Can I reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage? This is a common question I normally get and to day, I want to put it to bed.
I did a kitchen remodel early this year. I changed a few things including my kitchen tiles and cabinets. My kitchen sure looked great, but I was left with the old cabinets and nothing to do with them.
I eventually ended up reusing them as my garage cabinets, and they worked very well for me.
Are you contemplating a kitchen remodel? I wrote this article to share my experience.
Keep on reading to find out:
- if you can reuse kitchen cabinets in your garage,
- if you need cabinets in your garage,
- how to install cabinets in your garage,
- how to organize your garage,
- factors to consider before using cabinets in your garage,
- and much more.
Can I Reuse Kitchen Cabinets in the Garage?
Your old kitchen cabinets are definitely a great addition to your garage to yield lots of extra storage. Depending on your garage space, you can reuse all of your old kitchen cabinets or selct just a few to create extra storage in your garage space.
Do I Need Cabinets in My Garage?
Yes. You definitely need cabinets in your garage for extra storge space, organization and for custom working spaces.
The garage is among the most overlooked rooms in the house. Homeowners tend to literally throw everything in the garage, leaving the space messy.
The garage space can get messy and cluttered. Sometimes, you can barely pack your car inside. Garage cabinets help to store everything in your garage in an orderly manner and clear a lot of space.
Garage cabinets also give an uplift to your garage space making it look beautiful and orderly. I bet you will spend more time in your garage space.
Best Garage Cabinets To Style Up Your Garage Space
There are many benefits to fitting garage cabinets.
- Brings order and organization – the garage space is used to store everything. From exercise equipment, decoration tools, toys, crafting, and DIY projects gone wrong, everything is thrown into the garage.
Instead of hanging everything on a rack, garage cabinets can help to store everything in an orderly and organized manner. Sure racks might get the work done, but they get filled up faster and end up getting cluttered quickly. Additionally, not everything can be stored on racks.
With custom-fit garage cabinets, you can easily get yourself large cabinets to help you store all that clutter and make your garage space orderly.
- Clears up extra space – Everything that’s not needed in your living space is normally tossed in the garage. This makes the garage messy and out of space. Let’s face it; we could all use additional space in the garage.
You probably have several boxes on your floor filling up your garage space.
While boxes are a great solution, there’s a limit to just how much you can store in boxes.
Not everything can fit in a box. There’s also a limit to how many boxes you can have and how many you can stack in your garage. Boxes are also not water-proof and will barely protect your belongings in case of flooding.
Garage cabinets help you to store all your belongings lying on the floor, therefore, clearing extra space. You can also get tall custom size garage cabinets running to the ceiling. This utilizes the large overhead space thereby creating additional space for you.
- Makes the garage safer – when everything is stored in the garage, especially in a messy and unorganized manner, accidents are bound to happen. You might step on a sharp object or end up hitting a solid block and hurting yourself.
Racks aren’t all that safe as well. When overloaded, they might topple over causing accidents and damages. Plus someone can easily bump on a rack and hurt themselves. This makes the garage space dangerous for everyone inside.
Cabinets can help enhance garage space safety. They are secured to the wall and are designed to bear a lot of weight without falling. They also feature doors to prevent objects from falling off easily. They can also be fitted high enough to keep dangerous tools and equipment from children.
- Creates custom working spaces – the garage space is used as a storage space and a working space. This can be hard to accomplish when the space is all cluttered and filled up.
Cabinets help you to clear and create custom working spaces. You can easily partition spaces for specific functions.
You can set up a space for car maintenance, woodworking, or crafting. You can also partition spaces for storing supplies, tools, and equipment. Lastly, you can install a garage sink to wash away oil and grease.
Using cabinets will make it easier to manage your garage space and keep it orderly. It will make your space more efficient and functional. You will enjoy working and being in the garage.
- Make room for your car – the garage is primarily meant for you to park your car. However, we sometimes use the garage fully leaving no room for the car.
Parking your car on your driveway might give you sleepless nights and is frankly not secure. Cabinets can help you to clear up space and park your car inside your enclosed garage.
Cabinets are fitted high enough on the walls leaving more space for you to pack your car. Custom-fit cabinets also allow you to store anything regardless of the size, therefore, clearing extra space on the floor.
Take advantage of cabinets to clear up space for your car.
How to Install Kitchen Cabinets for Your Garage
You don’t necessarily have to buy garage cabinets. You can easily reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage. Just ensure that they are strong and in good condition to be reused.
Installing kitchen cabinets as your garage cabinets is a pretty simple process. It is a fun DIY project that you can complete in a few hours.
Here is a step-by-step guide to installing kitchen cabinets in your garage:
Step 1: Once the cabinets are professionally removed from the kitchen, set them up against the wall how you would like them to look. Measure the cabinets and mark where you’ll hang them and where to drill.
Step 2: Locate and mark the studs for screwing the cabinets into the walls of your garage. Nail strips should be drilled and anchored into the concrete walls of your garage.
Step 3: Pick a starting point from one corner and begin installing the first cabinet. First, remove the cabinet doors to make your job easier. Get someone to help you hold the cabinets in place as you drill and screw them into the wall.
If you intend to have 2 layers of cabinets, start with the upper cabinet first. Make sure you have lined up the lower cabinet with the upper one.
Step 4: Reinstall the cabinet doors after you are finished and satisfied with the installed cabinets. If you decide to install boards as workbenches, use plywood that fits into your open space.
