I heard something unbelievable the other day: some people park their cars in their garage! Crazy, right? For the chosen few who have been gifted with organizational expertise, keeping a garage clean enough to house vehicles in is easy. But for the rest of us, it is a real challenge. There is just too much stuff cluttering up our homes, so we put it in the garage to figure out later. Even the items that are supposed to be in the garage (rakes, tools, etc.) find themselves lying in a pile on the floor or on the work bench.
Here at PVC Fittings Online, we understand the struggle of keeping your garage organized, so we have compiled this list of some great DIY PVC garage storage ideas. PVC is the perfect material to use for garage organization as it is lightweight, easy to find, strong, and inexpensive. To view more detailed instructions for any of these DIY garage organization projects, click each image.
DIY Shovel/Rake Holder
Garden tools such as rakes and shovels are something that everyone uses, but many fail to store correctly. They can end up piled up against a wall or a corner of the garage, taking up space and making a mess. One could purchase a pre-made tool rack from the hardware store that would take care of the mess, but these can be expensive. Pre-made garage storage solutions are also one-size-fits-all instead of custom fitting the space you have and the tools you need to hang.
Save money and space by making your own PVC tool holders. This PVC garage storage project requires only a few parts that won't break the bank! The only materials you need are a few lengths of 3" schedule 40 PVC pipe, screws, and a surface to screw into. As far as tools go, you just need something to cut the pipe (a small hand saw works well) and a drill. The angled cuts look great and make it easy to screw the PVC to the board behind.
This project is great for a few reasons. First: it looks great! If you don't like standard PVC white, you can paint it however you want. Also, you can add labels for ultimate garage organization. Second: it saves space. The small pieces of PVC pipe you use are unobtrusive and keep a low profile from the wall. Third: it is cheap! Depending on whether or not you have to buy plywood for the back of the rack, this entire project could be completed by spending less than $30. That's a deal if I ever heard one. For detailed instructions, visit this page.
Overhead PVC Garage Storage
A garage collects all kinds of clutter. Some of this mess consists of random parts such as pipe, lumber, and other materials you don't use very often. You could just pile this stuff up until you run out of room, or you could find a creative way to store it. An overhead storage rack is great for storing materials you only need to access occasionally. Buying one of these in a store will run you $100+ and might not even be the right size for the materials you want to store in it. For less than half the price, you can build one yourself that will accommodate your specific needs and preferences.
This project only requires a few inexpensive materials. You will need 2" PVC pipe (schedule 40 or 80, depending on how strong it needs to be), PVC tee fittings, PVC elbow fittings, and PVC wye fittings (for stabilization). In addition to PVC parts, you will need bolts to attach the pipe to ceiling joists and PVC cement to keep the frame together. PVC works great for this DIY garage storage project, because its smooth surface makes loading and unloading easy.
Schedule 80 PVC pipe is thicker and stronger than standard schedule 40 PVC. If you plan to keep lots of heavy materials on the rack, we recommend using schedule 80 PVC. It is only slightly more expensive and could prevent a huge mess in the future. View this and other DIY garage organization ideas here.
PVC Pipe Towel Rack
It's never too early to start thinking about summer! If you have a pool, you know what a mess wet towels can be. They get thrown on the floor in the house, leave a puddle, and can even collect mold if left too long! Make sure all your towels are are properly dried with a PVC pipe towel rack. It is portable, so it can be kept by the pool or stored in the garage.
This project is straightforward and can cost around $20-$30 if you shop smart. The materials required are schedule 40 PVC pipe, PVC elbow fittings, PVC tee fittings, and PVC slip tee fittings. If you would like, you can use PVC cement to keep joints together, but the pipe and fittings should fit snugly together without it. Also, the towel rack can be easily taken apart for storage if you do not use cement.
One thing to consider when purchasing materials for this towel rack is how you want it to look. Standard PVC pipe has markings on it that may not be what you want for an item that will be so visible. To avoid this, you can use furniture grade PVC pipe. Furniture grade PVC is structurally similar to regular PVC pipe, but it is unmarked. If you use unmarked PVC pipe and fittings for your project, you will end up with a product that looks clean and professional! For more guides and specific build instructions, click this link.
Organizing your garage can be tough, but we want to help! Purchase all your PVC pipe and fittings at PVCFittingsOnline.com to get the lowest price on DIY project supplies.