally go for a wood shed rather than a metal one, or one made from plastics such as vinyl.
http://bakersrack.bigcartel.com/product/wooden-bakers-rack-with-wine-storage
What are the advantages of wood sheds that keep keen gardeners so wedded to them? The most obvious attraction is just that …….their attraction. Made from natural woods, they are more attractive than their modern competitors. A wooden storage shed will normally blend in far better with their outside environment than their far less natural cousins. That is despite efforts by some manufacturers to make plastic and metal sheds look more natural.
A wood shed can be long lasting, if made from good quality wood, and erected, preserved and maintained properly. A good choice of wood, such as red cedar, will maximize the shed’s resistance to water over time. However, therein lies the disadvantage of using wood for a shed. The maintenance of it once erected.
To maintain a shed well is a routine that has to be followed if you are to get maximum life from it. An annual application of exterior preservative is helpful, so it is wise to get that planned for a time when you are not quite so busy in the garden. Another disadvantage is the cost of wooden sheds. They are normally more expensive, sometimes twice the price of a cheap metal shed.
Having said that, you will find that most gardeners who opt for wood will be glad to pay the extra. Having done so, they will then look after it well, inside and out. Wooden shelving naturally goes well in a wood storage shed, but ensure your shelving brackets are strong enough for whatever it is you plan to put on them. A purpose made garden tool rack is a great idea, so that your tools are neatly kept.
A tidy shed is more likely to be well maintained on the inside as well as out, and you have the benefit of being able to get your tools quickly when you need them. So, rather than use up garage shelving or organizer for your garden tools, a traditional wood shed is certainly worth having. Enjoy it, and never begrudge paying the extra for traditional wood.
Firstly, people have developed a tendency to use the garden shed for storing things other than gardening equipment. To an extent which varies greatly between individuals, the shed now tends to be used for overflow storage from the home, and even the garage.
The other development has been that the traditional wood storage sheds have competition from other materials, notably metals and plastics. However, most true gardeners will still naturally go for a wood shed rather than a metal one, or one made from plastics such as vinyl.
http://bakersrack.bigcartel.com/product/wooden-bakers-rack-with-wine-storage
What are the advantages of wood sheds that keep keen gardeners so wedded to them? The most obvious attraction is just that …….their attraction. Made from natural woods, they are more attractive than their modern competitors. A wooden storage shed will normally blend in far better with their outside environment than their far less natural cousins. That is despite efforts by some manufacturers to make plastic and metal sheds look more natural.
A wood shed can be long lasting, if made from good quality wood, and erected, preserved and maintained properly. A good choice of wood, such as red cedar, will maximize the shed’s resistance to water over time. However, therein lies the disadvantage of using wood for a shed. The maintenance of it once erected.
To maintain a shed well is a routine that has to be followed if you are to get maximum life from it. An annual application of exterior preservative is helpful, so it is wise to get that planned for a time when you are not quite so busy in the garden. Another disadvantage is the cost of wooden sheds. They are normally more expensive, sometimes twice the price of a cheap metal shed.
Having said that, you will find that most gardeners who opt for wood will be glad to pay the extra. Having done so, they will then look after it well, inside and out. Wooden shelving naturally goes well in a wood storage shed, but ensure your shelving brackets are strong enough for whatever it is you plan to put on them. A purpose made garden tool rack is a great idea, so that your tools are neatly kept.
A tidy shed is more likely to be well maintained on the inside as well as out, and you have the benefit of being able to get your tools quickly when you need them. So, rather than use up garage shelving or organizer for your garden tools, a traditional wood shed is certainly worth having. Enjoy it, and never begrudge paying the extra for traditional wood.
Solve Garage Storage Problems With a Garage Organizer on the Wall or Overhead
If there is one part of a home that gets more cluttered, more often, than all the others, it is the family garage. It is a well known fact that a high percentage of garage owners in America cannot fit their car in the garage, due to its use for household storage. Even two car garages suffer almost as much.
It seems such a shame to confine the poor old family car, or cars, to the elements outside, while their home is overrun by things that are mostly not to do with autos at all! But as with any modern problem, modern solutions have developed.
Starting to solve the problem, though, lies with attitude. A determination to tackle this overwhelming clutter issue is needed, and a will to carry on until the garage is neatly organized, around and above the cars, not instead of them. You may see a garage organizer advertised, but initially that is what you need to be.
When you have decided to sort out the garage once and for, then take a good look at what is dumped in there, and first of all decide if there is anything you can get rid of altogether. What remains, and cannot be moved to the wood storage shed in the garden, needs to be properly accommodated in the garage.
How you do that depends, of course, on what it is you have to store. But whatever the clutter might be, you have to find the solution on the walls and the ceiling. In many cases, overhead garage storage is the key.
