Decluttering is one of the most essential processes that almost every garage owner has to deal with at least once at some point in their lives. The earlier you can break through it, the less stressful the entire process will be. And on top of that, you can significantly save up on some cash too!
With a garage storage lift/elevator, you can easily declutter all the mess and neatly organize every bit of essential items you have in your home.
In this essential guide, we look at what a garage storage lift actually is, how it significantly adds to your house, and why they happen to be one of the most favorite purchases of garage owners around.
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What Is a Garage Storage Lift?
I think that we can all agree that our garage quickly becomes a one-stop-catchall for all our home essentials and storage needs. From last year’s Christmas decorations to the car, your bikes, kayaks, and/or golf clubs, we just throw it all into our garage, into the mix.
But, the best part about garages is that there’s plenty of ways to utilize and maximize every nook and cranny of the space. A well-organized garage often has many different components. Still, most people don’t really think of installing a garage storage elevator or a lift.
We are going to discuss the possibilities of a garage lift first. Basically, a garage storage lift such as a GARAGE GATOR is a unit with motor and cables that attaches to the ceiling of your garage. It lowers down at the touch of a button and you can hang all types of items on it and then easily and safely raise them up to the ceiling out of the way.
There are endless possibilities for utilizing the additional storage space you can get with a garage storage lift. For instance, if you have a kayak or two or bikes you wish to keep safe and stored away until the correct time of year, then a garage storage lift is just what you need. Attach them to the lift bar and raise them to the ceiling out of the way.
A garage storage lift with a platform attachment serves as an excellent way to store away all your totes full of Holiday decorations safely hoisted to the ceiling till the appropriate time of year arrives. If these things are taking up most of your space in the garage’s nooks and crannies, it is best to organize everything, clean up the area, and then carefully hoist them up in a holding position till you need it back. Golf clubs, ladders, are another couple of items that can be lifted out of the way.
These devices are ideal for making the most of your garage space, especially those areas which typically stay untouched, such as the ceiling. Using a garage storage lift, you can easily accommodate all the huge and awkward things off the garage floor and store them up higher.
This ultimately leaves you with additional floor space to park your car(s) in, organize other things, or use as workshop space. A garage storage lift/elevator does an excellent job of storing all the unused or less frequently used items and can easily be reached when needed. But before we move forward, let’s look at the difference between an elevator and a lift.
What is a Garage Elevator?
A Garage storage elevator is a powered platform that is used to raise CARGO ONLY- NO PASSENGERS from the ground level of a garage or warehouse to the attic or second level of a building. The biggest advantage to an elevator is it totally eliminates the need for anyone to carry anything up or down an attic ladder which is dangerous enough for anyone, but even more so as we age.
All of the things you can use a storage lift for you can use on a storage elevator, but in larger amounts due to weight limits and the fact that the elevator is just used to move the items up to the next level and then remove them for long term storage.
There are several important differences between Garage elevators and garage lifts. They are both used for storage, but we will talk about payload, functionality, cost, and space.
Payload
Payload or the weight the lift can hold will vary from model to model. Storage lifts generally have a 200-to-300-pound weight limit. This is because these are generally mounted into your ceiling joists with just a few bolts and maybe one or two joists to support the weight.
Garage attic elevators will have payloads of 200 pounds up to 500 or more. This is possible because the motor assembly actually mounts on the floor of the attic above and allows for greater weight distribution.
Functionality
As already discussed above the main difference in functionality is the fact that lifts basically hang things off of your ceiling, which is an excellent way to utilize that space. Whereas, garage storage elevators are moving items to another level much like a freight elevator in a warehouse.
How much does a garage elevator cost compared to a garage lift?
As you probably expected due to the much greater functionality of the garage elevator the prices tend to be much higher as well. Some of the best elevators on the market, made right here in the USA range from approximately $2500 to $4500.
Prices for a garage storage lift normally run in the range of $450-600. That price usually does include shipping, but not installation. The wide price range is due to the wide range of features, platform sizes, and payloads that are available. We will cover that a little bit later.
Space
Finally, space, we all would love to have the elevator that has the biggest payload and the biggest platform to transport all our large heavy items up to our attics, but the reality is the space we have available in our houses does not always allow for that. Many garages don’t even have an attic, so that eliminates the elevators immediately. Those that do have attic space must consider the size of the unit in regards to the angle of the roof above and the floor space available below to make sure that it fits and functions properly.
With garage storage lifts there are some different things to consider. The lifts have premade straps attached to their motors which limit the length of strap and therefore the height of the ceiling in which they can be effective. Garage lifts usually are not usable with ceilings higher than 18 feet at the most. Any ceiling that is lower than 8 feet also is normally too low to take advantage of a garage storage lift.
Other things that need be considered are the clearance need for the type of vehicle you drive, garage doors when in the up position and other things. So, where price is a very important factor in the selection process available space must be carefully considered to narrow the list of possible candidates. Nobody wants to buy an expensive piece of equipment that they can’t use and have to incur the expense of return shipping.
What are the Different features of Garage Storage Elevators/Lifts?
You will come across many different garage storage lifts with various features, so you can have options to fit your particular needs.
Wall switches, wireless controls, wired handheld controls, etc. are the three most common control units for Storage Lifts and Storage elevators
Storage Lift with Mounted Wall Switches
Have the power source and control mounted on a wall switch similar to a light switch, but with a key to lock out the power for safety and security. This is normally the basic control unit which is perfectly functional and keeps the price of the entire unit down.
Storage lift with a Wired Pendant
This is very similar to the wall mounted switch except the pendant is attached to a long cable which allows the operator to move around the load and observe it while moving it up or down.
Storage Elevator with a Wireless Controller
This type of control module is basically like the remote for your TV. It gives the operator to move around much more freely during operation than either of the first two.
How difficult is it to install a Garage Storage Lift or Elevator?
The Storage lift with its smaller size and price tag is also easier to install. It is a relatively simple process that any do it yourselfer can accomplish on a Saturday afternoon with a few common hand tools and a stud finder.
Locate the ceiling joists. Mount the rail onto your ceiling with a few lag bolts. Plug the unit in to the nearest 110 electrical outlet and you are ready to go.
The Elevator is considerably more involved of an install. It will require some framing to make the hole in your ceiling and some basic electrical wiring. If you have the skills, you will also probably need a helper to handle mounting the larger components involved.
For those homeowners that do not feel confident to handle their own installations we suggest checking at the contractor desk at your local home improvement store. They normally maintain a current list of skilled tradesmen in your area that you can choose from to handle your installation.
Where to Buy a Garage Storage Lift From?If you are looking for the best-quality garage storage lifts/elevators, this is just the right place. Here at Garage Tools Storage, we provide you full access to some of the best garage and attic lifts at the best possible prices.
We are an American online retailer that takes great pride in offering all sorts of tools and equipment for your garage, from garage cabinets and organizers to toolboxes and workbenches to storage lifts and overhead racks. From wall-mounted switches to wireless remote-controlled to corded remote control storage lifts, we have it all.
Conclusion
In conclusion, garage storage lifts/elevators leave you with a newfound space that you can use for parking your vehicles back into the garage or use sufficiently for other things. These various kinds of garage storage elevators are bound to make your home a lot easier to manage and more functional too.
You can easily clear all the cluttered mess and organize your belongings neatly using a garage storage lift. All it takes is an investment of a few dollars to purchase and install a reliable garage storage lift/elevator from Garage Tools Storage and enjoy a neat and organized garage once again.
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TOP 5 GARAGE ORGANIZATION AND STORAGE IDEAS FOR 2024
