Making the Most of Overhead Storage in Your Garage

 Posted on February 03, 2021 in Uncategorized

Storage space is often a very desirable option when it comes to buying or building a home. Whether it is a bedroom closet, kitchen pantry, basement, or garage, people need places to put all of their "stuff." There are many items that you may like to keep in your garage or shed, such as gardening tools, lawnmowers, snowblowers, outdoor patio furniture, bicycles, scooters, holiday decorations, sports equipment, and more. Along with all of these items, you may be struggling to find space for your vehicles in your garage. One option is to create additional storage space by installing overhead shelving units. Determining how large these can be often depends on the structure and size of your garage, including the roof line.

Hanging from the Rafters

Regardless of whether you have a finished, drywalled ceiling in your garage or simply wooden rafters, you can find a storage solution that works. The garage ceiling or attic can be the ideal place to store lighter or medium weight seasonal items like holiday decorations and camping gear. Some options include:

• Ceiling Track Storage: Placing plastic storage bins up off the garage floor and onto the ceiling can eliminate water damage to items inside. The lips of the bins can slide into wood that is screwed into the ceiling.
• Pipe Racks: Stow bulky items overhead with a rack made from PVC pipes and fittings. Bolting racks to the ceiling joists allows them to support heavy loads. The PVC's smooth surface makes for easy loading and unloading. Water or snow skis, curtain rods, brooms, and other long, narrow objects can be kept out of the way until you need them.
• Hooks: Hang long items such as ladders, lawn equipment, or pieces of wood by adding J-style hooks under your garage doors.
• Ceiling-Mounted Shelves: Add wire shelving units for additional overhead garage storage with an adjustable-height ceiling storage rack. These can be ideal for coolers, tents, sleeping bags, and miscellaneous bins or containers. Hanging a shallow rack above where the garage door opens and deeper shelving where your garage door track stops will maximize your vertical space.
• Attic Decking Panels: These panels can provide a usable and accessible surface for storing items. It is important to make sure your rafters can carry the extra weight/loads.
• Bicycle Hoist: Similar to hooks, a pulley system can store bicycles with a strong, thick rope, making it easy to move up and down when not in use.
• Joist Space Shelving: Similar to a basement, you can utilize the space between joists in a garage. Screw wire shelving to the underside of the joists. Smaller sized bins can fit nicely up in between the joists and rest on the shelves.
• Extension Ladder Holder: Mount sturdy racks on your garage ceiling (not interfering with your garage door) by screwing them into the ceiling joists. A ladder can slide in and out when needed, but it will not take up room like when it is propped up against the garage wall. This also eliminates the risk of it falling on someone or your vehicles.

Contact a Chicago Area Garage Builder

Overhead storage solutions are ideal for garages, where space is often limited. The talented team at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has over 40 years of experience creating garages of all shapes, sizes, and styles. Our DuPage County garage professionals will help you maximize your storage space so you have more room to keep your prized possessions. To learn more about how we can transform your garage, call us today at 630-852-8485 and schedule a free estimate.