The Affordable Storage System That Keeps Your Garage Organized

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Pretty much every homeowner is familiar with this scenario: Your garage starts off as a clean place to park your car, but quickly becomes a chaotic catch-all for life's extras. Between bulky lawnmowers, boxes of random old stuff, camping gear, and exercise paraphernalia, your garage floor space can disappear practically overnight. Keeping all of these things tidy feels like a constant battle even if you declutter your garage regularly. But the real secret to having a garage that's functionally organized isn't finding more floor space, it's thinking vertically and using your wall space with a track system.

These horizontal rail storage systems help you get everything from heavy extension ladders to tiny hand tools up off the ground (no matter how oddly-shaped or bulky) and into a structured visible space where you can easily access them. And the beauty of track systems is the flexibility, as you can change them up anytime your storage needs change, in mere seconds.

While many homeowners let this fantastic real estate stay empty, a wall-mounted track system can be a game-changer for your sanity. Best of all, it's a surprisingly affordable project. Brands like Rubbermaid and Gladiator offer track systems for as low as $30. At this price point, you'll get at least a four-foot piece of track; some brands also throw in two hooks. That's a great, affordable starting point to help boost your organization. Pre-made kits with varying rail lengths and hook varieties are available for up to about $200, but you can usually buy more rail and hooks a la carte as needed. Generally speaking, it's easy to scale your storage as your gear collection grows.

Setting up a track system is a straightforward DIY task, but a little planning goes a long way. Everyone's setup is unique and depends on how much rail you have, what you are wanting to store on it, and how much area you want to dedicate to your track system. There isn't a wrong or right way to set yours up. That said, we recommend making a list of the items you want to put on yours, and what's likely to be the best way to organize them (say, by size, type, or frequency of use). 

Once you figure that out and secure your rails to your garage wall, that's when the fun starts! These rails are generally compatible with a variety of multi-purpose hook attachments. Common options include bike hooks, scoop hooks, outdoor power equipment hooks, and a range of other generalized hooks you can hang nearly anything on. Track systems are great for organizing individual bits of gear, and are one of many terrific small garage storage ideas.

This modular design lets you customize the layout of your system's hooks in seconds on demand, and without tools. So if you get everything set, but decide to buy a new mountain bike next week, just slide the attachments into a new position. And best of all, these systems are designed for quick DIY installation, only requiring one person and a few tools that every homeowner should have, like a drill and a level. Investing in a simple track system is the fastest way to turn your garage into a high-performance storage zone you can be proud of.