Gladiator’s Smart Storage Solutions Can Organize Any Garage

This article was produced in partnership with Gladiator

The inevitable truth of having an active life where you and your family enjoy sports and the outdoors, and one where you engage in lots of DIY hobbies like woodworking and crafts, is that you will accumulate a lot of stuff. There’s no way to avoid the accumulation of gear needed to participate in the outdoor activities you gravitate toward—cycling, fishing, skiing/snowboarding, surfing, backpacking, basketball, tennis…the list goes on.

And forget about trying to successfully gather and organize everything you need to work on a classic car or motorcycle, or craft a live-edge coffee table. It’s not going to happen without some kind of storage system, like the premium, durable, good-looking solutions from Gladiator.

To get started though, you need to analyze your garage or storage area, says Blake Bancroft, Gladiator brand and e-commerce manager at Whirlpool Corporation. “Consider overall space, wall space, and accessibility,” he says. “It’s about maximizing the space you already have.”

Bringing items off the floor with shelving and overhead storage is an easy way to get started. Then, think about how you can utilize your wall space more efficiently by putting up a wall organization system. Finally, he says, consider accessibility: What items do you need to have access to every day versus infrequently used stuff? After you address those key factors, it’s easy to dial in a solution that works for you.

Organize Your Sporting Life

Having a cluttered, jumbled pile of sports and outdoor gear in the garage, all hanging haphazardly on hooks and nails in the drywall, balanced precariously on mismatched shelving, or just unceremoniously dumped on the ground is not only a pain to navigate when it’s time to get out and have fun, it looks bad.

“Adding rack shelving is a common starting point for many people,” says Bancroft. “It gets items off the ground and you can typically store lots of variations of gear.” Thankfully, Gladiator has multiple options and tips to turn that mountain of mess into an organized, clean, and streamlined assortment of essential gear.

Dividing sports and recreation gear is an easy task because most are naturally separated by season. You can rotate them out as the seasons change, storing items that aren’t in play at the moment on something like an Overhead GearLoft Storage Rack or GearLoft Shelf, or tossing the gear in storage bins that can be tucked away on the Heavy Duty Racks. The racks and shelves come in multiple sizes depending on how much gear you need to stow and the four adjustable shelves can be easily arranged at various heights to suit your storage needs.

After you’ve figured out what needs to go where according to what season you’re in, make an “active” wall, or a spot where the things you do often, like taking the dog for a walk or going for a bike ride, are easily accessible. For a storage solution to organize the gear for those activities, choose a solution like a GearWall Panel or GearTrack Channels. These easy-to-install wall hanging solutions allow you to mount a multitude of fast-access organization options from hooks and baskets to shelves and even cabinets so your most-used items are always within reach when heading out the door. And for kids’ stuff, mount bins closer to the floor so they can also grab-and-go or easily put things back when playtime is over.

Another gear category that often gets crammed in closets, taking up precious space, is apparel. Coats, fleeces, hats, gloves, and sports apparel can easily be stored in the garage with something like the Ready-to-Assemble All-Season GearCloset, which has a sturdy hanging rod inside for simple stowing. For organizing the footwear that comes with sports and outdoor recreation, check out the Ready-to-Assemble Storage Shoe Bench and the Entryway GearTrack Pack for arranging often-used apparel like seasonal jackets or umbrellas.

Unify Your DIY Tools

If you’re the home handyman or go-to mechanic for projects big and small, there’s nothing more frustrating than looking for a specific tool and not being able to find it. A little tool box, one big workbench, and a haphazardly hung peg board is not going to cut it if you want to get serious about tool organization. Not only will getting your DIY gear in order help you complete projects, you’ll also end up enjoying the process more, and avoid doubling (or tripling) up on tools or supplies that are most likely hidden behind a dusty cardboard box full of old spray paint cans.

It’s a good idea to reassess your space and find the ideal place to create a work area. Avoid heavily trafficked areas and use out-of-the-way spots like far corners of the garage that have easy access to electrical outlets, places to hang or add lights, and even plumbing lines and a drain, if applicable.

Then, think of what kinds of projects you’re most likely to take on. For example, if you’ll be rebuilding a motorcycle engine, go for a heavy-duty option like the 8′ Adjustable Height Hardwood Workbench and Premier Tall GearBox. If you want to do a lot of repairs and maintenance on equipment in the garage, maybe something more mobile, like the Modular GearDrawer and 3′ Mobile Workstation, would be a good solution.

Your tools are what you need to get a job done right, and things like cordless drills and saws aren’t cheap so it’s a good idea to invest in a secure storage solution like the Ready-to-Asssemble Mobile Storage Cabinet. This hefty, spacious cabinet has plenty of room to put away circular saws, drills, hand planers, belt sanders, and much more while also giving you the ability to lock them up.

For smaller-scale projects—like arts and crafts or repairing and building electronics—where you need some storage but nothing heavy duty, along with a small work space to lay things out, the Ready-To-Assemble Foldaway Workstation is an excellent and very versatile option. The 2-Drawer Utility Cart is another way to get a good-size work surface that is also mobile and can be used in conjunction with the Workstation to stay organized while working on smaller projects.

Store Smart With Gladiator

Getting organized is not only good for productivity, it’s also great for your mental health. There’s nothing like coming into a space that was formerly filled with piles of gear and tools, and finding it clean and organized. You get a strong feeling of pride and Gladiator can make that happen for you.

Plus, Gladiator’s products are designed so you can start small if you’re not planning a full garage rehab, says Bancroft. “You can add on over time or as your needs change, all while having the confidence that any products you add on, whether it’s cabinets, workbenches, tool storage, or wall organization, will be cohesive from a look and design perspective, but also have the upstanding strength, quality, and functionality we’re known for.”

People are typically solving for their organization needs today, but don’t realize those needs can oftentimes change. Investing in storage and organization that allow you to adapt to your changing needs will make a huge difference in the long run.

And, no matter what stage you’re at in your overhaul, you can contact Gladiator Pros who can provide garage storage, organization, and product advice.

Happy organizing!