With 5 adults moving into a single household in a matter of days, our garage quickly became the dumping ground for all kinds of miscellaneous storage. Now, with only 4 adults I finally found the opportunity to improve the overall function of our messy garage. As a result, I had the perfect DIY project in mind: Garage organization! I was so excited to finally make this happen.
Garage Goals:
- To maintain a functional space for exercising (I have a rower/bike, a squat rack, a jump rope mat, and a wall of accessories)
- To move the Kayaks to the ceiling, thus allowing more wall and floor space.
- A way to store seasonal items (skis, Halloween decorations) without them getting burried, or blocking other items.
- A true workbench with a dedicated home for my DIY power tools, and a workshop space for future home DIY projects.
Getting Started
Just like one of my favorite shows, The Home Edit, I began with sorting through items and finding things to donate: mattresses, clothes, blankets, throw pillows, old dining room chairs, etc. After clearing several carloads of donatable goods, the garage was so much more manageable! This allowed me to find the space necessary to breath, function, and organize.
Build-in Shelf
I had been wanting more storage in the garage because, well, who doesn’t need more storage? I am renting this home, so anything majorly permanent wouldn’t be worth the investment for me (I can’t take build in storage with me, and I don’t know if my landlord would approve).
A possible solutions for garage organization: I decided to build some semi-permanent shelving: something that was sturdy, useful, and had longevity, but could be removed if needed, and wasn’t a huge investment.
Thankfully, I spent less than $80 on materials:
- 4x 8ft boards
- 1x 8×4 plywood
And I was excited to be able to use tools and hardware that I already owned:
After measuring how high I wanted my built-in shelf, I leveled and secured the first board to the wall. I made sure that my storage containers could easily slide under the BOTTOM of the height of the board with a few extra inches. First, I used one screw in the center stud. Then, I adjusted the board to ensure that it was level. Once the shelf frame was level, I secured another screw on each extreme into more studs.
Using my speed square and a clamp, I created a jig for my circular saw. Then, I made the cuts for the horizontal supports. These would need to measure just short of the depth of the garage storage containers. Then, using my Kreg pocket hole jig, I drilled pocket holes.
Next, I asked my roommate to help me hold the supports level as I drove in the securing screws. She was kind enough to help! Adding these supports allow for the principal board to have structure and support.
Later, I added legs under the front two corners. Ensuring the structure was level, I attached the legs using more screws.
After cutting the plywood in 2 2×8′ sections, I was almost finished! Finally, I secured the front beam and the playwood shelf on top. Again, I used more screws for the structure. However, I chose to secure the shelf into the frame with my Brad Nailer.
Want to see what I learned on these projects? See my post about learning through errors.
Want to know which tools I recommend for getting started on your own DIY home improvement projects? See my post about tools you need to get started.
Keep Learning,
Justine