Home storage tips from the Building & Safety Department

Here’s a good article on some “out of the box” thinking about garage storage options. Low tech solutions to increase your usable storage space are always a winner.

The holidays are over and you’re ready to store those Christmas decorations for next year.With the cold weather here, now is the perfect time to clean out those storage areas.

Most garages double as storage areas and some are so storage-oriented the family vehicle no longer fits.

As a result, many garages become overrun with tools, lawn and sports equipment and children’s toys. Unfortunately, areas that become overly cluttered can pose a real fire hazard.

Here are some tips for organizing your storage areas-whether they be a shed, garage or spare bedroom.

Go into your storage space and look up. Your area may have potential for overhead storage.

An overhead beam or pole can be installed to hang light items such as bicycles, life jackets or bundled extension cords. This helps get items off the floor. Even a nail is strong enough to support a lawn chair.

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Palo Verde/Quartzsite Times - Home storage tips from the Building & Safety Department.

Boone’s Course Horse Provides A Sweet Spot For Golf Clubs When Traveling

The Course Horse a cargo carrier for Golf Cases, Bags or luggage. Carrier fits 2 inch hitch receiver and buy the optional Boone H2 rack for perfect garage storage. There are a number of advantages to owning a Course Horse; extra cargo space, economical travel choices, club protection, physical well being, and the ability to never leave your clubs behind again.
Obviously getting more cargo space for luggage and the family is a big one especially if you own any of the golf cases currently on the market.

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Press Release - Boone’s Course Horse Provides A Sweet Spot For Golf Clubs When Traveling.

The Weather Outside is Frightful. Now is a Good Time To De-clutter the Inside of Your Home

As the weather gets colder, staying indoors is a reality. Instead of getting bored at home, observe each room and make a list of items no longer needed. Go to your local retailer and purchase some storage containers. You can visit each room of your home and see what is no longer needed or has not been used in years. Go through your clothing and decide what you could sell or donate to a local charity. After boxing up these items, place them in the garage or a storage unit. As spring arrives, you will have more time to enjoy the great outdoors and be ready for the yearly garage sale.

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herald-dispatch.com: Welcome Home: The Weather Outside is Frightful. Now is a Good Time To De-clutter the Inside of Your Home.

Storage Can Be a Problem for All Those Holiday Gifts; Attic, Garage, Closet or Self Storage?

Here Are Some Tips from Our Attic Storage on Storage Containers for Storing Your “Stuff” After the Holidays

LEWISVILLE, Texas–EON: Enhanced Online News–Throw it away, give it away or store it somewhere—attic, garage, closet or self-storage. Those are the choices we’ll all face as the holidays fade into memory, particularly those of us already cramped for space.

“Our mobile storage containers are perfect for storing all those items you only need occasionally like holiday decorations, seasonal clothing, toys and sports equipment, or family keepsakes”

Bulging closets leave little room for those new sweaters, sweat suits and pajamas that came swaddled in bright colored wrapping. The kids’ toy box probably was overflowing before the overindulgent grandparents showed up. And those holiday decorations somehow multiplied and refuse to go back into the storage containers they came out of.

It’s triage time for your stuff.

First, figure out what’s broken, torn, or otherwise damaged beyond repair and put it out for the trash collectors. Check your local regulations for the disposal of home chemical or electronic trash.

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Storage Can Be a Problem for All Those Holiday Gifts; Attic, Garage, Closet or Self Storage?.

Starting Your Garage Make Over

Once you have you have decided on your design it’s time for work to begin. Often this can be where the process comes to screeching halt. When confronted by a garage that is in a state of disarray, it is sometimes hard to know how to get started. A methodical process can get you started and carry you through the entire project. Let’s start with the clean-up.

The Work Begins

Get rid of the junk. Many people are successful by starting with a garage sale. This can be a great way to get people to remove your junk for you. The key to success is organization. First identify everything you can get rid of. Be brutal. That box of books from college may seem like it holds some value but the fact that you haven’t opened it in five years says otherwise. If you haven’t touched something in a couple of years, you don’t need it. Get rid of it. Assemble your pile of goods to sell in one area and put prices on them. Price them cheap. The idea is to get rid of the stuff. Pricing items to high willl leave you with items that will not sell and that will end up in the dumpster. Don’t look at pricing like your trying to open a retail store, price like you need the money. This will make it more attractive to people as they scan the items at the sale. Here’s a great idea for making your yard sale a success. Donate all of the proceeds to your favorite charity. It will help you distance yourself from the whole process of hocking your prized possessions and it will help shoppers ease up a little on the haggling. Pick you favorite charity and put up prominent signs that all proceeds will go to support that charity. Some charities will even help you with promotional materials to let everyone know about the sale in advance. Also make sure you pick a weekend with a favorable weather forecast and promote your sale in the local paper and with signs at major intersections in your neighborhood. On the day of the sale be ready early. Start your sale at 6:00 or 7;00 in the morning. Yard sale professionals like to scan the sales before the items are picked over so be ready early. Also have some coffee and donuts out. It will encourage people to linger a little longer. Also make sure you have a decent amount of cash on hand to make change. Yard sale transactions are cash only so you need to be able to make change.
Once you start to see traffic, get ready to deal. Haggling is part of the yard sale experience. It will also help you move that junk. Don’t stick to your price. Remember the yard sale is a means to an end, getting rid of clutter. Any money you make no matter how insignificant is just icing on the cake.
Traffic usually falls off after lunch time, so typically you can call it a day around 1:00. Look at what’s left. If you have a Good Will center nearby or other charity that will accept donations, sort the remains for transfer to a donation site. Everything else, EVERYTHING ELSE , is going to the landfill. Don’t take anything back into your workspace. If you need to you can rent a roll-off dumpster and load it up. It sounds brutal but many people say it was one of the most liberating steps towards organization that they took. Whether you haul it yourself or use a dumpster make sure you remove as much as possible.
The items that you intend to keep will need to find a temporary home while you work on your garage. If you have an outdoor shed this makes a great temporary storage area. If you don’t have an area to store these items there are great alternatives. There are many companies now offering temporary on site storage structures. These companies will deliver a large structure that looks like a shipping container. The storage unit is leased by the month and is weather proof to allow you to store the items from the garage that you intend to keep. This is a great alternative and allows you to store your items without having to move them a great distance. Make sure you check with your Home Owners Association (HOA) and local governments to see if there are any restrictions on using this type of storage unit. Typically they are allowed but may have a very firm time limit on how long the storage unit may be in place.

