Garages, primarily built to house a car or other type vehicle or vehicles, often become handy places to store cans of paint, tools, old toys, garden equipment, old newspapers and magazines, and any number of other odds and ends. After awhile organization of this storage place can become a concern either because the garage gets really messy or because the storage space tends to expand and room for the car and or other vehicles diminishes.
Garage cabinets can play an essential role in bringing order into garage chaos by simply making it easier to find things in the garage and by clearing more space for parking the vehicle. These handy cabinets come in many styles, finishes and sizes, and can also be purchased as hanging cabinets, as built in cabinets, or as stand alone cabinets on wheels. It is also possible to have cabinets planned and built for specific needs in the garage.
Cabinets can also be purchased or designed for a specific garage and when deciding to buy or design a cabinet for a specific garage, there are a variety of aspects to consider. The cabinets must be strong, even stronger than ordinary kitchen cabinets and be able to hold anything that might need to be stored. Experts say that wood garage cabinets should be constructed of tough wood, similar to Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF, furniture grade) and be able to hold up to 300 pounds of weight. The doors on the cabinet should also be well constructed quality doors with excellent hinges and shelves in the cabinet work best if they are adjustable. The color of the garage organizer should blend with the color scheme of the house and garage and choosing medium to dark colors will help prevent the cabinets from looking dirty. Wood cabinets should also be properly coated with a premium sealant to keep out moisture and prevent rot.
Other options for garage storage include heavy duty plastic or resin garage storage cabinets which are a less expensive option and can be bought in numerous home improvement stores. These cabinets, however, are considered more of a temporary option because the have a propensity to break more easily than other types of cabinets. Metal closet systems are also a possibility. These systems are fashionable, much more expensive and have the added advantage of lasting longer. They also have the disadvantages of being difficult and heavy to move and when exposed to moisture they will rust.
Garage wall type closet systems are ideal in situations where a lot of storage space and very little work space is needed. These cabinets come either in full wall heights or partial wall heights. Another available shape is the counter-style garage cabinet which is perfect for people who like to work on a variety of projects and need more counter space. In this instance it’s a good idea to coat the top of the counter with arborite for additional durability.
Cabinets with pull out bins are also great to have, especially for storing things like garbage and balls. Some also have special drawers which are useful to store sockets, wrenches and other smaller items that can be hard to find in bins and occupy too much space in other containers.
A top quality safety storage system should definitely be seriously considered by anyone who stores any kind of poisonous chemicals like pesticides. To prevent an accidental fire solvents and other flammable liquids need to be stored separately in a safe fire proof cabinet system. These and other adjustments may be necessary for families with children.
Professionals and real estate agents claim that well designed appropriate garage shelving cabinets can add value to a home in two ways. First, they are particularly appealing if the buyer needs or can use them as storage solutions and second, buyers realize that these cabinets make it easier to “de-clutter” the garage and help hide items not only in the garage but possibly those found in the home itself, particularly in the utility room, the kitchen, the bathroom and the closets. From this point of view garage cabinets cease to become an expense and become an investment.
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