Urban density trends in larger metro areas in Canada have changed the way residential lots are zoned, and one of the more noticeable ones is how homes are often built on narrower lots than was the case across previous decades before the 1990s. It’s reflected especially strongly in the way townhome developments are built, and nearly every townhome that features a multi-vehicle garage will have a tandem garage. Many detached homes, particularly the brownstones that are common in the Toronto area, will have a tandem garage too.
A tandem garage is one where space is made available for 2 vehicles by length rather than by width, as it is for your standard ‘2-car’ garage with a wide double door. Granted, the tandem is not as practical as a side-by-side car garage, but it’s a design necessity for many homes and if you get a little more creative with the use of space you can incorporate a good bit of storage to go along with parking space for 2 vehicles.
As a Colborne and Trenton area waste hauling bin provider we understand that space management is related to how people manage their waste disposal down the road. So here’s 3 basic design suggestions that will allow you to get the most of your tandem garage.
Claim Ceiling Space
If you’ve got 2 cars in your tandem garage then the lion’s share of horizontal space is going to be spoken for, unless of course you’re both driving Smart Cars or something similarly small. Everyone will incorporate shelving into the space, but there’s more real estate at your disposal up high.
Hoist storage systems are a great choice for anyone who’s got bicycles, kayaks, canoes, even surfboards. These systems tend to be surprisingly affordable, easy to install, and operate without much in the way of a need for strength or dexterity. Being able to have these types of possessions lifted out of the way and off of walls or floor-standing arrangements opens up a lot of space on the floor, and you can then access these items quite easily when you need them.
Check out these ceiling storage products here
Corner and Top Wall Shelving
Right-angled shelving that is designed to fit into the corner of a room can be a good choice for the rears of tandem garages. While each shelf will not have the same surface area as a more conventional unit, if you are able to run say 5 or 6 shelves up to the ceiling and coming 2’ off the wall you’ll be surprised at all the garage-type things you can store on them and still keep the bulk of the floor space open at the back of your tandem garage.
Another choice that’s a little unconventional but works well often is to build a horizontal shelving unit across the rear of the garage wall right up where the wall meets the ceiling, with the option of having a ladder running on tracks across the front of it or keeping it simple and keeping a step ladder nearby. You can use the bulk of the rear wall for work tables or other vertical storage options (hooks etc.) and then be able to have less-frequently pulled items up in the long ceiling shelf.
Make Use of Tubes!
Most folks with a tandem garage will also have a lawn and / or patio of some sort that will need maintenance during the spring and summer, and of course driveways will always need to be shovelled during the Ontario winter. That means yard tools and shovels, and there’s probably an even larger inventory of implements in anyone’s garage. Many people will choose to hang each one individually on a hanger hook on the wall, but that’s not the best choice if space is at a premium.
Instead, consider buying some wide-diameter hardboard tubes and then building a standing base for them and having them sit along the sidewalls your garage. You can tuck several tools into each one, rather than giving each it’s own spot on the wall. It saves plenty of space and all your tools are just as easily accessible when you need them.
Good luck with maximizing your use of space in your tandem garage.