The warmer weather brought by Spring is the perfect time to tackle cleaning and organizing the garage.  And the best garage organization tip I can share is to use ALL the vertical space you can to get everything possible off the ground!

But I’m not just talking shelving, although that is one great option! I’m sharing 8 of my favourite vertical storage ideas that maximize your garage space and improve the visibility and accessibility of all your things! 

1) Slat Walls 

Don’t let the name fool you, you don’t need to cover the whole wall to get the benefit of this vertical storage system.  Adding just a few slats with the right accessories will help maximize your garage space.

With all the accessories available including hooks, shelves, bins, baskets and hangers, there is an almost unlimited number of ways you can configure your slat wall set up. That means you can customize the system to suit your current needs AND easily adapt it in the future if your needs change.

The slat wall can hold big and small items alike, from large ladders, bikes and yard tools to small items like bike helmets, snow brushes and extension cords.  Basically, if it’s capable of being hung, the sturdy and versatile design of a slat wall system can most likely hold it.

2) Peg Boards

Peg boards are another great way to use your wall space.  Like slat walls, there are a variety of different accessories for peg boards that make it an easy system to customize and adapt when needed.

Although they generally can’t hold as much weight as slat walls (I wouldn’t recommend storing large ladders or bikes on them), peg boards are a great option for items like bike helmets, rakes, shovels, weed whackers and leaf blowers etc.  And they’re an excellent way to store tools, nails, screws, tape, and extension cords etc. above a work bench.

3) Wall Hooks

Of course, you can always just go with hooks that attach right to the garage wall.  This is a more budget-friendly system, but you will lose the flexibility to easily adapt the system if your needs change (at least without leaving holes in your wall!).

4) Ceiling Racks

Your garage ceiling is a trove of great storage space that roof racks are excellent at utilizing.  This space is ideal to store items you only access a few times a year like holiday décor, pool accessories that need to be stored during the winter and patio and yard furniture and décor.

5) Hanging Brackets For Recycling Bins

Hanging brackets for your recycling bins are an excellent and affordable way (they only cost $22.99 (Cdn)!)  to clear up valuable floor space.  I love the EZ Bin Brac from Canadian company CAD Precision Inc. (also available on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

They’re fast and easy to install, sturdy, and are made from 100% post consumer material!  They come in thin and wide lip versions, so you won’t have trouble finding one to work for your bins.

6) Snow Blower Garage

Snow blowers are a common item where I live and are too big to store on a shelf and too heavy to store on the wall.  But you can still maximize your vertical space with a DIY storage box like the one pictured above.

I had my handy brother-in-law build what I like to call a “snow blower garage”.  After measuring our snow blower, he built this “garage” that has an opening at the front to get the snow blower in and out.  Because it’s a solid structure, we’re able to take advantage of the vertical space above the snow blower by storing items on top.

7) Tall Bins

Fishing rods, hockey sticks, baseball bats, and even shovels, brooms and rakes can be contained vertically in tall bins like garbage cans, tall recycling bins and even large laundry baskets.  I also love this idea of repurposing a pallet from cleanandscentsible.com pictured above.

8) Shelves

Of course, no post on garage storage would be complete without mentioning shelving. Adding shelves is one of the easiest ways to maximize your vertical space and avoid having to stack and unstack a bunch of bins, boxes or other items just to get what you want.

You can purchase affordable pre-fab ones such as this one from Walmart, or if there’s more room in your budget, this one from Gladiator is a great adjustable option.  Finally, if your handy, you can build your own like the one pictured above.

Conclusion 

Garages are home to a variety of items and the key to keeping everything organized is to maximize your space by going vertical whenever you can!  Use these 8 vertical storage ideas to clear your garage floors and improve the visibility and accessibility of everything!

Are you planning to tackle your garage this spring?  Let me know in the comments below.   And if you liked this post, please share it.

Happy Organizing!