Overview of Overhead Garage Storage Solutions

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Visiting with friend and realtor Jennifer Gruber of Crofton, MD, I was simply floored with their recent garage overhaul.  Most impressive, I thought, was the utilization of overhead space.  So when I had the opportunity to work again with a garage door specialist (here on Building Moxie), it was the topic of my choice.  Thanks for the write-up Brandon. Enjoy all, and a happy Labor Day weekend. ~jb

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For many homeowners, the garage becomes more than just a place to park their vehicles – it also gets co-opted as storage space.  But like any storage space, keeping things organized after a while can become problematic.  This is especially true if you need room to move around, or if you can’t find, say, that box of Christmas decorations when the time comes.

This is where overhead garage storage solutions come into play. Their advantages are immediately clear:

• It keeps stuff off the floor and out of the way
• If you’ve got little ones at home, you can easily put hazardous items like antifreeze (or such) out of reach
• Stow things you don’t use very often overhead until you do need them

Naturally, there’s a wide variety of overhead storage solutions available on the market today. This makes it very easy to find the right one for you.  The most common option is of course the bolt-mounted stationary rack, but you can also choose from cable-mounted pull-down racks or motorized racks.

Bolt-mounted Racks

The standard bolt-mounted racks are available from a wide range of manufacturers including Hyloft and typically can support as much as 600 pounds (depending on the rack you choose). They’re less expensive than the other two options, although the disadvantage is that you may need a step-stool just to reach the racks.

Cable-mounted Racks

Cable-mounted racks produced by Racor and other manufacturers are a great variant on the standard bolt-mounted racks … when it comes to convenience. A set of pulleys and cables are mounted to the ceiling with the rack suspended from the cables.  This allows you to easily pull a rack down to your level by using a hand crank; you load the rack, then just crank it back up to the ceiling. The disadvantage perhaps is that the racks generally aren’t nearly as big as the standard bolt-on type, and weight constraints generally limit you to 250 pounds or less per rack.

Motorized Racks

For those looking for even more convenience than cable-mounted racks offer, Garage Gator (among others) offer motorized storage racks. With this design, a set of racks are attached to a motor mounted on the ceiling. All it takes is a push of a button to raise or lower the racks as needed – no cranking or straining to reach something. Unfortunately, the motorized option (like the cable option) is also typically limited to about 250 pounds or less, and the space available might not be quite enough for some people.

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Editor’s Note: Brandon Dillon, an avid home improvement enthusiast, currently writes for garage door repair company, GSM Garage Doors. For more on garage storage from us, see the article – Four Tips for Maximizing Your Garage Storage Space. A nice article from Stanley Tools – How to Build and Install your own Overhead Garage Storage. Cheers. ~jb

All product images via Brandon Dillon.