Innovative Storage Solutions: Overhead Storage

Overhead Storage is out of the way yet still accessible
An organized garage will save you time. No more hours of searching for items you’ve stored. You will always know where your belongings are and will be able to put your hands on them in a matter of minutes. One of the greatest additions to the garage storage landscape, is the new solutions for overhead garage storage. As the need for storage space grows the options for wall storage could only accommodate a certain amount, so the industry looked up. The ceiling can be used as an additional storage area to organize your life. Overhead storage is a great solution for seasonal items like summer clothes or holiday decorations. Ideally it should be used for items that you do not need to access frequently. You should also consider how much overhead storage space to utilize in your design. While the ceiling of your garage does represent an opportunity for additional storage, too much overhead storage can lead to a cramped space that feels claustrophobic. There are several approaches to this type of storage. The different types primarily involve the method that the stored materials can be accessed. Your intended use will determine which fits your space and budget. These systems allow you to easily store file boxes, big tools, large toys, canoes, kayaks, holiday ornaments, tires, ladders, third row car seats and just about anything else.

Overhead Storage Options

Fixed Rack Systems
This is the simplest and cheapest solution for ceiling storage in garages. The racks are permanently attached to the ceiling. The drawback is that this storage system needs to be accessed using a ladder.

Hand Cranked System
These overhead systems are raised and lowered using a rotating hand crank. The long hadle is turned from the floor level and a screw system raises and lowers the storage platform. This system also allows home owners to access the storage space without using a ladder.

Pulley and Cable System
These systems use pulleys and cables to raise and lower the storage rack so that it can be accessed from the floor. Typically they have a clutch mechanism to prevent the unit from lowering too fast for safety reasons. These systems allow home owners to load and lift heavy items to the ceiling without using a ladder.

Motorized Garage Storage Systems
These systems also use pulleys and cables to raise and lower the storage rack so that it can be accessed from the floor. This system is a variant of the pulley system that allows any one to raise and lower the system. Typically the system is switched away from light switches so as to avoid confusion. These systems are the most expensive overhead storage systems but allow anyone to access the storage space. These are particularly good systems for seniors who need to use an overhead storage system.

Cabinets Are For More Than The Kitchen

Garage Cabinets for storage in garages can be made of many materials. Typically they are made of wood, plastic, or metal. When considering what type of garage storage cabinet will work best in your particular situation, you must consider cost, aesthetics as well as function and durability. Each type of garage storage cabinet has different qualities. Plastic cabinets are typically the least expensive and are easiest to install. The downside is that they can be rather flimsy and suceptible to wear and tear. Wood cabinets used in garage storage are similar to low end kitchen cabinets. They can have a variety of finishes to match your design preference and are very durable. Metal cabinets are extremely durable and come in unique finishes like diamond plate that can add a very high end look to your garage. Research is the key to making a good decision. Visit jobs that have the cabinets you are interested in and talk to owners that have had them installed to understand the benefits ad drawbacks of the garage storage cabinets that you are interested in.

Cabinet Designs - Most Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs will allow you to layout and understand your garage space so you can design you cabinet layout. Many distributors and installers of cabinets for garage storage will help you layout your cabinets, often free of charge in the hope that you will purchase their product. Whichever way you come at this endeavor, go into it with some idea of what you want and what you are willing to spend.
When you design your cabinet space consider separating items into the following groups:

* Gardening equipment
* Sporting goods
* Tools
* Seasonal items

It is also a great idea to include a locking cabinet to store hazardous equipment and materials safely out of the reach of little hands.

Garage Storage Storage Racks

Rack storage options started with old pegboard and hooks but has evolved into a highly specialized approach to storing all manner of tools and equipment in garages. There are racks for sports equipment like skis, helmets, balls and golf clubs. There are also racks for hand tools, garden tools and mechanics tools. All of these rack storage solutions work great but must be incorporated into your design carefully. A garage with too much open storage on racks can still end up looking cluttered, so it is important to balance your approach to storage.