Dude, where's your car?

For many homeowners, the garage is where the whole house's clutter gathers to make its last stand. Many a car has been buried or banished in the battle.

What's the best way to keep your canoe and Christmas lights from crowding out your car? Build a bigger garage? Maybe. Before you resort to such a drastic measure, make sure you're making the most of the space you've got.

MAKE A PLAN

Before you break out the work gloves, define what you need and want from your garage. Seasonal-item storage? Space to rebuild engines? Easy in-and-out access for bikes and sports equipment?

CREATE MORE SPACE

The key to successful garage storage is efficient use of the entire space — floor to ceiling. Make the most of your vertical space by installing cabinets, pegboards and shelves to hold things. See the table below for more storage ideas.

FIND NEW USES

Most homeowners think of their garage as a place to park cars and store things. Space permitting, think outside the box. Carve out garage space for a mudroom, or at least the elements of one: a bench and storage for coats, hats, gloves, boots and shoes. Or think even bigger: a potting station for your garden, a workshop for your carpentry hobby, or a potter's wheel and kiln for the artist in you.

ADD COMFORT

If you're going to spend a lot of time in your garage, insulate the walls and ceiling to the minimum standards for your area and consider installing a window. Brighten work areas with inexpensive track lighting or fluorescent shop lights.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Depending on the size and complexity of your garage reorganization project, you might want to consider hiring a professional garage organizer or handyman to help with some or all of the project's tasks. An experienced professional can help you customize your garage layout, select appropriate storage devices or systems, and even save you time and money.

There's a place for everything

• Suspend large items such as bikes, kayaks or ladders from ceiling hooks or in the rafters.

• Use heavy-duty hooks to suspend shovels, rakes and other tools with long handles.

• Hang a pegboard for tools. Secure metal items such as steel rulers or chisels on a magnetic strip.

• Install shelves or cabinets for paint cans, boxes and other items to keep them off the floor.

You're not finished until your floor is finished

Once you rediscover your garage floor, you might want to consider adding a special covering or finish to protect it. Concrete stains easily and permanently, and often cracks and breaks. Popular choices to protect and enhance garage floors:

Polyvinyl mat. This rollout floor covering is easy to install and clean, and comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses.

Tile. Industrial tiles are attractive and hold up well against chemicals, petroleum products, dropped tools and motorized traffic.

Floor coatings. Most are made of a high-grade epoxy that repels water, oil and other materials, extending your floor's life and facilitating cleanup. Coatings come in a wide variety of colors to which you can add flaked stone or other materials for increased traction and a classier look.