Retractable Garage Door Tool Organizer

This tip helped me to utilize hidden space in my garage.  If you don’t have any wall available to nicely organize and hang tools, you may use the garage door.  You can hang light weight space hogging tools such as brooms or rakes.  Make sure not to use heavy tools because they may cause injury if they fall on you!

Materials & tools:
1 Retractable garage door
6 Grip clips
6 Screws
1 Pencil
1 Screwdriver
1 Level
1 Drill (optional)

Step 1: Retractable Garage Door Tool Organizer

Preparation:

Open the garage door; identify the clear area on the door where you can hang the tools without bumping into rails, lamps or other objects close to the garage door when opening.

Measure the thickness of the garage door and take note because you will need screw sizes that go far enough in the door without making it through the other side.

In order to keep the tools from falling over your head while the door is open, use 2 clips per tool handle, one at the top and one close to the bottom. Medium size clips usually work for brooms and rakes, but verify by measuring the diameter of the tool handles. Purchase the right size of clips according to your tools.


Steps:
1. Plan on placing the heaviest part of the tool at the top so all the weight will keep the door in its position when open.

2. Put a clip on the top of the tool handle; hold tool up where you have decided to hang it. Secure clip against the garage door with one hand and remove tool from the clip with the other hand. Make a pencil mark on the garage door where the screw hole is.

3. Depending on the material of the garage door, you then will decide if drilling is necessary or if the screw can simply be screwed into the wood.  Hold the clip in place as marked and secure it with the screw into the garage door.

4. The clip should be tight into the door without spinning around. Give the screwed clip a little pull with your hands to make sure it won’t come off with the weight of the tool when the door is open.

5. Place the second clip close to the bottom of the tool handle. Hang the tool from the top clip. Hold it straight using a level. Secure bottom clip with one hand and remove tool from the clip with the other hand. Make a pencil mark on the garage door where the screw hole is.

6. Secure clip with the screw into the garage door. Give the screwed clip a little pull with your hands to make sure it won’t come off with the weight of the tool when the door is open.

7. Hang the first tool on the garage door, make sure tool is secured with the top and bottom clips.

8. Test the garage door after hanging each tool, open the door and get a feeling if the opening mechanism is functioning properly and if it would handle additional weight for another tool. Be careful when opening the door with the tool on for the first time, this is the moment to test the clips as well and make sure they are holding the tool in it’s place without falling on top of your head. While the door is open, grab the tool and put it back on to test the clips. Close the garage door.

9. If the garage door seems to be working fine, then it is safe to hang another tool. Follow all the steps again from the beginning. If the door seems to not handle any more weight or if it is struggling to open or to stay open with the last tool you have put on, then this is the moment to stop and you may consider to remove the last tool you have installed.

10. There, your garage is looking cleaner already.