Organize Your Garage in No Time

by Barry Izsak

Overview

Remember when you were so excited about your garage? You thought about how great it would be to be able to keep your car in there, away from the elements outside. Now, you're lucky if you can find a clear path for to walk through it, much less get your car inside. You want to get organized, but when you look at how much there is to find a home for, you get discouraged. Now you have help. Organize Your Garage In No Time provides step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow to-do lists to help you get and stay organized. You will learn how to arrange a garage based on use and budget. You'll even get specific product recommendations to help design the perfect storage solution using shelving, cabinets, peg hooks, wall and rafter hangers. Go from clutter and confusion to having a home for everything in your garage, including your car, using Organize Your Garage In No Time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780789732194
Publisher:	Que
Publication date:	03/10/2005
Series:	In No Time Series
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Organize Your Garage In No Time About the Author

Barry Izsak, owner of ARRANGING IT ALL in Austin, Texas, has been helping corporate and residential clients nationwide get organized since 1996. He is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), currently serving as president on its board of directors. Barry is a member of the NAPO Golden Circle, recipient of the 2002 NAPO President's Award, and an authorized consultant for Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger software. As an industry leader, Barry is in high demand as a speaker and trainer for organizations and major corporations nationwide. He is well known for his steadfast commitment to promoting the professional organizing industry. Major newspapers and magazines often quote Barry as an authoritative voice on home and office organization trends and news, and he has been featured on CNN and CNBC. For more information, visit http://www.ArrangingItAll.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

I. GARAGE ORGANIZING BASICS.

1. Where Do I Begin?

Analyzing Your Needs

Are You Storing from Necessity or from Habit?

Weathering the Elements

Determining Your Objective

Inventorying Your Garage Contents

Determining Whether Your Goal Is Realistic

Deciding What Stays and What Goes

Satisfying Everybody’s Needs

Paring Down Your List of Items to Be Stored

Envisioning the Finished Product

Creating a Plan for the Process

Breaking It Down into Small, Manageable Pieces

Enlisting the Help of Others

Storing Things Safely

Lifting Safely

Summary

2. Understanding the Organizing Process.

Choosing a Starting Point

Reducing the Volume: Making the Easy Decisions

Removing Items and Clearing Space

Clearing Area by Area

Clearing the Entire Garage

Sorting Things Out

Grouping Like Things Together

Creating Subgroups of Like Things

Deciding What to Get Rid Of

Making the Hard Decisions on What to Keep or Toss

Finding New Owners for Unwanted Items

Selecting a Home

Containerizing Your Goods

Labeling the Contents

Ways to Label

Using a Label Maker

Maintaining Your System

Summary

3. Reviewing Storage Options.

Assessing Your Storage Style

Assessing Storage Options

Hanging Things Up

Simple, Inexpensive Hanging Storage Solutions

Hang It with a Hook

Other Types of Wall Holders for Hanging Items

Hanging on Pegboard: New Systems for an Old Favorite

Setting Up Shelving

Using Dividers and Containers to Keep Your Shelves Organized

Cabinetry with Shelves

Storing in Drawers

Storing on the Floor… or Not

Using the Ceiling to Create More Storage

Installing Your Own Loft Storage

Loft-It® Storage Lift System

Choosing Storage Methods That Work for You

Summary

4. Selecting Storage Systems.

Using What You Already Have

Making Basic Decisions About Your Storage System

Determine Your Budget

Determine the Type of Storage System You Want

Creating a Storage System for Less Than $500

Shelving Options

Cabinet Solutions

Wall-Hanging Systems

Multicomponent Storage Systems

Creating a Storage System for Between $500 and $1,000

Wall-Hanging System

Multicomponent System

Custom Garage Cabinet Systems

Complete Storage Systems for More Than $1,000

Wall-Hanging Systems

Multicomponent Systems

Summary

5. Analyzing Alternative Storage Solutions.

Choosing and Installing a Shed

Do You Need a Shed?

Choosing a Shed Type

Choosing Features and Accessories

Installing Your Shed

Utilizing Your Attic or Basement for Storage

Is Your Attic a Big, Black Hole?

