Storage systems for garage and workshop

Recommendation points

• Where to begin
• Basic principles of distributing free space in the garage
• The main types of storage systems
• Garage or workshop furniture
• Homemade gadgets

Garage space is limited, but there are ways to keep everything compact and easily accessible. Our site tips.RU offers ways to organize and review storage systems for tools and household equipment that will eliminate clutter and expand the free space in your garage or workshop.

Where to begin

Understanding how to equip a workplace in the most convenient way begins with studying the geometric principles of distributing limited space for specific purposes. In our case, we are dealing with a parallelepiped, which can be conditionally divided into two zones.

The first is a nested parallelepiped bounded by the entrance gate arch and runs along the entire garage. In some cases, the length of the parallelepiped is limited by the size of the site required for the free movement of vehicles and moving objects. In such cases, the area that we will call the reserve area does not reach the back of the garage..

The remnants of the space formed after the exclusion of the reserve area from the garage is the second zone. It houses all stationary equipment: cabinets, workbenches, machines and equipment that are too heavy or simply inconvenient for frequent movement.

To eliminate errors, you should draw up a simple plan, and then render the demarcation lines in nature, marking the walls and floor with contrasting borders. This approach will help to make sure that no obstacles interfere with the entry of the car, and optimization and filling of free space will be carried out on a planned basis and without wasting time on rework..

Basic principles of distributing free space in the garage

A sharpener, a drilling machine, a vice, a compressor – even in an ordinary garage there can be an impressive list of objects, the location of which does not change during the entire period of use. Such objects are usually located close to walls, which helps to gain some floor space. However, it may be necessary to have clearance from the wall. For example, for each machine, sufficient indents for maintenance are regulated, and a narrow niche behind the cabinet can be very convenient for a roll-out rack or for storing sheet materials..

The space left after placing the objects chained to the floor is first used to accommodate movable workshop equipment. In fact, even the work table and workbench may have wheels that can be lifted up to transport, but for this the garage floor must be sufficiently flat and have a hard surface. We have already discussed how to make our own workbench for the garage in another article on the site .

Any large objects in the garage or workshop should be movable if possible: if necessary, they can be used in the reserve area, and then pushed against the wall to drive the car back or make space for other tasks.

When all the movable objects finally take their positions, there is still a little space left where you can place:

• shelves;
• stands for rarely used tools;
• various devices;
• boxes;
• place to rest;
• cooking area;
• water dispenser.

In other words, objects and objects for which the position is not fundamentally constant and fixed are placed in the last place, including household equipment and everything that turned out to be in the workshop due to “Plyushkinism” of varying degrees of neglect.

It must be remembered – although stationary objects set the general principles for placing everything else, the dimensions of some regulars in the workshop can and should be specified separately when a specific storage system is selected. For example, a desk, which is often self-made, can play in sizes up to a couple of tens of centimeters. This applies to all homemade furniture and carts, shelves, stands, stands: by slightly adjusting their size and position, you can use the maximum free space, no matter how trite it may sound.

For example, it is reasonable to adjust tables to the height of drawers and pedestals, the height of the shelves – for organizers, trays and containers. If you constantly keep in mind that many elements of the furnishings can be some kind of elastic “patches”, upon completion of the organization of the space, there will be no white spots and unsuitable areas.

The main types of storage systems

When you know how much free space is available for the installation of storage systems, you can start forming their configuration. You should start with the areas that are used most intensively, moving on to issues of organizing storage of things, the need for which arises only from time to time..

First of all, it is necessary to distribute hand tools in their main places and for this there are the following methods:

1. Wardrobes and drawer units today form the basis of workshop equipment. Compartments with lodgments are ideal for storing small items: a set of heads with adapters, pliers. Taller drawers provide the ability to store any stable items, and the full extension system guarantees quick and convenient access to any part of the compartment.

2. A pegboard is a perforated panel along the desktop. It can hold both individual tools and whole stands and organizers, stands, single and fork hooks for various coils and skeins, lighting devices and, with proper skill, in general, any little thing that should always be at hand.

