This post shows you how to save money on garage organization. Simple ideas like upcycled TV armoires and wire shelving.
When we purchased our current home, we worked on several room renovations. (Now that I think of it, there is no room that we did not have to renovate in some way). We already had several tools but ended up accumulating several new tools.
Then the day came that I had to bring order to the chaos that was our garage. It wasn’t ridiculous but too messy for my taste. I used ClosetMaid Fixed Mount wire shelving, storage totes and TV armoires I found on Facebook Marketplace.
Aren’t these cabinets fabulous? The average cost was $208 each. And they offer LOTS of storage.
When we did our garage, ClosetMaid didn’t have all the options they do now. Now it’s a bit more complicated. But this PDF should help in your research.
It’s Time to Just Deal with That Garage Chaos
Let me insert a note here about garage chaos. This is just food for thought. If the chaos in your garage prohibits you from being able to park in there. Think on this, your vehicle is probably worth a lot more than all that stuff that is cluttering your garage 😊
The sun, rain and season changes are affecting the longevity of your vehicle’s interior and paint finish. And if you live in an area prone to hail, your vehicle could sustain real damage. Consider this your sign to just dive in and get that garage under control!
Save Money on Garage Organization with ClosetMaid Wire Shelves and Storage Totes
Wire shelves are a great, economical way to take advantage of your available vertical space. And you can take it one step further with storage totes. The storage totes help you stay organized and reduce the look of clutter.
I chose the 20” deep wire shelves due to the size of my storage totes. The ClosetMaid wire shelves are made from vinyl coated steel and can hold a lot of weight (when installed properly into studs). Some sites say the 20” deep shelves can hold 45lbs per linear ft, some say more. Please do your own research and install into the STUDS!!!
First Decision: Fixed Mount or Adjustable Shelves?
The ClosetMaid Fixed Mount System is more economical because it has less parts. The ClosetMaid Adjustable ShelfTrack System is just as the name implies – adjustable. However, to get that adjustability – the system requires more parts – more money. In case you missed this at the beginning of this post, to see all the ClosetMaid options (as of this writing) please see this PDF.
For us, the choice was clear in the garage. In order to save money on garage organization, we went with the Fixed Mount System because I had several totes that I needed to store off the ground. I simply wanted one horizontal line of totes as high as I could get them. We didn’t need adjustability for our storage totes.
This solution was not only the most economical but easy to do with minimal tools. There are many videos and PDFs online for installation instructions. What I’m mostly trying to do here is help you avoid pitfalls 😊
First Pitfall to Avoid: Purchasing the Wrong Shelf Support Brackets
When purchasing the materials for your Fixed Mount wire shelving, the shelf support brackets come in different lengths. Once you determine which shelf depth (9”, 12”, 16” or 20”) is best for your application, you’ll need to purchase corresponding shelf support brackets.
Second Pitfall to Avoid: Overlooking Possible Obstacles
This step should actually be taken first. HOWEVER, I couldn’t tell this would be a potential obstacle until I had the shelf support brackets in hand.
Since we were doing the Fixed Mount System, determining the right height was very important. And there were a few things to consider.
As mentioned above, I wanted my wire shelves as high as I could get them to allow for maximum storage beneath the shelves. The obvious first step was to measure the height of my storage totes. In my case, these totes are 16.5” high. But I also had to consider that I would be up on a ladder when setting the totes on the shelves. More than likely, I would be sliding the totes into place at an angle. That meant I needed additional clearance between the shelf and the ceiling.
Another thing to consider was this doorway. In this photo you can see that my support brackets are just above the door casing. This ended up being the final determining factor in terms of how high I could install my wire shelves. Our walls are 10’ high in the garage. In the end, I installed my 20” deep wire shelves 25” from the ceiling. Plenty of clearance for my large totes.
Where to Make Your Horizontal Line
The typical installation for this particular fixed mount system
(1) attach the wall clips
(2) snap the back of the wall shelf into the wall clips
(3) install the shelf support brackets that hold up the front of the shelves
However, because of the limitations of my doorway (pictured above), I had to do it backwards in this section.
I first attached 2 shelf support brackets right above the door casing. I then hooked the shelf support brackets into the front of the wire shelf and raised the back of the wire shelf until it was level. That helped me determine where the wall clips needed to go. I marked the wall. Then used my laser level to highlight the remaining horizontal lines around my garage.
Third Pitfall to Avoid: Trusting Typical Wall Anchors (Install Wall Clips into the Studs!)