How to organize your garage with cabinets
Ever since I put up cabinets, I have spent a lot of time in my garage. It is an organized and peaceful space for me to work and have fun.
An organized garage is a desired space. Garage cabinets keep the garage space organized.
There are several ways in which you can bring more order to your garage using cabinets. Here’s how to organize your garage using cabinets:
- Partition and customize the garage using cabinets – The garage space is used for a lot of things. It is a storage unit for literally everything. It is therefore important for you to partition it using cabinets. This way, everything has its own space in the garage making it more orderly and organized.
You could have a cabinet for everything – store garden supplies, toys for the kids, store old belongings, and many more. This makes it easy to locate things and makes the garage organized.
- Store your tools safely – tools, especially sharp ones are very hazardous to you and everyone that accesses the garage space. It is vital that you safely store your tools to protect everyone that uses the garage.
Cabinets come in very handy in such a scenario. There are cabinets specifically designed to store your tools. These cabinets come in different custom measurements.
You could also have a working desk with locking cabinets underneath to store some of your sharp tools.
- Create space for your entire family – when I was a kid, my father had storage space for everyone in the house. Everyone had a space set for them to store their belongings. This helped to bring order to the garage and made it look organized.
If your garage is normally used as a backdoor or an entry point for your house, it is very likely that some members of your family immediately drop off their belongings when they enter the garage. You will find backpacks, boots, toys, and jackets scattered on the garage floor.
Having cabinets for everyone who uses the garage can help you solve this problem. Cabinets for everyone help to avoid mix-up of belongings and you no longer have to hear who stole whose toys.
Factors to consider in garage cabinets
Whether shopping for new garage cabinets or intending to reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage, there are a few things to consider. Make sure to factor in the following before installing garage cabinets:
- Cabinet size – Cabinets are used to store objects of every size. The size of the cabinet is therefore a very important factor to consider. If you are purchasing standard cabinets, make sure you purchase a size that fits you. You may also opt for custom-fit garage cabinets that allow you to customize the cabinets to fit your needs.
- Garage cabinet material – cabinets are made of different materials. The type of material used to make the cabinet determines the durability of your cabinet.
Steel cabinets are very durable and can comfortably bear heavy weight as compared to wooden cabinets.
The garage environment is a crucial factor in determining the durability of the cabinets. Temperature, humidity, and damp levels determine how long your garage cabinets are going to last.
Wooden cabinets tend to dry rot when exposed to a wet and damp environment. They are also a good host for bugs. Steel cabinets on the other hand are very durable no matter the environment.
To prolong the life of your cabinets, use paint or powder coatings on the surface of your garage cabinets. This helps protect against rust, scuffs, and scratches.
- Customization – garage cabinets come in two options – custom-fit cabinets and standard cabinets. Standard cabinets come pre-built and do not allow for custom sizing. Custom-fit cabinets on the other hand allow you to customize the cabinets to your preferred size and taste.
Customization allows you to personalize your space.
Is there a downside to reusing kitchen cabinets in the garage?
Yes. There is a downside to reusing kitchen cabinets as garage cabinets. The whole idea of reusing and repurposing is wonderful. However, reusing a product in the wrong setting or outside its intended purpose is quite dangerous.
For starters, kitchen cabinets and garage cabinets are built to support and bear different weights. You cannot compare the weight of a few bowls with the weight of paint cans stored in the garage cabinet.
The kitchen cabinets might not be very useful in the garage in case you plan to store some relatively heavy objects. Installing kitchen cabinets, which are normally made of less thick wood into the garage, is not a good idea when you think about it.
Kitchen cabinets are also made to be in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Reusing them in a normally damp environment might make them dry rot or become bug-infested. This could be a headache for you especially when your living space is attached to your garage.
While repurposing is environmentally responsible and saves you some extra bucks, sometimes it just isn’t feasible. Before you reuse the kitchen cabinets, ensure that they are strong enough to handle the weight of whatever you are going to store in the cabinets.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many questions regarding reusing kitchen cabinets as garage cabinets. Here are some of them:
Q: Can kitchen cabinets be used in a garage?
Yes. Kitchen cabinets can be reused and repurposed as garage cabinets. You can easily install old kitchen cabinets as your new garage cabinets for extra space and organization within your garage.
Q: Wooden vs. steel cabinets – which one is better?
Steel cabinets are better compared to wooden cabinets. They can bear heavy weight and can withstand any environment. Wooden cabinets are prone to rotting when exposed to a wet environment and are often a good host for bugs.
Q: Do you need a space between the cabinet and the wall?
Yes. You require about 1 inch between your walls and cabinet. However, you can go up to 3 inches if the wall is very crooked.
Q: How far should a cabinet be from the ceiling?
1 to 2 feet is the standard distance between your ceiling and your cabinets. Ensure that your cabinets do not run up to the ceiling.
Q: Can you install kitchen cabinets on concrete walls?
Yes. You can install cabinets on a concrete wall. All you need is a concrete insert and a malleable metal anchor to install the cabinet onto the concrete wall.
Wrap Up
So, can I reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage? Yes. You can easily reuse your old kitchen cabinets as your new garage cabinets. All you need to do is uninstall them well from the kitchen and mount them in your garage.
Reusing kitchen cabinets is environmentally responsible and saves you money. Give it a try next time you are contemplating kitchen remodeling.
