UP & OUT OF THE WAY
CROWDED GARAGES BENEFIT FROM OVERHEAD STORAGE SYSTEMS
BY KEVIN SHAHA
DESPITE THE PROLIFERATION of two- and even three-car garages, families seem to be in perpetual need of more storage space. Often, it’s the family car that gets left out in the elements to make room for toys, sporting goods, lawn mowers and other items that take up valuable space.
In fact, according to a 2003 study by Peachtree Consulting Group of Atlanta, 40 percent of people who own a garage park in their vehicle in the driveway. People are parking their $30,000 cars in their driveway, while a sofa that’s losing its stuffing, unused toys and plain old junk is occupying the space in their garages.
Here are some tips for tackling the final frontier of home organization — the garage — and getting the car back where it belongs.
First, homeowners need to get rid of anything they know they don’t need. This means sorting items into piles to keep, give away and throw out. Homeowners should be encouraged to host a garage sale to get rid of the “good” stuff, and to take a trip to the dump to dispose of broken, unusable items. Then, they’ll need to take a look around to see what’s left and develop a plan for these items. Hooks, hanger racks and shelves mounted to the walls are good for some items such as bikes and tools, but what about heavier, bulkier things people can’t hang on the wall? Today, we recommend people head to the heights with new garage storage products that take advantage of the entire space overhead.
One suggestion is to consider a well-designed garage storage device that allows the user to store virtually anything out of the way and off the floor by making use of the space on the ceiling. It’s possible to store up to 250 pounds on a good overhead system. This design can be used to store out-of-season equipment and tools, or it can be used as year-round storage for file boxes or other essentials that aren’t used frequently but still need to be kept for future use.
An easy-to-install well-designed safe system such as Racor’s HeavyLift can be screwed to the support beams in the ceiling. Next, the winding axle would be attached using hardware that’s supplied with the system. A steel cable is threaded through the support beam wheels and attached to the platform, allowing the provided hand crank to raise and lower the platform, keeping homeowners safely on the ground while lifting heavy items to the ceiling.
This means that homeowners won’t be climbing tall ladders trying to balance heavy boxes — undoubtedly an invitation for injury. The American Ladder Institute reports that each year more than a half-million people are injured and sent to the emergency room after falling off ladders, so this type of system makes a lot of sense, both for reasons of safety and space conservation. With a well-designed space-saving system described, homeowners simply lower the platform, find what they need and then they can crank the system back up to the ceiling.
Once seldom-used items are off the floor and no longer occupying valuable floor or shelf space, the homeowner can make better use of the room below. This is where frequently used items such as cleaners, tools and auto accessories can be stored within easy reach.
More importantly, that $30,000 car might actually get beyond the driveway and into the garage — where it was supposed to be in the first place.
Kevin Shaha is president of Racor, a company that specializes in garage storage systems. The company built its first garage storage rack in 1985 with the introduction of the SR-2 Ski Rack. Since then, Racor has developed four distinct product lines with more than 60 items, including the HeavyLift system for overhead storage. For more information, visit www.racorinc.com.
RACOR’S HEAVYLIFT
RACOR’S new HeavyLift system allows the homeowner to load and lift heavy items to the ceiling (up to 12 feet) without using a ladder. Simply raise and lower the 4-foot-by-4-foot storage platform with the hand crank provided.
The system features heavy-duty steel support beams, platform, winding axle, vinyl coated steel cable, hand crank and all mounting hardware; maximum capacity of up to 250 pounds (of evenly distributed static weight); a one-year warranty on all parts.
For more information visit www.racorinc.com.
SOS
STORAGE OVERHEAD SYSTEMS (SOS) garage storage systems are a cost-effective, cutting-edge idea in home storage today. With more than 75,000 installations throughout the country, to date, the company prides itself on satisfying customers.
Each SOS unit has a weight capacity of 250 pounds and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. An average system can hold 1,000 pounds or more. SOS typically installs between four to eight units per garage, and has the ability to install units virtually any place in the garage.
In addition to the overhead storage systems, SOS also offers Pro Duty walls, mounted shelves and all kinds of accessories, boasting a weight capacity of 150 pounds per shelf.
For more information, visit www.4sosusa.com.
TOOLS AWAY
Earning a gold medal at INPEX, America’s Largest Invention Trade Show, was ToolsAway, an organizer for long-handled garden tools, designed by David Udy of Salt Lake City, Utah. Up to 15 garden tools can be kept neatly organized, and easily retrievable with the ToolsAway. Rakes, shovels, brooms and other long-handled garden tools are inserted handle-first into the base. It and takes up about 4 feet of wall space and only 1 foot of floor space, and can sit on the floor or be mounted to a door.
For more information, visit www.toolsaway.com.
CCDS GARAGE SOFTWARE
Still in the production stage, the GARAGE PICTORIAL DESIGN SYSTEM is due for release in early-2006 and will give designers the ability to present to clients a solution to that cluttered war zone that is currently masquerading as a garage. This new design system will work on exactly the same principles as CCDS’ closet and pantry systems. Despite the fact that most garage designs will consist mainly of white boxed structures, CCDS plans to introduce a splash of color, a hallmark of CCDS design systems, so designs will stand out against any CAD package design. And, as with all CCDS Pictorial Design Systems, they will appear hand-drawn (because they actually are).
For more information on CCDS systems, call 386.676.1037; e-mail designservices@c-cds.com; or visit www.c-cds.com.
ALPINE’S IRON MAN
After receiving two decades of customer feedback, ALPINE releases its newest design: Iron Man. The cabinet system features adjustable shelves with unique brackets designed to hold up to heavy loads as well as prevent shelves from sagging in the middle.
The Iron Man garage cabinets also feature heavy duty adjustable steel leg levelers (to compensate for sloped floors), an extra deep notch to fit over the stem walls rising from the foundation to allow the cabinets to sit flush against the wall, and hardwood foundations that support the cabinets weight by resting on the floor (many cabinets are wall mounted which makes them less stable). They also feature rugged work benches — topped with durable Formica — that are modular and reconfigurable.
For more information, call 800.738.5578 or visit www.ironmancabinets.com.
THE FUTURE OF GARAGE STORAGE
From the best garage storage products, to sales and marketing support, a company’s own website, and on-line ordering, TAG brings it all together to maximize profit potential. TAG brings the best garage storage products from all over the world into one easy to use place, with no franchise fees, minimum orders, or hassles, just great products and great opportunities.
For more information, visit www.theaccessoriesgroup.com.
