Heavy-Duty Garage Shelving for Large & Off-Season Items

Frank Erardi • Mar 06, 2024

In my line of work, I have met many homeowners who have a lot of items to store in their garages and not a lot of garage shelving at their disposal to keep these items neat and organized. My team works with folks every day to help them manage their belongings. One common struggle a lot of people face is that of large, bulky items, like seasonal decorations, automotive parts, kayaks, or camping gear.

Here are some ways to store large or unwieldy items in the garage. Some of the tools we’ll talk about include:

Heavy-duty garage shelving
Hooks and bars
Motorized garage shelving
Overhead garage shelves

If you’ve been looking for ways to organize your garage, keep reading.

Heavy-Duty Garage Shelving

Garage shelving comes in a variety of materials and can withstand a wide range of weights. For large or heavy items, I recommend metal shelves that can bear heavy loads. For example, my company carries powder-coated steel shelves that can hold 1,000 lbs. of weight for every four feet of shelving.

Since a custom garage shelving system is built to order, you’ll be able to get shelves that fit your space, whether the garage is large or small. Some items can be placed directly on shelves. These might include power tools and automotive parts. Others, like heavy gardening supplies, might be better off placed in bins. Your garage designer can help you decide how far apart to place the shelves to accommodate your items.

Hooks and Bars

One of the best features of the garage shelving I carry is the possibility to add hooks and bars underneath. This really enhances your vertical storage capabilities. The bars are easy to snap in and out of the brackets, so they’re adjustable as your needs change over time. The hooks can attach to the bars to allow you to hang items as desired.

These hooks are perfect for storing larger items, like bicycles and sports equipment. They can also safely store your shovels, rakes, garden hoes, and other tall tools. Many times, people resort to leaning these types of items against the wall; the problem is that they can slide down and cause dangerous tripping hazards or damage to your vehicle. Having sturdy hooks and bars in place is as much about safety as it is about storage. You can visit StaySafe.org to learn more about garage safety.

Motorized Garage Shelving

I really like motorized garage storage options for helping to manage large items. These are perfect for kayaks, bikes, and storage bins filled with heavy seasonal decor. You can even use a lift to hold your lawnmower in the off season.

Since the motorized shelves can be connected with the touch of a button, there’s no heavy lifting involved for you. Simply lower the rack, place your items on it securely, and use the lift to raise them up and out of the way. There’s a safety mechanism to prevent accidental drops, so you can have peace of mind that you, your garage, and your belongings will be secure.

Overhead Garage Shelves

Similarly, static overhead storage shelves are a great way to keep large items off of the floor and other surfaces. The ones I carry vary in the amount of weight they can manage. Some bear loads of 350 lbs., while others go up to 1,000 lbs. They’re also fully-adjustable.

One nice feature with these is a safety lip to prevent items from accidentally rolling or sliding off. This is important because as your garage door opens and closes, it will cause some minor vibrations, and having the safety lip in place can prevent those vibrations from causing your items to slide off of the rack.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several ways to accommodate large or heavy items in your garage. I’d love for you to give us a call, and schedule a free in-home consultation with one of our talented garage design professionals. They’ll be happy to walk you through the different options available for the types of items you need to store within this space. Each of our custom garage systems is built specifically for the people who will be using it, so you’ll get some customized suggestions and the chance to see your dream garage take shape in 3D.