Most people, like myself, store all kinds of stuff in their garage. Most of us use our garage for a lots more than parking our car. So all kinds of items from sporting equipment to handyman tools to mechanical tools find their way into the garage. It is so that we find our garages cluttered and often times, very hard to find what we need in.

One way to fight this clutter is to consider putting in shelving. Shelves are a great way to organize our garages, add a lot more storage space, and be able to find things when we need them later. A well-organized shelf is a good place to store light as well as heavy equipment, tools, and miscellaneous items.

You can either purchase a pre-built shelf from a do-it-yourself store and install it yourself, or opt for a custom shelf design. Obviously the first option is a lot easier on your pocketbook. The most basic garage shelving is made from plywood and is tied down with brackets. Long screws attach the brackets to the studs.

The strongest material for shelving is made of pre-fabricated steel. You can still use plastic shelving, however be warned that plastic is flimsy and your needs will quickly outgrow the strength of plastic. One negative with steel shelving is that it cannot be cut to size.

Shelves can be heavy. So be careful to attach the shelves with strong nails to be studs in your garage. Obviously you do not want your young child to crawl up the shelves and keep them over the child.

When you install shelving in you garage, also screw in some hooks for the storage of things like canoes, bicycles, and others that can be hung from hooks.

After a while, your garage and its shelves will turn into a dump yard. So we you have to go through them periodically and clean up and throw out things that you do not need any more. We have all been witness to unsightly garages; don't be part of the crowds.