Has Your Basement Become an Extension of the Mess in Your Garage?

Smart Storage Tips for Attics and Basements

Considering Offsite Storage

Selecting an Offsite Public Storage Facility

Utilizing Portable Storage Containers

Summary

II. CREATING STORAGE CENTERS: EVERYTHING NEEDS A HOME.

6. Making Your Workbench Work.

Assessing Your Workbench Requirements

Determining the Best Size for Your Workbench

Choosing the Ideal Location for Your Workbench

Selecting a Workbench That Works

Creating a Workbench from Items You Already Own

Portable Workbenches

Wall-Hanging Workbench Systems

Modular Workbench Systems

Organizing Your Workbench

Step 1: Reducing the Volume

Step 2: Removing What Remains

Step 3: Sorting

Step 4: Purging and Weeding

Step 5: Selecting and Replacing Items in Their New Home

Step 6: Containerizing and Labeling

Summary

7. Tackling Your Tools.

Back to Basics: Tools That People Need

Organizing Your Tools

Step 1: Gather Up the Tools and Reduce the Volume

Step 2: Clear the Tool-Storage Area

Step 3: Sort Your Tools

Step 4: Eliminate the Tools You Don’t Need

Step 5: Place Your Tools in Their New Home

Choosing a Tool-Storage System

Summary

8. Managing Nuts and Bolts: Pieces and Parts.

To Sort or Not to Sort–That Is the Question

Organizing the Pieces and Parts

Gather Up the Items

Define the Parameters and Sort

Eliminate What You Don’t Need

Storing Your Sorted Pieces and Parts

Economical Storage Solutions

Homemade Storage Systems

Specially Designed Storage Systems

Portable Storage Systems

Summary

9. Storing Your Sports Gear.

Organizing Your Sporting Goods

Step 1: Reduce the Quantity

Step 2: Empty the Storage Area

Step 3: Sort and Group

Step 4: Say Good-bye to What You No Longer Use

Selecting a Home to Store Your Sports Gear

Using What You Already Have

Storing Bicycles

Storing Balls and Children’s Toys

Specialty Racks for Specific Sports

Combo Sports Racks

Complete Sports Storage Systems

Summary

10. Weeding Out Lawn and Garden Clutter.

Organizing Tools and Other Lawn and Garden Items

Step 1: Reduce the Quantity

Step 2: Clear the Storage Area

Step 3: Sort and Group

Step 4: Weed and Purge

Step 5: Putting Things Back

Creating a Suitable Storage System

Economical Methods of Storage

Complete Storage Systems for Less Than $500

Complete Storage Systems for More Than $500

Summary

11. Stashing Seasonal Stuff.

Organizing Seasonal Items

Step 1: Reduce the Quantity

Step 2: Empty the Storage Area

Step 3: Sort and Group

Step 4: Deciding to Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need

Step 5: Putting Things Back

Dealing with Holiday Decorations

Storing Christmas Ornaments

Storing Other Christmas Items

Summary

III. BEYOND THE BASICS.

12. Protecting the Garage Floor.

Covering the Garage Floor: Should I or Shouldn’t I?

Using Floor Paints and Sealers

Getting the Floor Ready

Selecting and Applying an Appropriate Product

Investing in a Floor Covering

Summary

13. Getting Rid of Stuff.

Tossing and Recycling Options

Dealing with Hazardous Waste and Toxic Substances

Determining Whether a Substance Is Toxic or Hazardous

Disposing of Hazardous Wastes and Toxic Substances

Giving Things Away

Giving to Individuals

Donating to Organizations

Giving for All Its Worth

Selling Items for Profit

Summary

14. Having a Successful Garage Sale.

Deciding Whether a Garage Sale Is Worth It

Preparing for the Big Day

Choosing a Date and a Time

Determining a Selling Price

Advertising Your Sale

Making and Posting Signs

Merchandising Your Sale

Managing the Sale

Setting Up a Checkout Station

Summary

IV. APPENDIX.

A. Resources and References.

Product and Vendor Resources

Product Manufacturers and Vendors

Organizing Retailers

Organizing Software

Additional Resources

Books and Magazines

Professional Organizing Services

Outlets for Getting Rid of Items

Index.

