My garage project

[Onkel Neal]

I've really settled down in my new house. Done a fair bit of improvements and stuff, but I need a lot more storage space so I am going to work on my garage. It's a bit on the small side, 20'x23' two car, so with my car and two bikes, not much room. I have to pull the car out to work on anything. Not a showstopper but I think it could use some serious storage and workspace upgrades.

First, I bought a garden shed to clear out some of the yard tools, mower, gardening stuff and other stuff I don't use every day.

I did not build the shed, too lazy, but I did paint it, and started building shelves in it.

Picked out some storage bins to size the shelves, so as not to waste space.

[Onkel Neal]

Here's the garage, as it came with the house purchase.

It has a stark workbench, very rough and no drawers. Also about 5 inches too high, comes to my sternum


The walls are festooned with house and nails.

All wall storage is just board shelves, kinda sloppy but it does the trick.

Previous owners built some kinda of enclosure here... kinda decent build quality... not sure if I am going to keep it.


Overall, not really very good tool and storage system, I think I will rip out the enclosure, scavenge parts out if for some high storage shelves and a mini-workbench. Then rip out the too tall workbench and build a workbench with cabinets or drawers.

[Jeff-Groves]

These will fix that 5" problem.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

These will fix that 5" problem.

The US military new unisex boots?


I'm fond of this kind of addition in the garage https://www.smartracksflorida.com/

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by em2nought

I'm fond of this kind of addition in the garage https://www.smartracksflorida.com/

Yes! Something like that. I like that.

[Onkel Neal]

Got the shelves in the storage shed finished, added some pegboard on one of the doors for rope, cable, wire, etc



Now that I have some place to store a lot of stuff and get it out of the way, on to the garage.

[Skybird]

Reading the title I thought Neal had founded a band.

[mapuc]

Well with some training he could be a master and play Country & Western on his saw with a violin string.



Markus

[Catfish]

It is the destiny of each garage to become a store room with no place for motorcycles or cars.
Temporary makeshift arrangements hold out forever and are resistent to any change.
One of the big truths i learned

Seriously, this looks nice! Can never have enough space for storing or a workshop. We have no cellar and no real garage, only an open twin carport with an additionally attached room that serves as a workshop and to store tools, size of a smaller garage (6x3 meters).
Currently working on equipping it with a second foldable workbench and shelves.. i think i posted some photos of it in some similar thread.
Will make some new ones and post here, had no time at all in the last weeks.

[Onkel Neal]

I hear you, but like Sisyphus, I plan to fight till the end and have room and use the room to park my car and bikes IN the garage.

Yes, please post some pics, I am very interested in the layout and design of spaces, thanks!

[Onkel Neal]

Progress so far: The Right side of the garage goes first, so all the lumber, tools, & junk not in the shed gets shoved to the left side, may have to store my bikes in the house short term.

I want to utilize overhead space, and being a cheap basterd, I think I can reuse the cabinet built by the previous owner... So I can make two fairly large overhead shelves with that.


I think I can use the shed for heavy items, the floor and bottom two shelves are supported by the floor and can take the weight.


So I will make one of the garage overhead shelves supported by the floor, as long as my car will fit, and the other overhead shelf will manage bulky but not heavy items, like empty water cans, ice chests, and boxes with light items. That shelf I can rely on wall strength to support the load.

I also think I need a good amount of wall space from large items to hang like cords, leaf blowers, work lights...





I guess I can use the space under the shelf for a work space with areas to hang frequently used tools, blades, etc. And I can fit my genny and tank under it. Of course, I will need to back my car out of the garage to use this workspace... no way around that but a bigger garage

[Catfish]

Neal, you once posted a generator to keep up electricity in case of a power outage, what kind or type was that? I guess i even asked this before and got an answer
We are thinking about buying a generator; until february i thought this is probably nonsense in Germany. Now ...

[Onkel Neal]

Kai, after Harvey I bought as Champion 3400 watt duel fuel invertor generator, I've used it a few times, last time was the Great Freeze in 2021. Was without power for 3 days, it kept my phones charged, refrigerators cold, computer and TV on, gas furnace to heat the house, and as needed, coffeemaker, microwave, etc. Not all at the same time, it will not run my central A/C system or the whole house. But it wasn't that expensive and I don't need backup power that often.

It's Chinese made, but it has not given me any issues, I run it once a month to keep it routine.

I went with the invertor type for fuel economy and the "clean" sin wave output for my electronics, plus they are able to "idle" when the power demand is low so they manage fuel better. And it runs off propane and gasoline, so I can easily store propane for long periods of time, if I can't get gasoline.

[Gorpet]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I've really settled down in my new house. Done a fair bit of improvements and stuff, but I need a lot more storage space so I am going to work on my garage. It's a bit on the small side, 20'x23' two car, so with my car and two bikes, not much room. I have to pull the car out to work on anything. Not a showstopper but I think it could use some serious storage and workspace upgrades.

First, I bought a garden shed to clear out some of the yard tools, mower, gardening stuff and other stuff I don't use every day.

I did not build the shed, too lazy, but I did paint it, and started building shelves in it.

Picked out some storage bins to size the shelves, so as not to waste space.

What happened to the Containers? You built to live in did you bury them?

[em2nought]

I've used the top section of a metal bunkbed previously to create a storage space near the ceiling in my garage. You can find those either free or practically free and make a storage area over top of the garage door for cheap compared to those that are specifically made for that sort of thing. Old metal bedframes are a great source of angle iron much cheaper than trying to buy it at the hardware store. People throw them away quite often too.

It looks like you could only get very skinny items above your garage door, but it still might be worthwhile.