One of the best ways to create more space in your garage is to hang things on the walls. That keeps large items like bicycles, garden tools, golf bags and even skis, skateboards and other sports equipment off the floor, where they are safe and well organised and somewhere they don’t take up loads of space. This leaves the floor clear for bigger items like mowers or even a car.
Mounting things on the garage wall can be as simple as screwing a basic hook into the wall. A more adaptable and flexible solution is to use a wall mounted garage wall rack. These comprise a rail that is screwed to the wall and then individual hooks which fit to the rail without any more drilling.
The hooks themselves may be specially designed to hold particular things like bike wheels or skis. Other hooks will be made to take all kinds of tools and some will allow you to store lots of tools on one hook.
For many people a garage is an extension to the house. It’s probably a long time since the car got parked in there. For some people they are a home gym or an extension to the scullery or pantry. But most garages have become somewhere to put all that stuff you rarely use but sometimes need. That's why we are going to explain
How to hang sports gear and tools on the garage wall
If your garage has become a dumping ground for all manner of household junk we aim to explain how you can tidy your garage and make the most of the space you already have.
To tidy up your garage you first need to get rid of the junk and clutter. Send some to charity and the rest to the tip. Chances are you will have tried to tidy your garage with floor standing racking which is great but floor space is at a premium in a garage.
Where and how you store the larger, awkward items in your garage is the key to unlocking the space you already have. Here are a few
Garage wall storage ideas:
What’s the best way to store bicycles in a garage
You can store the most bikes in the smallest space in a garage by hanging them on the wall, in a row, by the front wheel. This gets them off the floor and stores them somewhere where they will not get damaged. You can store them horizontally to keep them close to the wall but, if you don’t mind them sticking out a bit more, you will store 4 or 5 bikes in the same amount of wall space.
Other ways to store bikes in a garage include floor standing racks that look like giant toast racks, or in the ceiling space using ropes and pulleys. These may be good solutions in certain circumstances and they are described in more detail here.
However, the quickest and easiest way to store a bike in a garage is to hang it by the front wheel. If you only have one or two bikes to hang then a single bike hanger or a wall mounted bike hook is the simple solution. If you have more than a couple of bikes then a garage wall mounted bike rack for 3, 4 or more bikes is likely to be the best solution for most people.
How to store garden tools in a garage or shed
The best way to store garden tools is on the wall on garden tool hooks or on a well organised garden tool wall rack.
Garden tools are often just shoved in a corner or in a bin style container. The problem is they all get messy and tangled and you can never get to the one you want.
If you store them on the wall you can see exactly what you have and can get to individual items really easily. The potential problem though, is that if you just put one tool (like a spade) on one hook, you will cover all the walls in tools and quickly run out of space.
A better solution is a longer hook so that you can fit several tools on one hook, one behind the other. The tools you use most often will naturally end up at the front of the hook.
The GearHooks Garden Tool Rack has 3 or 5 separate garden tool hooks on a 1 meter long rail. Each hook is 300mm long so you can fit up to 8 spades, shovels, forks, brooms, rakes and other tools on each hook, one behind the other. That adds up to around 40 major tools in just 1 metre of wall space. That’s a lot!
The rack and hook are heavy duty and really strong so storing bigger and heavier tools like sledge hammers, chain saws and hedge trimmers on a hook is no problem.
Can I store golf bags in my garage?
You can store golf bags, golf trolleys and golf clubs in your garage as long as it is dry. It doesn’t matter if it’s not heated, but if it is damp the bags will go fusty and the clubs will rust. Its likely to be better that leaving them in the boot of the car though.
Golf equipment can be stored on a garage wall mounting golf bag rack. The big benefit of storing golf bags on the wall is that they are off the floor so they are harder for mice and other vermin to get to. Anyone who has had a mouse chew their way through their golf bag will understand the problem. Golf equipment hung on the wall is also great way to free up the floor and get cumbersome gear like bags and trolleys out of way and hung somewhere safe.
The GearHooks Golf rack can be fitted with 2 to 5 golf bag hooks. Each hook will take one golf bag or one trolley hung by the handle or a hanging ring on the item. There are also golf hooks for up to 10 golf clubs, golf shoes, golf balls (in nets) and all sorts of other bits and pieces.
Is it OK to store Skis in a garage?
You can store skis in a garage as long as the garage is dry. If the skis are on the ground and the garage is damp the edges will rust and the tails of the skis may de-laminate.
The best way to store skis in a garage is to hang them on the wall on a wall mounting ski rack (the kind or rack you get in ski hotel boot rooms) or on individual wall mounting ski hooks.
This gets them off the floor so they can drip dry and the tips are not sat in a pool of water. It also gets them out of the way, keeps them safe and they look pretty impressive when they are all in a nice tidy line on the wall.
Can I keep snowboards in the garage?
You can store snowboards in the garage as long as it is dry. Like skis, the edges will rust and the board itself may de-laminate if it is stored somewhere damp.
The best way to store snowboards in the garage is on the wall, on a wall mounting snowboard rack, individual wall mounted snowboard hooks or purpose made snowboard hangers.
If hung vertically against the wall they can drip dry after use and the board edges will be out of any standing water so they wont de-laminate. Stacking then side by side also means you can store a lot of snowboards in the garage.
What’s the best way to store skateboards?
