This may seem like an odd thing to say, but the garage cabinet industry is broken. First, the purchase process is fraught with frustrations. While many specialty manufacturers offer really cool garage storage systems — replete with different sizes, technologies and designs — the distribution system is broken since the local outlets for these products often don’t seem to care. This article will look at the problems with the next step: installation.
Let’s face it, installing garage cabinets is no picnic. It’s not like hanging a picture frame. You need to know the underlying structure of the garage and have special tools — to find the studs to anchor into, to drill into masonry or cinder block, to anchor floor-mounted cabinets to waterproof areas, etc. The average home handyman may or may not have the knowledge, skill and special tools to properly anchor some recently purchased garage cabinets to the solid skeleton of his or her garage.
You might have some other garage storage ideas, too, wherein you seek to arrange the conventional cabinets, shelving or other storage solutions in an unconventional way. Assuming you can’t do this yourself, how do you get someone to help you install the components in a way that’s safe?
Imagine buying a set of cabinets online — a workbench, perhaps, and couple of upper cabinets. Maybe you also purchase a “closet” that sits on the floor and a cabinet that has drawers. You’ve selected these items based on your own specific storage needs, and they will create and complete an entire system. UPS pulls up and delivers the various items one day. You store the boxes in your garage (oh, the irony!), but then what do you do?
The choice is to install everything yourself or get some help. But getting help has all the overhead and difficulty of a minor home construction contract. You have to find:
someone who can do it (and who’s competent);
someone who is insured; and
someone whose price is reasonable.
How do you find such a a person? As I’m sure you’re well aware, finding and contracting with an installer can be a nightmare.
What about a specialty website –- the same one that allows you to buy all the cool garage cabinets from manufacturers –- that also serves as a clearinghouse to match homeowners and installers? It could be kind of like an “eLance for garage storage installers” and move the purchase and installation of garage cabinets, shelving and other garage storage solutions into the 21st century. What do you think? Would this be helpful to your garage organization project?
Fixing Garage Cabinet Installation
Posted by Theo Williams in Home
This may seem like an odd thing to say, but the garage cabinet industry is broken. First, the purchase process is fraught with frustrations. While many specialty manufacturers offer really cool garage storage systems — replete with different sizes, technologies and designs — the distribution system is broken since the local outlets for these products often don’t seem to care. This article will look at the problems with the next step: installation.
Let’s face it, installing garage cabinets is no picnic. It’s not like hanging a picture frame. You need to know the underlying structure of the garage and have special tools — to find the studs to anchor into, to drill into masonry or cinder block, to anchor floor-mounted cabinets to waterproof areas, etc. The average home handyman may or may not have the knowledge, skill and special tools to properly anchor some recently purchased garage cabinets to the solid skeleton of his or her garage.
You might have some other garage storage ideas, too, wherein you seek to arrange the conventional cabinets, shelving or other storage solutions in an unconventional way. Assuming you can’t do this yourself, how do you get someone to help you install the components in a way that’s safe?
Imagine buying a set of cabinets online — a workbench, perhaps, and couple of upper cabinets. Maybe you also purchase a “closet” that sits on the floor and a cabinet that has drawers. You’ve selected these items based on your own specific storage needs, and they will create and complete an entire system. UPS pulls up and delivers the various items one day. You store the boxes in your garage (oh, the irony!), but then what do you do?
The choice is to install everything yourself or get some help. But getting help has all the overhead and difficulty of a minor home construction contract. You have to find:
How do you find such a a person? As I’m sure you’re well aware, finding and contracting with an installer can be a nightmare.
What about a specialty website –- the same one that allows you to buy all the cool garage cabinets from manufacturers –- that also serves as a clearinghouse to match homeowners and installers? It could be kind of like an “eLance for garage storage installers” and move the purchase and installation of garage cabinets, shelving and other garage storage solutions into the 21st century. What do you think? Would this be helpful to your garage organization project?