Garage storage ideas

A one-car garage usually holds much less than it should because everything sits on the floor. These ten projects put the walls and the ceiling to work, and most of them are a Saturday each.

10 ideas, with costs

• Wall-mounted bike hooks

  $30 – $70

  Two heavy-duty hooks per bike into studs at 6 ft, hanging the bike flat or upright. Two bikes give you back a 3 ft by 6 ft rectangle of floor you can actually use.

  Beginner 1 hour

• Overhead ceiling rack for totes

  $90 – $220

  A 4 ft by 8 ft rack bolted to the ceiling joists above the door tracks holds eight to ten totes, about 300 lb across the rack. Keep it clear of the door mechanism.

  Intermediate 3 hours
  Full guide: How to install floating shelves

• Pegboard wall above the workbench

  $60 – $150

  A 4 ft by 8 ft sheet on 1 in spacers takes hand tools, hoses and clamps off the bench. Frame it in 1x2 so hooks stay put, and fix it into studs.

  Beginner 2 hours

• Slatwall panel for hanging bins

  $140 – $320

  Slatwall takes hooks, baskets and shelves that move as your tools change. A 4 ft by 8 ft panel on the most-used wall carries about 50 lb per linear foot.

  Intermediate Half a day

• Floor-to-ceiling shelving on one wall

  $120 – $300

  2x12 shelves on 2x4 uprights, five shelves 60 in wide, gives about 23 sq ft of shelf face. Anchor the top to the wall: a loaded freestanding unit is a tipping hazard.

  Intermediate A day
  Full guide: How to install floating shelves

• Workbench from two base cabinets

  $150 – $380

  Two 24 in base cabinets with a 6 ft butcher-block top make a 36 in high bench, with drawers underneath. Screw the top down and the cabinets to each other and to the wall.

  Intermediate A weekend

• Sports and garden tool rack

  $25 – $60

  Two horizontal rails with a dozen bungee loops hold shovels, rakes, brooms and sticks off the floor. Keep each loop to about 12 lb.

  Beginner 1 hour

• Labelled clear totes on a rolling cart

  $70 – $160

  Clear 27 gallon totes on a four-tier cart roll out for the season and back in afterwards. Labels on the two short sides save you unpacking to find out what is inside.

  Beginner 1 hour

• Cord and hose reel on the wall

  $35 – $90

  A wall-mounted reel at 4 ft keeps two 50 ft cords off the floor and untangled. Wind them on loosely, because kinks are what kill a cord.

  Beginner 45 minutes

• Seal the floor and paint the walls

  $120 – $350

  Concrete sealer stops the dust that coats everything else in the garage, and light gray walls bounce light from a single bulb. Both go on with a roller in a day, plus drying.

  Beginner A weekend