Give me your best shed/garage/workshop organization tips!
July 20, 2023 4:20 AM Subscribe
We have scant storage space in our newish-to-us house, but we have a large shed with lots of potential. Help me optimize!
Interested in everything: Have you set up storage or work zones? What bins and boxes and storage solutions do you love for tools, gardening stuff, holiday decor, camping gear, seldom-used appliances, keepsakes (mostly kids toys and sentimental stuff)?
If helpful: The shed doesn't have electricity so it's not climate controlled, but it has a vaulted ceiling which seems to make it tolerable in summer and we have pretty mild winters here. It's well-lit with windows. It has a wide counter/ shelf built around the perimeter at waist height and another perimeter shelf that's about 6 feet off the ground. It also has a kind of peninsula built into the middle with a shelf/counter, two-sided pegboard storage, open space beneath and capped with a platform for more overhead storage.
Right now things are sort of piled "like with like," but I wish it had more of a system. Thanks for your suggestions!
Interested in everything: Have you set up storage or work zones? What bins and boxes and storage solutions do you love for tools, gardening stuff, holiday decor, camping gear, seldom-used appliances, keepsakes (mostly kids toys and sentimental stuff)?
If helpful: The shed doesn't have electricity so it's not climate controlled, but it has a vaulted ceiling which seems to make it tolerable in summer and we have pretty mild winters here. It's well-lit with windows. It has a wide counter/ shelf built around the perimeter at waist height and another perimeter shelf that's about 6 feet off the ground. It also has a kind of peninsula built into the middle with a shelf/counter, two-sided pegboard storage, open space beneath and capped with a platform for more overhead storage.
Right now things are sort of piled "like with like," but I wish it had more of a system. Thanks for your suggestions!
Right now things are sort of piled "like with like," but I wish it had more of a system.
Having done this multiple times in spaces with limited square footage, my best advice is - give yourself permission to let the system evolve, because the final best solution only comes after many months of getting stuff out of bins, etc.
Seconding the wire shelving and everything off the ground.
Items that can be damaged by moisture (clothing, bedding, sensitive keepsakes) go in waterproof plastic bins that have a seal between body and lid.
Pegboards are great for garden tools.
Heavy items, like the appliances, go on the bottom; frequently accessed stuff in the middle, lighter weight stuff on the top shelves.
Label things. I usually go with a general label on bins and then a quick item by item checklist if i have lots of smaller items of a category that spans multiple boxes.
Get a steady step stool with wide steps for getting things on to and off of top shelves, keep it in the shed.
The best systems are not the ones that maximize space, but are those that make it easy to put things away after you’ve used them. I’ve seen lots of storage spaces that fail because putting things away is too much of a hassle.
Again: give yourself permission to let this evolve.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:36 AM on July 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
Having done this multiple times in spaces with limited square footage, my best advice is - give yourself permission to let the system evolve, because the final best solution only comes after many months of getting stuff out of bins, etc.
Seconding the wire shelving and everything off the ground.
Items that can be damaged by moisture (clothing, bedding, sensitive keepsakes) go in waterproof plastic bins that have a seal between body and lid.
Pegboards are great for garden tools.
Heavy items, like the appliances, go on the bottom; frequently accessed stuff in the middle, lighter weight stuff on the top shelves.
Label things. I usually go with a general label on bins and then a quick item by item checklist if i have lots of smaller items of a category that spans multiple boxes.
Get a steady step stool with wide steps for getting things on to and off of top shelves, keep it in the shed.
The best systems are not the ones that maximize space, but are those that make it easy to put things away after you’ve used them. I’ve seen lots of storage spaces that fail because putting things away is too much of a hassle.
Again: give yourself permission to let this evolve.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:36 AM on July 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
You may also want to consider doing a purge before you start your storage system. Fewer items to store will make it easier to organize.
posted by XtineHutch at 5:49 AM on July 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by XtineHutch at 5:49 AM on July 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
If the studs are exposed, paint everything white so you can see things! I did that at my last house and it really helped.