There are many designs of overhead garage storage solutions that have been developed simply for that purpose. It is because they are purpose built that they can solve many of your storage problems in one installation. The best come in easy DIY form, and sometimes with the alternative of local installation. For ceiling racking, you need heavy duty materials, plus a heavy duty ceiling of course. The supporting beam must be sufficient for the load. However, it is all worthwhile, as the end result can free up your garage more than you can imagine.
Garage shelving on the walls can also contribute a great deal, as the garage organizer pictured above demonstrates. There is usually a lot of space on garage walls that can be used for storing both small and large items, and even a garden tool rack if you have no wood storage shed, or have a shed but it is too small. Just choose sufficient shelves for the remaining items to be stored, and ensure the shelving brackets are sufficient support for whatever it is you are storing.
Some people have odd items that seem to give a special problem, like fishing rods and bikes. However, most of the common problems have been dealt with by responsive manufacturers, so look out for bike hoists and fishing rod racks to deal with those.
It seems such a shame to confine the poor old family car, or cars, to the elements outside, while their home is overrun by things that are mostly not to do with autos at all! But as with any modern problem, modern solutions have developed.
Starting to solve the problem, though, lies with attitude. A determination to tackle this overwhelming clutter issue is needed, and a will to carry on until the garage is neatly organized, around and above the cars, not instead of them. You may see a garage organizer advertised, but initially that is what you need to be.
When you have decided to sort out the garage once and for, then take a good look at what is dumped in there, and first of all decide if there is anything you can get rid of altogether. What remains, and cannot be moved to the wood storage shed in the garden, needs to be properly accommodated in the garage.
How you do that depends, of course, on what it is you have to store. But whatever the clutter might be, you have to find the solution on the walls and the ceiling. In many cases, overhead garage storage is the key.
There are many designs of overhead garage storage solutions that have been developed simply for that purpose. It is because they are purpose built that they can solve many of your storage problems in one installation. The best come in easy DIY form, and sometimes with the alternative of local installation. For ceiling racking, you need heavy duty materials, plus a heavy duty ceiling of course. The supporting beam must be sufficient for the load. However, it is all worthwhile, as the end result can free up your garage more than you can imagine.
Garage shelving on the walls can also contribute a great deal, as the garage organizer pictured above demonstrates. There is usually a lot of space on garage walls that can be used for storing both small and large items, and even a garden tool rack if you have no wood storage shed, or have a shed but it is too small. Just choose sufficient shelves for the remaining items to be stored, and ensure the shelving brackets are sufficient support for whatever it is you are storing.
Some people have odd items that seem to give a special problem, like fishing rods and bikes. However, most of the common problems have been dealt with by responsive manufacturers, so look out for bike hoists and fishing rod racks to deal with those.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Shelving Bracket Around the Home and Garage - Balancing Safety and Decoration
Have you ever put up a shelf at home only to find that when you put something on it, the whole lot promptly fell down? At least, as soon as you turned your back, the shelf and its contents came crashing to the floor? It does happen…frequently, and most likely it is the choice of bracket, and the precise place where the shelf has been put, that are to blame.
Choosing the right shelving brackets is as important as choosing the shelves themselves. If the shelf comes with brackets, they should be adequate, but only if you do not overload the shelf or fix it to a wall that cannot bear any weight. Even then, the cheapest of shelving units may come with brackets that are no good for man or beast. Of course, you get what you pay for.
A poorly installed shelf usually does only cosmetic damage if it slips or falls down, although your ego may have suffered more damage, especially if you consider yourself a DIY expert. However, there are times when a strong bracket is imperative. When you start to mount heavier things on the wall, and expensive items too, then you are in a whole new ball game. Large expensive wall mounted speakers come to mind. Or just about anything that is heavy. Make absolutely sure the brackets can carry the load you intend to place on the shelf.
It is not only heavy items, though, which you need to be careful about. If you are putting up display shelves for light, fragile, but expensive ornaments then take extra care that your shelves are going to stay up once put up. Do not get complacent just because the items to be displayed are light.
Shelving brackets are not the most exciting part of home décor, being mostly functional in nature. We tend to think of a display cabinet rather than the bracket that holds it up. However, there is an opportunity, when installing say corner shelves or wooden shelves in the home, to use decorative brackets that will enhance the appearance, as well as performing their support function. Wrought iron brackets spring to mind, and The John Wright Company Shelf brackets range includes some attractive but sturdy cast iron brackets for around the home.
For garage shelving and garage organizers, the brackets used to hold them in place may be even more critical, as we tend to have heavier items stored on the wall of a shed or garage. A poorly mounted piece of garden machinery or a bike, for example, falling off the wall is a different prospect to a few ornaments falling down in the home; especially if you have children around. So, please take care.
Choosing the right shelving brackets is as important as choosing the shelves themselves. If the shelf comes with brackets, they should be adequate, but only if you do not overload the shelf or fix it to a wall that cannot bear any weight. Even then, the cheapest of shelving units may come with brackets that are no good for man or beast. Of course, you get what you pay for.
