Add Much-Needed Storage To Your Garage With A Practical Solution That Maximizes Space

When you look at how badly people in the United States clutter up garages, you'd think we didn't know the space's intended purpose was to house cars. 

A staggering (though not surprising) 36% of people claim their garages are so overcluttered they can't fit their car inside. It may be tempting to put this issue on the backburner — after all, parking in your driveway is an easy solution, right? — but don't forget the value of your car and the need to protect it. If you leave your car outside every day, you're not only leaving it at the mercy of the elements, but also at the mercy of those who may not have the most honorable intentions; it's definitely not unheard of for someone's personal items to be stolen out of their car in the driveway or for the entire car itself to be taken. 

How can you begin to deal with the headache of all that garage clutter, though? Well, there is a way you're probably overlooking. Because if your clutter is comprised of the same stuff as most people — stuff like seasonal items, bicycles, sports gear, tools, and old memorabilia – the most effective solution is the empty overhead storage space that's currently being unused. 

Maybe you'll never turn your garage into a man cave, a wood shop, or the in-law apartment of your dreams, but that doesn't mean you should overrun it with junk. While there's plenty garage organizing products to free yourself of unwanted clutter, look to overhead storage as a way to maximize space while keeping things clean and organized. Ceiling storage is the miraculous solution to garage storage issues that too many people overlook. 

Admittedly, there are a few types of garage storage problems, so let's start by assuming your issue is of the "bulky items" variety – think, that old bicycle you only use in summertime, or the snowboards and surfboards and kayaks that are either leaned up against the walls or sitting on the cold concrete floor.  These are the exact items that can be put away safely with hooks and hangers. While they take up a ton of storage room normally, getting them up on the ceiling will make them practically vanish, and it's not a complex thing to do: You can either use more generic garage ceiling hooks, or go for specialty items like the Gladiator Advanced Bike Storage hook. 

Either way, the goal is to get these things up there so you can walk freely (and drive freely) down here. These products keep items off the floor and accessible for the next time you want to hang 10 or shred some fresh powder. However, if you're needing storage solutions of a more complex sort — e.g., lots and lots of boxes — there's another route.

For larger storage options (like boxes of memorabilia or seasonal decorations), skip the hooks and look into racks and tracks. Racks are mounted to your garage ceiling and hold items on a platform which can be retractable. As implied, track systems only have tracks, so instead of placing items on a platform, you would slide storage containers into the tracks, as seen above. Consider labeling each box if you go for this solution.

If you have high enough ceilings that are well-supported, the retractable racks option would offer you tons of storage space you never knew you had. However, it does cost a lot more. A retractable 4 x 8 platform, for instance, can total almost $2,000. Ones that just hang from the ceiling and don't retract are more in the $200-$300 range. 

No matter which overhead option you choose, it's important you understand the storage system's weight capacity and install it professionally to ensure it's safe and won't damage the integrity of your ceiling. Either way, now that you know the details, use the exciting prospect of more garage space as motivation to jump start your spring cleaning, install your new overhead storage — and park in your garage again!