Garage Cabinet

In many homes, garages are for multi-purpose use. They're not just for parking cars, but can also be used as workshops, laundry rooms, and catch-alls for everything from Halloween decorations to bulk-sized paper towel rolls.

Organization is often overlooked in garages. Garage cabinets are essential to successfully organized garages. They free up an enormous amount of floor space, turning garages into more pleasant and efficiently used spaces.

Types of Cabinets

You can build your own cabinets out of plywood, but it's far simpler to buy some ready made ones and assemble them yourself. There are dozens of types available. Some are basic -- white, flat front melamine -- while others look as nice as kitchen cabinets. Make sure they're durable, as they'll see a good deal of use over the years.

SLIDE-LOK offers stackable, modular cabinets. These are good because you can keep re-arranging them as your needs change. Each piece is dovetailed and slides together with the other pieces, making them easy to assemble. SLIDE-LOK systems are available in widths of 5 to 16 feet. You can also buy these cabinets a la carte.

Other cabinet systems have specialty pieces, such as a cabinet with a crisscrossed bungee cord across the front to create storage for balls. Pegboards for hanging tools are also available.

Figuring Out What You Need

The first thing to do is clean out your garage. This is the time to have that big garage sale. Why store a bunch of junk you haven't used in twenty years? Next, map your space using graph paper. This will aid you in selecting cabinetry.

Figure out what you need to store, then decide which cabinet system you'll go with and what standard sizes are. Then, map out the system on graph paper. Often, the company will help you with this. If you buy an off-the-shelf system from a home improvement store, you'll probably be on your own -- so be prepared.