Next, nail 16" lengths of 2"x4" between the studs to be little shelves. This will help smaller items have a home without being buried from view, and you can stack several such shelves to hold similar things. And because they are behind the front edge of the studs, these shelves won't interfere when you put other items (tools, bikes, whatever) in front.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:52 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Next, nail 16" lengths of 2"x4" between the studs to be little shelves. This will help smaller items have a home without being buried from view, and you can stack several such shelves to hold similar things. And because they are behind the front edge of the studs, these shelves won't interfere when you put other items (tools, bikes, whatever) in front.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:52 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
My favorite is esoteric and for the smaller things. My grandfathers basement had rafters and attached to those rafters were all sorts of clear jars. You screw the lids to the rafters.... When ever you needed anything from the grommeting kit to little nails or screws or nuts and bolts and washers... you simply looked up and around and go "ah, there they are". There were also some shelves and such for gallon sized buckets of big nails and such and a whole spice rack like square of little baby food jars, but even the bottom of the wall mounted shelves had a row of jars with stuff in them. Not so much organized as "you can see almost everything by looking around". Mostly all in their right sized jars.
posted by zengargoyle at 6:01 AM on July 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by zengargoyle at 6:01 AM on July 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
In addition to putting the heaviest stuff on the bottom, try and put the least-accessed stuff in the hardest to reach corners. For you, this may be the keepsakes, or holiday decorations - anything that you're only going to be taking in/out once a year goes in the back, hardest to reach corner. For anything that's soft, like stuffed toys/extra blankets, be sure they're in a sealed, non-cardboard container to prevent mice/bugs from getting them. I've dreamt of putting a piece of masking tape on rarely used things like kitchen appliances with the date of last use on it - if I have hard proof of I haven't used this in x-many years, I'm much more likely to let it go, rather than relying on my happy memories of last use that 'seem' like last year. In reality, I've not yet done that (mainly b/c my storage areas are not 'yet' overflowing.) But yeah, letting your system evolve while you finish getting settled in your house is probably the best plan of all!
posted by csox at 7:06 AM on July 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by csox at 7:06 AM on July 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Look into running an electrical line out to the shed, or installing solar or battery lights if that isn't feasible. Being able to see things in a dim winter morning or evening will make the shed much more useful and pleasant.
I agree with the comment to paint the interior white, for the same reason.
Mostly, though, you should build or install shelving that goes all the way up the walls anywhere that you won't have something like pegboard. Once you have shelves, then you can get things into bins (clear plastic helps with figuring out where things are, along with labels) and organized in ways that make sense to you.
Large things like a canoe or bicycles can be hung from the rafters, if those are high enough.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:13 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I agree with the comment to paint the interior white, for the same reason.
Mostly, though, you should build or install shelving that goes all the way up the walls anywhere that you won't have something like pegboard. Once you have shelves, then you can get things into bins (clear plastic helps with figuring out where things are, along with labels) and organized in ways that make sense to you.
Large things like a canoe or bicycles can be hung from the rafters, if those are high enough.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:13 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
My garage was a special case, because cement block walls. I used OSB cut to 2x8 foot and used blue concrete fasteners to secure them in a band along one side of the garage, then repeated using drywall screws to hold the next band to the first. I installed the rails for the Rubbermaid Fast Track system to the OSB band, and bought a variety of hangers for hoses, garden tools, toys, etc. The hangers are adjustable on the rail as your needs change.
In the back of the garage (and our basement for that matter) we bought the heavy metal shelving with wire racks that you take home and assemble (I also use heavy machine bolts at the joining point between sections for greater rigidity). I drop 50 pound bags of snow melt and fertilizer, boxes of floor tiles, etc. with no problems.
Your situation is probably different, but this is what I did with mine.
posted by forthright at 8:36 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
In the back of the garage (and our basement for that matter) we bought the heavy metal shelving with wire racks that you take home and assemble (I also use heavy machine bolts at the joining point between sections for greater rigidity). I drop 50 pound bags of snow melt and fertilizer, boxes of floor tiles, etc. with no problems.
Your situation is probably different, but this is what I did with mine.
posted by forthright at 8:36 AM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Put in French cleats and then build your own storage.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 3:50 PM on July 20, 2023
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 3:50 PM on July 20, 2023
Pegboards with bins? HUGE pegboards with LOTS of bins?
posted by kschang at 4:44 PM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kschang at 4:44 PM on July 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have grand plans to outfit our shed and garage walls with lots of French cleats, and then design the perfect storage solutions for all the yard tools and such. YouTube has lots of workshop organization videos where people show how to install and organize using French cleats.
posted by bluloo at 10:42 PM on July 20, 2023
posted by bluloo at 10:42 PM on July 20, 2023
You can get clamps that hold rakes, brooms and other long handled tools. I use wood, plastic, and metal crates for gardening and other stuff, mesh bags for sports stuff like snorkel & fins, snowshoes are on a nail at the edge of a shelf. I use as little cardboard as possible; mice, squirrels, chipmunks, etc., will chew it. I don't store fabric or paper in the shed. Mice got in to a down pillow in the camper, and that was a pain. For paper or fabric stuff you really need to store outside, Wirecutter did a review.