ClosetMaid wall clips with anchors may be ok for typical installations like a laundry room or pantry where the items don’t weigh much. However, if you’re doing a closet for hanging clothes or storing heavy totes, go for the STUDS! I can’t stress this enough.
With a stud finder, I marked all my studs along the horizontal line. Then I installed all the wall clips into the studs. Next, I snapped the back of the wire shelves into the wall clips. Then I installed the shelf support brackets into the same studs where the wall clips were installed.
ClosetMaid sells corner pieces but I have never seen them in a 20” depth. So I did a simple butt joint in the corners.
Shopping for Fixed Mount Wire Shelves to Save Money on Garage Organization
Although I purchased my ClosetMaid system at Lowe’s. As of this writing, Home Depot’s prices were better. So you may want to do some comparison shopping. And you might have better luck finding the exact same stuff on Amazon. I tried but it was not standardized and too confusing, lol.
I think it might be confusing on Amazon because ClosetMaid now offers several different options. Please see this PDF if you’re not clear on which ClosetMaid system will be best for your application.
Shopping for Storage Totes to Save Money on Garage Organization
If you’ve ever searched online for plastic storage totes, it’s the Wild West. I often need to find storage totes based on dimensions. But there seems to be no standard for how storage totes are listed. And when you search for a specific gallon size, you will often get all sorts of responses in quarts.
I could not find totes like the ones I have in my garage. They are Rubbermaid brand and have held up so well over the years. In the materials list below I found some that are like mine in size and would help you maximize the space if you’re doing 20” deep shelves.
Repurposing Armoires to Save Money on Garage Organization
Storage totes up high are great for seasonal items and things you don’t need to access all that often. But what about all the tools and items that you need on a regular basis? For example: hand tools; saws; drills; hardware; compressor; automobile care and maintenance; lawn and garden maintenance; paints and chemicals.
First, I checked out the cost of new storage cabinets. At that time, they weren’t crazy expensive (like they are now) but I was not crazy about the dimensions. The deepest I could find were 18” (and that’s the exterior dimension). Since I had more depth to work with, I wanted deeper cabinets to maximize our storage space.
I started looking around on Facebook Marketplace for possible storage solutions. I kept seeing all these TV armoires. (As more and more people are hanging their TVs on the wall, they are selling their armoires and entertainment centers really cheap.)
Then I noticed one particular style kept coming up. It was perfect with a big empty area on top; 3 drawers and additional shelves down below. I found 4 of them within a 40-mile radius. They were beautiful and SO WHAT if they are overkill for a garage. They were fabulous! And at an average price of $208 each, the price was right and the size was perfect. So we went and rounded up 3 of them. These beauties provide us with 21” of yummy interior storage depth per cabinet!!
Customizing Our Storage Armoires to Save Money on Garage Organization
There really wasn’t much we needed to do. However, each armoire only came with a single shelf on the top part (where the TV would usually go). So we purchased 36” aluminum pilaster strips (aka shelf standards) and shelf clips. This would provide all the adjustability we would ever need inside these cabinets.
We then cut up some scrap MDF to make our additional shelves. These cabinets hold so much stuff. With the extra depth, I put up some scrap pegboard in the back to hang my various nail guns.
Even my small compressor fits in there!
If I don’t stay on top of it, the huge size makes it easy for my Prince to create a jumbled mess inside. I keep things organized in each cabinet with various totes. This first cabinet is our main one. Our blue metal cabinet (with small hardware) fits inside along with our other tool cases, the toolbox, and our bag of Metabo cordless tools.
Then on the bottom of the cabinet there are more shelves and (3) drawers which allow us to store even more small cases and tools. It’s my happy place 😊
When we’re done working on whatever it is, we can simply close the doors and hide it all away.
Materials Used
ClosetMaid fixed mount all-in-one hardware kit for 20” wire shelving
12’ x 20” Heavy duty wire shelf (can be cut at the store or with bolt cutters)
72” Pilaster strips (we cut these in half with hacksaw)
36” Pilaster strips (if you need them already cut to size, they’re on Amazon but cost more ☹)
Tools Used
Measuring tape
Take Away
When you need more space, start looking around. I often find unused space – up high. And not just on my walls. I’ve installed extra shelves inside my cabinets when I see big open gaps. I’ve also converted a 6ft tall bookcase into a media stand for my printer, scanner and Cricut. Going vertical takes up a lot less room real estate.
By staying open-minded when you look at furniture pieces, new ideas will start to emerge. You may find an alternate use for something that is better than whatever it was originally intended for.
Here’s to repurposing old furniture and Making it Fabulous!
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