Skateboards can be stored in the garage or in the house. Getting them off the floor is important so they don’t become a trip hazard. The best way to store them is on a wall mounted skateboard rack so they can all be stacked closely together thus taking up the smallest amount of space.
If they are hung side by side on their trucks, like books on a shelf, you can fit 8-10 skateboards per metre. You will also be able to see both sides of the deck which is great if both sides of the deck are decorated with cool graphics.
How can I store climbing gear?
Climbing gear can be a bit of a nightmare to store. Throwing everything into boxes is ok but, if they are damp, ropes and harnesses will rot and everything will be buried by everything else making things hard to find.
A wall mounted rack for climbing equipment with special hooks for ropes, harnesses, helmets, rucksacks and all the little bits and pieces like carabiners, anchors, belay devices etc. will keep everything safe and sound, allow it to dry out and make it really easy to find. If you are into winter climbing there is space for ice axes and even skis.
A good climbing equipment storage rack will comprise a rail on the garage wall with a number of long hooks onto which you can hang different types of climbing gear. A climbing rope storage hook, for instance, will hold 3 or 4 climbing ropes. Several climbing harnesses can be stored on a separate hook. 3 or 4 helmets can be stored on another. Some double prong hooks will allow you to hang smaller items like carabiners over one prong. Ice axes or skis can be stored between the prongs. Bigger, heavier items like rucksacks or camping gear can be hung over both.
Hanging all your climbing gear on a wall mounted rack not only makes it easier to get out and put away again, it also looks amazing!!
Is it ok to store water sports gear in the garage?
Water Sports gear like inflatable paddleboards and kayaks, wet suits, life jackets, buoyancy aids, paddles and even diving gear can all be stored in the garage. In fact, it’s probably the only place it can be stored. However, it all needs space to dry out properly after use and it needs to be stored off the floor so damp won’t make it rot and rodents won’t damage it.
The best way to store water sports equipment is on a wall mounted water sports rack in the garage where everything can be hug, on hangers if necessary, while it drys out. It also allows it all to be stored over longer periods of time in the least amount of space and enables you to see exactly where everything is.
A rack that has 4 or 5 long hooks will allow you to hang 7 or 8 wetsuits per hook alongside 4 or 5 buoyancy aids, helmets and other gear. Special hooks on a heavy duty rack can also hold several paddles as well as heavy inflatable paddleboards, kayaks, dinghies and all manner of other smaller bits and pieces.
A special diving rack will also have space for masks, snorkels, fins, diving regulators, lead weights, trim vest, stab jacket, torch, computer, knife, gloves and lots of large and heavy as well as smaller items.
What’s the best way to store horse riding tack in the garage or a stable?
Horse tack, like saddles and all the other gear you need, will probably be kept in a stable or tack room but if you keep all of it or just some of it at home it’ll probably be in the garage. Either way you will still need the same kind of rack to store everything from your saddle to your own helmet and boots.
It’s important to keep all your horse riding tack as dry as possible and off the floor. Leaving it in a pile on the ground will lead to it getting damp, fusty and eventually rotting as well as it being nibbled, gnawed and eventually ruined by mice, rats and other rodents and vermin.
An all-in-one wall mounted ‘tack rack’ will have space for a saddle and all the other gear like pads, cinch, blankets, waterproof coats, bridle, bits, reins as well as some personal gear like helmets and boots. This will keep everything off the floor so it can dry out properly as well as stopping it getting chewed by rodents.
Saddles should be kept on a simple pole that sticks out from the wall, and that fits inside the gullet of the saddle and doesn’t mark the flocking or underside of the saddle.
How can I store a mix of sports equipment in my garage?
We’ve explained how to store lots of things on the garage wall like bikes or garden tools. But what happens if you are a biker and a golfer and a gardener and maybe a skier too? You need a garage wall rack that will take all of these bits of equipment.
Well, there are racks on the market that are designed to do just that. The GearHooks Sports Rack is designed to take a couple of bikes, a golf bag, tennis (or other racket sports) rackets, skis, skateboards, and lots more, all on the same wall mounted rack.
Getting lots of sports equipment on the wall in a garage will really organise all the clutter and make things easy to find. It also looks great when everything is organised like this.
Can I store guitars in my garage?
No. please don't! Storing guitars in a garage is a really bad idea and will lead to warped necks, delaminating bodies and rusty strings. Guitars need to be kept somewhere really dry and in a fairly constant warm temperature. GearHooks make a wall hanging guitar rack and a Ukulele rack but they are made for houses, apartments, schools and colleges in a cosy environment.
You can hang guitars on individual wall hooks but if you have a lot of guitars that can mean a lot of drilling and you will soon cover the walls in guitars (as well as holes).
There are special wall mounted guitar hooks or guitar hangers that will allow 2 or 3 guitars to be stacked one in front of the other to save space. 3 or more of these hooks can be fitted to a wall mounting guitar rack meaning you can store around 9 guitars or up to 25 ukuleles per metre. Mount one rack above the other and you can double or triple that amount.
So that wraps up our review of ways you can store sports and leisure gear on the garage walls. We hope that has given you few ideas about how to tidy and organise your garage.
A GearHooks rack might be just what you are looking for. If it is, remember that they are deigned and made by us in the UK, are really heavy duty and guaranteed for life. Thanks for looking.