It looks so tidy to buy a bunch of similar storage containers, but I get mine on sale or at Goodwill, and it's easier to remember that the camping stove is in the purple crate with the fuel. I buy those collapsible storage bins for craft supplies, much cheaper on sale. I bought tags and use them to label as much as possible.
Storage needs vary over time; leave some unplanned space for future needs.
posted by theora55 at 7:00 AM on July 21, 2023
It looks so tidy to buy a bunch of similar storage containers, but I get mine on sale or at Goodwill, and it's easier to remember that the camping stove is in the purple crate with the fuel. I buy those collapsible storage bins for craft supplies, much cheaper on sale. I bought tags and use them to label as much as possible.
Storage needs vary over time; leave some unplanned space for future needs.
posted by theora55 at 7:00 AM on July 21, 2023
I have grand plans to outfit our shed and garage walls with lots of French cleats, and then design the perfect storage solutions for all the yard tools and such. YouTube has lots of workshop organization videos where people show how to install and organize using French cleats.
At a previous house, where I built a shed, I considered a french cleat system, but ultimately chose to build much more basic shelves (i.e, faster and simpler to construct) with 2x4s and OSB. It was less elegant, but it was cheap, fast, and easy to put together, and was more than strong enough for anything I was going to put on the shelves.
In addition to the standalone wire shelves people have mentioned, you can get a variety of shelf brackets and holders at any big box store, which can then be easily attached to the studs. At the end of the day, you just want lots of sturdy shelves, set at useful spacing; the method of building the shelves is more a question of your level of interest and time.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:17 AM on July 21, 2023
At a previous house, where I built a shed, I considered a french cleat system, but ultimately chose to build much more basic shelves (i.e, faster and simpler to construct) with 2x4s and OSB. It was less elegant, but it was cheap, fast, and easy to put together, and was more than strong enough for anything I was going to put on the shelves.
In addition to the standalone wire shelves people have mentioned, you can get a variety of shelf brackets and holders at any big box store, which can then be easily attached to the studs. At the end of the day, you just want lots of sturdy shelves, set at useful spacing; the method of building the shelves is more a question of your level of interest and time.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:17 AM on July 21, 2023
Also thinking about reorganizing our workspace here. The major advice I've gotten is to do a little bit at a time, because you don't know how you'll use the space until you actually use it and you want a system with some flexibility until you know what works for you.
Since you already have some pegboard, maybe start with that, putting your most-used tools there. Then prioritize the easiest-to-reach closed storage space.
Pegboard is great and is what I want here, because it's so flexible-- you can try little clear storage jars if you need closed storage for small items, or open bins; hooks for larger things, shelves, etc. So I'd definitely start there.
And if you find you need more pegboard, well, that's often an option.
(We don't already have pegboard, though, and randomly searching youtube unfortunately leads to a lot of youtubers who wear their unfortunate politics on their sleeves/chests. My kingdom for a video on how to install french cleats in brick/cinderblock walls without any MAGA! MAGA does not hold the french cleats on.)
posted by nat at 4:24 PM on August 5, 2023
Since you already have some pegboard, maybe start with that, putting your most-used tools there. Then prioritize the easiest-to-reach closed storage space.
Pegboard is great and is what I want here, because it's so flexible-- you can try little clear storage jars if you need closed storage for small items, or open bins; hooks for larger things, shelves, etc. So I'd definitely start there.
And if you find you need more pegboard, well, that's often an option.
(We don't already have pegboard, though, and randomly searching youtube unfortunately leads to a lot of youtubers who wear their unfortunate politics on their sleeves/chests. My kingdom for a video on how to install french cleats in brick/cinderblock walls without any MAGA! MAGA does not hold the french cleats on.)
posted by nat at 4:24 PM on August 5, 2023
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posted by ourobouros at 4:42 AM on July 20, 2023 [6 favorites]