Clutter Busters: Garage organization systems provide a place for everything—and new-found profits.
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When the custom closet craze started nearly a decade ago, homeowners wanted two things: an organized area with a place for every shoe and article of clothing and an eye-catching space that their friends would envy. Those same motivations are fueling the trend toward outfitting the lowly cluttered garage with the coolest organization systems.
“Right now the garage is the No. 1 environment in the home where people are spending organization dollars,” claims Mark Shuman, president of GarageTek garage organization systems. “The garage is becoming a more important space. People have more toys, they're more involved in sporting activities, and they're more likely to have a third vehicle.”
Specialty organization fixtures and storage accessories are the newest way for builders and remodelers to add functionality and style to the garage, maximizing the under-used space and boosting the value of the home in the owner's eyes. During the past few years, a handful of manufacturers began offering modular organization systems designed specifically to withstand the rigors of fluctuating garage climates, caustic household chemicals, and the weight of tools and equipment.
No longer used only for housing vehicles, the garage must be flexible enough to accommodate multiple needs. Extra car bays frequently serve as workshops, sports equipment storage spaces, mechanic shops, and even family game centers. Homeowners want their garages to be as organized and functional as their kitchens.
“The higher-scale purchaser doesn't want a garage that doesn't suit his needs and doesn't better utilize the space that's available,” points out Paul Richter, general manager of Vantage Pointe Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Dura Fitted Garage System. “Why waste the space when they're spending that much money? They want to utilize that space to its best advantage.”
A Complete Solution
Most garage organization systems that offer a complete solution are based around a wall panel that holds a variety of brackets, shelves, buckets, hooks, and lockable cabinets and that can be easily moved around to accommodate the homeowner's changing storage needs.
Many wall panels are made from different PVC formulations that resist the damaging effects of hot and cold temperature cycles; they fit together using a tongue-and-groove locking system and can be applied over drywall or directly to framing studs. Other types of wall panels, such as perforated steel, also are used, but the main goal of all systems is flexibility. The components can be moved about and added to at will.
“The systems are attractive because they're flexible,” says Linda Mathis, vice president for Jacksonville, Fla.-based North Florida Builders. “You can rearrange them as your needs change, and you can get everything off the floor of the garage.” Durable work surfaces, lighting, and flooring also are available with most systems.
Although garage organization is functional at heart, homeowners increasingly want a high-end, professional look that complements other products in their houses. Just as commercial-style appliances now are a must in many kitchens, upscale organization components give the garage a professional appearance, even if the homeowner rarely touches the tools hanging on the walls.
Gladiator GarageWorks and the Dura Fitted Garage System, for example, both offer distinctive commercial-style systems. Wall and floor cabinets are made of powder-coated steel and feature ball-bearing glides for smooth drawer operation, casters for floor cabinets, and stainless steel finishes that give the garage the gleam of a pro shop.