3. Box organizers are indispensable for sorting and storing piece goods: hardware, adapters, terminals, fittings and all sorts of things that were previously stored in coffee or paint cans. A subspecies of such organizers are suitcases with cells that are often removed, but the depth of the shelves with this storage method should be approximately twice as much..
4. Trays of all shapes and sizes provide the same functions as organizers, but due to the different form factor have their own peculiarities of use. Trays with a rear bracket can not be placed on a rack or shelf, but can be hung on a railing both at the storage place and in the work area. Plus, using small things straight from the tray is more convenient than picking out with your finger from the drawer.

5. Modular drawers provide reliable protection against dust. It is convenient to store power tools, extension cords and other wires in them, any things that have a low weight-to-volume ratio and visually litter the space. It is recommended to lay the number of boxes more than necessary: ​​as practice shows, there is always less space in them than we would like. The main advantage of the boxes is modularity, their lids fit well with the bottom of their neighbors, when folded together they do not leave unused volume. Boxes can be of different sizes, can be stacked on a mobile cart.

Garage or workshop furniture

We move on to looking at larger, more complex storage and workspace systems. almost all of them are installed permanently and have a rigid mount, so it is logical to combine them under the general concept of furniture.

The so-called “Ikeevsky” systems, sets of which can be purchased in most construction hypermarkets and shopping centers. They cannot boast of high durability, but they are cheap, very versatile and customizable for specific needs. On racks fixed to the wall, shelves, drawers, baskets, hooks, special stands and stands with inventory can be attached. Such systems are optimal for placing light materials and equipment, personal protective equipment, household supplies..

Metal cabinets and other furniture. Despite the decent cost, they allow you to place your hand tool as competently as possible so that all of it is within easy reach. We recommend taking a closer look at well-known tool manufacturers: many of them also offer cabinets and drawers optimized for storing kits that you can buy with them.

Tables are a completely separate topic. Most ready-made workbenches are not able to withstand constant blows from a sledgehammer, but they are very suitable for delicate work or organization of a welding place. For serious work with equipment units and heavy metal, it is better to assemble the table yourself on a frame made of pipes or rolled metal, in the absence of welding – from sawn timber with a section of 70×70 mm or more, shackling the joints with metal plates.

Consider installing an island workbench separately. It is better if it is on lifting wheels, and a board-organizer is screwed to the back of which both sides are suitable for use. It is reasonable to make a movable workbench of the same height as the main table in order to use it as an additional support when working with large-sized parts.

Homemade gadgets

Almost all of the considered storage systems can be made by hand. This will take a lot of time and, perhaps, handicrafts will not be as thoughtful and convenient, but this will save on equipping the workplace with everything you need, in some cases it even turns out to surpass the capabilities of standard systems.

As a conclusion, we present a list of the most popular homemade gadgets and equipment that will help maintain order in the workshop, make work easier and win more free space:

1. The cyclone is the main detail of the equipped workshop. Without it and a vacuum cleaner, it makes no sense to organize a storage system, because maintaining cleanliness will take more time than the work itself.

2. If a compressor is available in the workshop, it is highly recommended to install a compressed air line. This avoids frequent hose confusion and allows you to place the compressor wherever you want..

3. Plastic jars screwed onto the lid under the shelf are a great example of a homemade organizer that uses unused space. It is also convenient to attach strings for brushes and some tools under the shelves, clothespins for gloves, strips with a magnetic stripe and roof rails.
4. Diagonally sawn wooden grate is well suited for storing light pipes, profiles, rods both in the corner and under the ceiling.
5. Lightweight shelf with holes – the easiest organizer for screwdrivers and pliers
6. A rail with screwed-in self-tapping screws will allow you to hang spanner keys by height and instantly find the right one.

7. Sleeves from sewer, polyethylene pipes and PVC ventilation ducts. In vertical or inclined positions, they can serve as an organizer, glasses for screwdrivers, taps, in horizontal positions they are suitable for holding a drill or screwdriver.
8. A folding workbench is suitable if it is not possible to place a workplace without violating the reserve zone. True, such a table cannot be used as a place for permanent storage of something..
9. Pallets bolted to the wall work as a basket for shovels, rakes and other household equipment.
10. Cloth with sewn on bags and straps – can stretch even from ceiling to floor, carrying a lot of useful things. Sewing, of course, is necessary from tarpaulin or awning fabric.
11. If it is impossible to securely fix the shelves to the wall, hang them on chains from the ceiling, performing only lateral shear fixation. All chain links are the same size, which means that you can align all the shelves at the same time using lanyards.