Help with New Garage, Please!

[DVCLiz]

If the rain holds off and the driveway is finished tomorrow, I'll be able to use my new garage by the weekend!!!! I've never had a garage or even a carport before, but after having my cars broken into twice within a year, I bit the bullet and made it a part of my new addition.

So what's the deal with a garage? I will park two cars there - anything I need to know? How to best keep from backing into the door or pulling too far forward, or not far enough forward? I'm very likely to do one or the other!!!

I've had the garage floor sealed, but what about oil stains on concrete? (I know, this is technically not a garage question, but chances are someone will know this too!!)

Finally, what about storage inside the garage? Aside from the cars, I'll have two bikes, two electric scooters, various foot-powered scooters, a limited amount of yard equipment (rakes and hoes, but not lawn mowers - someone does the yard for me.) Also, I'd like a place to store coolers, cat traveling cages, etc. Any particular brand of garage storage that you would recommend? Any configuration that has worked best for you??

I'm going to take a picture of it empty, because I know that once I have this space, it will fill up fast!!!

Thanks in advance!!!

PS I think the space is 26 by 28 feet, if I remember correctly.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Your post made me smile =) I guess I should appreciate my garage more!

We have found that taking advantage of the wall space is wise - DH just found some Rubbermaid strips with hooks and we hung his lawn equipment up by those. They look neat and organized and keep things off the ground. I hung all the seasonal wreaths on the wall, too, just with nails. You can buy things to hang your bikes from the ceiling. Home improvement stores will have lots of cool gadgets to use for that stuff.

We have 2 cabinets out there - we put tools, car stuff, papertowels, trashbags, etc in those. We also have an attic above the garage that we put camping gear, coolers, dog kennels, etc.

Good luck organizing!

 

[pjshaff]

When we got our van, DH drilled a couple of holes into a tennis ball and put a string through it and we hung it from a beam on the ceiling of the garage. The tennis ball hits the windshield of the van with enough space leftover so we don't hit the wall in front of us or the garage door behind it.

He also built a racking system on the ceiling of the garage with some 2x4's that will hold stuff above the van without interfering with the garage door opener.

 

[DVCLiz]

OK, people, I'm letting this go to page 3 again overnight, since no one has answered this in three hours, but surely there are more than two people (thank you both very much, by the way!) who have garages AND love Disney, so you're not going to get away with ignoring this forever!!!!

 

[soccerfreak_08]

We have a garage and it is our biggest closet. If you are going to store things in there for long periods of time though you need to cover them. We usually use black trash bags(the thick, big ones). Otherwise bugs and dust get in whatever is out there. Nothing worse then setting up your tent only to be attacked my spiders..

 

[DVCLiz]

Thanks - I'll remember that - not a fan of the spider AT ALL....

 

[clh2]

You didn't mention if you are getting a garage door opener or not. Personally, I couldn't last a day without ours. (But then again, I live in WI, and if the winter winds are blowing, I would prefer not to get out and open/close the garage door.)

If you do get a GDO, one of the keypads is very nice too. This will allow you to open the garage door from the outside of the house. A very practical reason for needing this, although you mentioned you will not be doing garage work - if it is windy out when the grass is being mowed, we close the GD, so the grass doens't blow in the garage.

If you have any windows into your garage (either windows or windows on a door) get something up on the windows so people cannot see in. It will keep people from checking out the stuff you have in your garage - and could help reduce further breakins.

Make sure you have enough outlets in your garage. I would get at least 1 on every wall. And, you'll need some where the GDO should be plugged in too.

We have a set of stairs that go up to the rafters in our garage. It is something like this:stairway for garage We have some plywood over the rafters, and voila - a perfect place for Santa's Workshop , as well as seasonal outdoor decorations, a place for the window screens, etc.

 

[DVCLiz]

You didn't mention if you are getting a garage door opener or not. Personally, I couldn't last a day without ours. (But then again, I live in WI, and if the winter winds are blowing, I would prefer not to get out and open/close the garage door.)

If you do get a GDO, one of the keypads is very nice too. This will allow you to open the garage door from the outside of the house. A very practical reason for needing this, although you mentioned you will not be doing garage work - if it is windy out when the grass is being mowed, we close the GD, so the grass doens't blow in the garage.

If you have any windows into your garage (either windows or windows on a door) get something up on the windows so people cannot see in. It will keep people from checking out the stuff you have in your garage - and could help reduce further breakins.

Make sure you have enough outlets in your garage. I would get at least 1 on every wall. And, you'll need some where the GDO should be plugged in too.

We have a set of stairs that go up to the rafters in our garage. It is something like this:stairway for garage We have some plywood over the rafters, and voila - a perfect place for Santa's Workshop , as well as seasonal outdoor decorations, a place for the window screens, etc.

Now we're talking!!!

No windows at all. Two garage doors, both with automatic openers - I have a little thingie (is that too technical a term for you? LOL!!) that I will keep in my car. I think I also have the capability to program a button in my car to open and close it, but that's way over my head, so I don't think I'll use that!!

I plan to get in the habit of keeping the doors closed all the time, and using the door on the side to come and go. I'm sure I'll get lazy about this eventually, but I'm starting with good intentions. The garage is separated from the grassy area by a fence and a walkway, and the yard person blows the driveweay clear after he mows, so I think he'll get any grass that happens to stray.

Outlets - I think there are two on each wall, and the garage doors are wired into the ceiling, where the motor is mounted. I guess the remotes are battery powered. I do have an "upstairs" but it doesn't have any steps. I'd have to move a wooden panel from its position and then climb into the upstairs - not very appealing at this time!!! I think I will have plenty of storage in the actual garage but I'm keeping the upstairs an option for later on. (DD17 did ask if she could have friends up there - ummm, NO!) I don't have any window screens or outdoor equipment that needs storing, except patio furniture ( which has never been stored before since I've never had a garage before - won't it feel fancy this winter to finally be inside!)

Isn't it silly to be this excited about a garage?? I also have a new laundry room - it was perfectly thrilling tonight to go put all my laundry products away in their new shelves.

Time to get a life....

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Make use of the wall space. We used to hang our bikes. Rubbermade containers are your friend too. Install a shelving system if you can and only put shelves half way up. You can stash the rubbermade containers under it and hang things from the sides.

 

[DVCLiz]

Oh, those are the attic stairs I used to have in the house I grew up in!!! OK, that makes better sense to me - I could see getting them if I needed access to the upstairs part. I think I'll let the budget recover a little first, though...but thanks!!