Preface

Preface

Evolution of the Garage

ith the introduction of the first "horseless carriage," or motor car, in the late nineteenth century, America's love affair with the automobile began. With the introduction of the Model T in the early twentieth century, motor cars were passionately embraced by the American public. No longer a "toy for the rich," automobiles quickly worked their way into the mainstream middle class and became an essential item. By 1920, there were already more than nine million of them.

The logical next question everyone began asking was, "Where are we going to store them?"

Early cars were very expensive, and people wanted to protect their investment, so they stored them in old carriage houses and barns alongside the horses or in public livery stables. The latter option was the predecessor to today's public garage. For $15–$20 per month, a car could be stored there, and additional services were offered that would later be provided by full-service gas stations.

This arrangement proved to be very inconvenient and lasted only a short time, as people began to demand convenience and didn't want their cars to smell like horse manure. People questioned why they couldn't just store their cars at home. The big fear back then was the real danger that this motorized carriage could spontaneously burst into flames. The concept of attaching a garage to the house was unthinkable, so people began building free-standing wooden or brick structures to house their prized investment. From the French word garer, meaning "to protect," the concept of the garage as we know it today was born.

The early garages came in two varieties. They were either built in the same style as the main house, using leftover building materials, or were delivered as a kit from Sears or Montgomery Ward. The garages that came in these kits were more utilitarian and constructed of wood or metal. They were practical, affordable, and quick and easy to build. The use of windows was strictly for ventilation or light and not for architectural significance or interest.

Early garage doors were much more like barn doors. The weight and awkwardness of these unwieldy doors made them very impractical, especially for those who lived in snowy climates. Sliding doors were introduced next, but the garage needed to be wider in order for this type of door to work, and city dwellers did not have that kind of space. These were soon followed by the lift-type door, and though definitely an improvement, they were heavy and cumbersome.

In 1921, C.G. Johnson invented the overhead door. Although a definite improvement, it too was heavy for some people to lift. This problem was solved with the invention of the first automated garage door opener in 1926. Consumers loved this invention, but unfortunately few could afford it. This changed when the mass production of garage door openers began in the mid 1950s. However, it would be another 20 years before the use of these devices became widespread and affordable for the masses.

The carport was another option for protecting the car. It gained increasing popularity in the 1940s and is still widely used today. Especially popular in places with warmer and more temperate climates such as Florida and California, carports were liked by builders because they were much less expensive to build than the traditional garage. Carports come in one- and two-car varieties and are usually constructed with a large closet-like enclosure to store tools, lawn and garden supplies, and the traditional items one would store in a garage. The storage space in a carport is much more limited, and good organization is critical for maximizing its use. A large number of the attached one-car garages seen today started out as carports that were later enclosed.

Not everyone embraced the concept of the attached garage right away. Many were not in favor of attached garages and resisted incorporating them as a part of their houses because they were viewed as unattractive. By the early 1940s, convenience prevailed and the attached garage became more common. Even the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated one of the early attached garages into his Oak Park, Illinois home. However, it was not until the late 1950s that the attached garage became prevalent. Still, approximately half of American homes had a garage of some sort or a carport.

With the inner-city flight to the suburbs and increasing American affluence, it was clear that one car would no longer meet the needs of the suburban family. Two-car families became the norm, and by the end of the 1980s, the majority of homes being built had two-car garages.

Realtors claim that the garage is the amenity most requested by today's homebuyers and, as such, ranks above a large kitchen, formal dining room, and large backyard. In the last decade, even apartment dwellers have demanded the convenience of a garage, and builders are accommodating them.

Two-and-a-half-, three-, and even four-car garages are commonly featured in higher-priced homes. And as everything old becomes new again, builders are returning to the carriage house garage style of years ago, offering that as an option in newer residential communities.

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