Garage Storage

  Do you know what  I hate about cleaning my garage?   Well, I will tell you... it is  the "junk drawer" of my house. No matter how often I clean it, it always feels cluttered. 

If I pick up something at a garage sale,  where does it go ?

 "In the garage." 

 I have 3 different strollers, that are used depending on the activity/number of kids with me,  all of which need to be readily accessible. Where do they go ?  

"In the garage."

Where do  I spend about 50% of my waking hours ? 

"In the garage." 

So, for an OCD nut job it was fairly important to have it  clean and organized. 

BUT, where do you put all the random stuff !? 

My solution?  A really nifty storage solution! 

Want to learn how to make one yourself ? ...

 How to make a  "French Cleat" shelving system:

  Materials needed: 

3/4" Plywood  (not to be confused with OSB or composite)

3" Screws

Hooks ( will vary according to project)

 Tools Recommended: 

Tablesaw

Drill

Countersink Drill Tip

Level/Laser Level 

Miter Saw 

We will begin by making the strips of wood  that will be mounted to the wall.

 The plywood will need to be cut at 45 degree on one side.

  There should be 3" at the base. (So approximately  3 3/4"  including the 45 degree angle.)
Repeat this process as many time necessary for your project.  Also,  make a few extra feet,  you will need this for the "hangers".

 Next:  Mark where the studs will be,  I then  used a "countersink tip" so that the screw would sit  level with the board.

   Next,  I used a laser level to map out where my first row would be. 
  Secure board to wall using a 2.5" - 3" screw. Make sure you are  hitting studs!

Using a laser level  map out the 2nd row. My rows are spaced out at 21" apart.

 Keep on truckin. Make as many rows as you want!  The possibilities are endless!



 To Make the Cleat Hangers:

 Using  the same planks that were used on the wall,  cut 3.5" sections.  Then rotate and cut 1.5" off the sidee that has the 90 degree edge. (See picture above.)

The piece of wood with the 45 degree angle will need to   secured to the top of the "cleat hanger". I  used a finish nailer,  but  when I install the hook I also put a screw to make it really sturdy.

(For the actual block of wood I used  a 1x4"  cut down to 7.5")

  Take the  1.5" block that was cut off  from the 45 degree angle and secure it to the bottom  of your "cleat hanger".
 

 Once the board is assembled you can add hooks. The hooks I used  run about $1.50 a piece and can be found at most  hardware stores. Again, I made sure a screw went through  both the angled cleat board and the top 1x4. (This joint  will be holding a  majority of the weight.)

 Then, hang them up !  I made quite a few of these,  planning on doubling them up where needed. I LOVE that these can be moved around to accommodate all of the random sized crap that was scattered all over the garage floor!

So neat, clean, and organized! My favorite part?  Totally customizable to any needs!
So once your garage is ship shape,   pop open a nice cold Diet Coke and stand back and admire your hard work!

Take Luck,
Corey