A poorly installed shelf usually does only cosmetic damage if it slips or falls down, although your ego may have suffered more damage, especially if you consider yourself a DIY expert. However, there are times when a strong bracket is imperative. When you start to mount heavier things on the wall, and expensive items too, then you are in a whole new ball game. Large expensive wall mounted speakers come to mind. Or just about anything that is heavy. Make absolutely sure the brackets can carry the load you intend to place on the shelf.
It is not only heavy items, though, which you need to be careful about. If you are putting up display shelves for light, fragile, but expensive ornaments then take extra care that your shelves are going to stay up once put up. Do not get complacent just because the items to be displayed are light.
Shelving brackets are not the most exciting part of home décor, being mostly functional in nature. We tend to think of a display cabinet rather than the bracket that holds it up. However, there is an opportunity, when installing say corner shelves or wooden shelves in the home, to use decorative brackets that will enhance the appearance, as well as performing their support function. Wrought iron brackets spring to mind, and The John Wright Company Shelf brackets range includes some attractive but sturdy cast iron brackets for around the home.
For garage shelving and garage organizers, the brackets used to hold them in place may be even more critical, as we tend to have heavier items stored on the wall of a shed or garage. A poorly mounted piece of garden machinery or a bike, for example, falling off the wall is a different prospect to a few ornaments falling down in the home; especially if you have children around. So, please take care.
Using Rack Shelving to Keep Your Home Tidy
A contemporary home is very different, in many ways, to its counterpart centuries ago. One of the main changes, though, has been in how a home nowadays has to accommodate the many modern appliances and other products that have appeared in recent decades. Understandably, these changes are reflected in our storage needs.
While keeping a house neat and tidy has the same principles as in Victorian times, the average household has additional possessions to store. The more obvious of these are in the electronics arena. Taking the living room, for example, home entertainment has evolved unrecognizably in the last 50 years, and that has triggered furniture and storage needs. Home theater cabinets and CD storage racks; speaker cabinets and DVD storage racks. It was not long ago that such things were unheard of, now they are evident, or needed, in millions of homes. Without them, the living room soon looks cluttered for those with large media collections. You can read more on media storage elsewhere on this web site.
A kitchen, too, is a room where substantial technology changes have altered storage needs. As homes have tended to get smaller in built up areas, the pressure on kitchen space has grown. On top of that, modern appliances like washing machines and refrigerators, plus equipment such as food blenders, electric whisks, and numerous other kitchen gadgets, all have to be accommodated. Carefully planned shelving, with strong brackets to hold up the heavier items, should all be part of the design of the kitchen. If it is cramped, then corner shelves and units can be helpful, and these are also discussed elsewhere.
Outside storage is also perhaps more important than it once was. Not just because of petty crime and theft, but because of the vastly increased use of cars, garden machinery and tools. There are now metal and plastic alternatives to the wood storage shed with wooden shelving, but wood sheds are looked at in another part of the web site, as is the need for garden tool racks, with some of their innovative modern designs.
In the garage, there is a tendency for clutter to take over, even to the extent of forcing the vehicles outside. A garage organizer of some sort is essential in most homes now, and overhead racking systems of some sort are now common, making use of space above the car. Shelving racks on the walls are also necessary in the majority of homes, and we look at those too.
https://tackk.com/tvsrvv
While keeping a house neat and tidy has the same principles as in Victorian times, the average household has additional possessions to store. The more obvious of these are in the electronics arena. Taking the living room, for example, home entertainment has evolved unrecognizably in the last 50 years, and that has triggered furniture and storage needs. Home theater cabinets and CD storage racks; speaker cabinets and DVD storage racks. It was not long ago that such things were unheard of, now they are evident, or needed, in millions of homes. Without them, the living room soon looks cluttered for those with large media collections. You can read more on media storage elsewhere on this web site.
A kitchen, too, is a room where substantial technology changes have altered storage needs. As homes have tended to get smaller in built up areas, the pressure on kitchen space has grown. On top of that, modern appliances like washing machines and refrigerators, plus equipment such as food blenders, electric whisks, and numerous other kitchen gadgets, all have to be accommodated. Carefully planned shelving, with strong brackets to hold up the heavier items, should all be part of the design of the kitchen. If it is cramped, then corner shelves and units can be helpful, and these are also discussed elsewhere.
Outside storage is also perhaps more important than it once was. Not just because of petty crime and theft, but because of the vastly increased use of cars, garden machinery and tools. There are now metal and plastic alternatives to the wood storage shed with wooden shelving, but wood sheds are looked at in another part of the web site, as is the need for garden tool racks, with some of their innovative modern designs.
In the garage, there is a tendency for clutter to take over, even to the extent of forcing the vehicles outside. A garage organizer of some sort is essential in most homes now, and overhead racking systems of some sort are now common, making use of space above the car. Shelving racks on the walls are also necessary in the majority of homes, and we look at those too.
https://tackk.com/tvsrvv
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