Many people consider their attic to be a dumping ground for boxes holiday and seasonal items, books, old toys, and memorabilia.
Instead of just throwing boxes in your attic, you can organize your attic to make it an efficient storage space thus increasing the usable space in your home.
Here are a few different strategies for how to organize your attic.
photo courtesy of Jamie Beverly flickr.com/photos/thesoupboy/400278091/Clean
Take a minute before organizing to clean your attic.
Vacuum up any dirt and pick up any trash.
A clean attic will inspire you to be organized.
Height
Don't forget about the height of your attic.
Instead of just stacking cardboard boxes, consider getting storage shelves to maximize the space.
Make sure to measure the height of your attic and the size of your attic door before purchasing shelves.
Custom Shelves
Another storage option is to store your items in the area with the least ceiling height of your attic (towards the edges of your attic where the roof meets the attic floor).
You can build a basic shelf to take advantage of that unusable space.
There are also some companies that make attic truss shelving that you can purchase.
Additional Flooring
Your attic may not have flooring over the entire space. Consider adding several pieces of plywood to your attic to increase the floor space and usable storage space.
Additional Lighting
If needed, add additional lighting to make your attic less spooky and allow you to see everything you have up there.
You can add battery powered lights or additional wired lights.
Proper Storage Containers
Cardboard boxes and the items inside can be damaged by moisture, humidity, bugs, or pests and can be crushed by other boxes.
Instead of using cardboard boxes, invest in identical plastic containers with lids that fit your new shelves perfectly.
You may want to use the exact same sized bin but in different colors for different items (red for Christmas decorations, orange for Halloween decorations, etc).
Keep your storage containers with similar items grouped together instead of in various locations throughout your attic.
Labels
You must label your new plastic containers properly in order to be well organized.
You may have 5 containers of Christmas decorations, so make sure to label the contents of each container on the outside. Another option is to label each box with a letter or number and have a spreadsheet nearby showing what is contained in each box.
Label the most visible surface, which could be the top or the side of your container (or maybe both).
Purge
At least once a year, you should evaluate the items in your attic and purge the items that are no longer necessary.
Old toys and children's clothes can be donated or given to a friend with a young child and old books can be given to your local library.
Not in Attic
There are certain items that should not be stored in an attic.
Such items include anything that might melt (such as candles), anything that needs proper air circulation, anything that needs to be climate controlled (such as food), flammable items (such as paint or gas), and anything that you really care about (such as family photos or heirloom clothing).
