Pinterest's Tool Storage Solution Is A Game Changer For Cluttered Garages

You may already know that PVC pipes can be a game changer with bathroom appliance storage and with helping in the garden by making it easy to fertilize your shrubs and bushes. But the potential hacks for these handy materials don't stop there. As Craftsy Hacks on Pinterest describes, you can use PVC pipes for hacks in your workshop or garage as well, organizing your tools while creating a smart storage option. Eliminate the clutter while saving yourself a lot of time when it comes to trying to find the right tool for the job with this hack, which will make doing your DIY jobs far more enjoyable.

To perform this hack, just mount the sections of PVC pipes to a board. Then slide the handle of your tool into the opening, creating a vertically aligned storage option that can be flush against the wall at the back of the garage or workbench. You can use different diameters of PVC pipe and different lengths to accommodate each of your individual tools.

Now, if you have a lot of tools, perhaps too many for the PVC pipe storage hack, you may want to invest in a large storage cabinet to reduce the clutter. A 6-by-6-foot metal cabinet is available on Amazon for around $380. If you often need to carry your tools with you, a portable storage box can help you reduce the clutter, such as what's available on Amazon for about $30. The PVC pipe hack is significantly cheaper, though.

Before beginning to make your cuts and building the storage unit, you'll want to spend some time figuring out how you want to build it. Multiple PVC pipe diameters exist, for example, so you should match the tubes' diameters to the sizes of your tools. PVC pipe typically ranges in diameter from about 1/2 of an inch to 12 inches. Remember, the interior diameter matches the stated diameter, while the outer diameter is larger than what's stated.

Figure out which tools you want to store in the cylinders. Then match the diameters of the handles to the diameters of the PVC pipe you select. You don't want them to fit tightly, as you want them to pop out smoothly when you grab them. Cut the PVC pipe to a length where about two-thirds of the tool will be inside the cylinder, with the top of it resting against the screw you use to attach it to the wood, and about one-third extending from the top of the cylinder, so you can easily identify it at a glance.

You can usually cut PVC pipes with a Sawzall blade, a hacksaw, or a power miter saw. Always wear eye protection and a mask because the process will cause small bits of material to fly in the air. The sawing will cause burrs and rough spots. You'll want to sand them briefly with 120-grit sandpaper to avoid sharp edges.

One of the best things about using the PVC pipe hack to store your tools is that you can use scraps from previous projects or purchase the materials you need for a reasonable price. You can pick up a 10-foot length of PVC pipe for around $5 at Home Depot, and you can buy an 8-foot length of 2x4 wood for about $3.25 at Home Depot as well.

Mount a segment of 2x4 horizontally on the wall where you want to create the storage. If you have drywall, you'll want to mount the wood to the wall studs with the help of a stud finder. You can mount as many 2x4s as you want along the wall, using the design ideas that you generated earlier.

You can now mount the segments of PVC pipe to the 2x4s. Using long screws is the easiest option. Take a drill bit that matches the diameter of the screw while being smaller than the head of the screw. Drill holes through the PVC pipe. Then use the screw to attach it to the wood. Place the holes somewhere between the midway point and the quarter point from the bottom of the pipe. This screw will then serve to block the handle of the tool from falling through the hole in the pipe. Use eye protection and a mask when drilling the PVC, as shards may fly away during the process.