Ozark Ridge designs and installs garage storage across North Central Arkansas: slatwall, overhead racks and workstations planned around your cars. If you are also coating the floor, we do the floor first and install storage after, scheduled as one project.
How we plan your storage
Good garage storage starts with your cars. We measure the parking space you need, door swing and walkways first, then plan storage around what's left so nothing blocks a car door or the garage door.
- Walk the space: we look at what you store, how often you use it and where you park.
- Mark the no-go zones: door tracks, the opener, lights, outlets and water heaters.
- Lay out zones: everyday items within reach, seasonal items overhead, tools by the workbench.
- Install: slatwall, racks and benches go in, anchored to the wall and ceiling framing.
Where things go: a zone plan that lasts
Most garages fail at organization for a simple reason: everything is stored at floor level, so the floor fills up first and the cars end up in the driveway. The fix is to think in layers.
- Floor level: only the cars, the mower, and anything with wheels. If it doesn't roll, it shouldn't live on the floor.
- Reach level (3 to 6 feet): the things you grab every week. Hand tools, the leaf blower, bike helmets, the dog leash. This is where slatwall earns its keep, because hooks and baskets move as your needs change.
- Stretch level (6 to 8 feet): bikes on hooks, ladders on brackets, long-handled tools, fishing rods. Off the floor, but still reachable without a step.
- Overhead (above the door and along the ceiling): seasonal decorations, camping gear, coolers and the totes you open twice a year. Overhead racks use the one space your cars never need.
We lay this out with you on the walkthrough, so the plan fits the way your household works rather than a catalog photo.
Slatwall: why we start with the walls
Slatwall is a grooved wall panel that accepts hooks, baskets, shelves and bins anywhere along its length. Compared with a pegboard or a row of nails, it holds far more weight, it looks finished, and you can rearrange it in seconds without tools. We mount panels through the drywall into the studs, so a loaded wall stays put. In most garages the best spots are the wall opposite the entry door and the strip between the garage door and the corner, where nothing else fits.
Popular slatwall setups we install:
- Tool wall by the workbench: hooks for hand tools, a shelf for cordless batteries and chargers, a basket for safety glasses and gloves.
- Sports wall near the door: ball bins, bat and racket holders, helmet hooks, a shelf for cleats.
- Yard wall near the side door: long-handle hooks for rakes and shovels, a hose hanger, a shelf for spray bottles.
Overhead racks: the space you forget you have
A typical garage has several feet of unused space above the garage door and along the ceiling. A ceiling-mounted rack turns that into storage for the bulky, light items that clutter a floor: holiday bins, camping gear, kayak paddles, the spare cooler. We anchor racks into the ceiling joists, choose a rack sized to what you plan to store, and set its height so the garage door, the opener and the tops of your vehicles clear it with room to spare. Heavy items stay down low where they belong.
Workstations
If you fix things, build things or just want a place to pot plants, a workstation gives you a sturdy surface with storage above and below. We place it where you already have light and an outlet, and we size the bench so you can still open a car door. Slatwall above the bench keeps the tools you use most within arm's reach.
Do the floor first
If you're also planning a polyaspartic garage floor, coat the floor while the garage is empty, then install storage on top of the finished floor. We can schedule both as one project so you only clear the garage once. A coated floor also makes the storage easier to live with: dust wipes up, a dropped can of paint doesn't soak in, and the garage stays bright enough to find things.
How to get ready for install day
- Pull the cars out and clear the walls and ceiling areas we marked on the walkthrough.
- Sort what you own into keep, donate and toss. Storage works best when it isn't holding things you'll never use again.
- Leave the installation to us. Slatwall, racks and benches go in anchored to framing, and we haul away the packaging.
- Load it up. We show you how the hooks and baskets move so you can adjust the layout any time.
Garage storage FAQ
What kinds of garage storage do you install?
We install slatwall with hooks, baskets and shelves, overhead storage racks, and workstations, planned around your cars and how you use your garage.
Should I coat the floor or install storage first?
Floor first. Coating an empty garage gives the cleanest result, then storage goes in on top of the finished floor. We can schedule both as one project.
How much weight can overhead racks hold?
It depends on the rack and how it's anchored to your ceiling framing. We'll recommend a rack and placement that fit what you plan to store, and we keep racks clear of your garage door and opener.
Will storage work around my garage door opener and lights?
Yes. We measure your door tracks, opener, lights and outlets before we plan anything, so racks and slatwall fit around them.