by Alden Smith
Storage options for the home come in many different styles, configurations and prices. In research for this article, I visited the many organizer sites on the web, took a tour through Consumer Reports, and compared prices at the top big box stores. Here, we offer a comparison of the many systems available today, comparing prices, ease of installation, and options available.
Who Offers What
In nearly every community, there is either a Home Depot or Lowe’s big box outlet. These companies offer good merchandise at a competitive price. Each will offer professional installation, and will do consultation to help you decide on the proper system. However, unless you are completely blown away by the thoughts of using a hammer, screwdriver and a level, it is often best to install these systems by yourself. According to Consumers Reports, expect to pay double – and even triple, the amount for the unit if you have it professionally installed. Consumer Reports also that some systems came with missing or broken parts. When contacting the manufacturers about these problems, they report that the companies were helpful in resolving these issues. One thing to note here – Consumer Reports noted a large difference from California Closets, the large national brand, between their DIY units and the custom installation by their professionals. The DIY units had issues with misalignment, drawers that would not stay on track and parts that did not line up.
Installation Issues
Consumer Reports states that consumers spent $2 billion in 2004 for closet and garage organizers. Most of these installations were performed by the consumer. Problems were found in many of the systems. Because the consumer does the installation, this can be a frustrating experience. Among the things they found were:
- A Sauder garage workbench that wobbled.
- A Stanley shoe rack that sit so close to the floor that it was almost impossible to install.
- Inadequate and confusing instructions from Craftsman, Ikea, and ClosetMaid.
- Excessive time in installation.
Time of installation varied from 7 hours to an hour. Online help was spotty, and not often helpful for issues at hand. Consumers Reports notes that Rubbermaid’s closet system uses telescoping rails and shelves, which made installation much easier. Brackets and shelves for Elfa organizers from The Container Store can be custom cut by the store if you supply your proper dimensions.
Price Ranges
Prices vary from relatively inexpensive to high end. For example, a Gladiator 13 piece system for the garage runs $3595.95, and comes complete with everything to organize a garage, including a convertible refrigerator/freezer. A ClosetMaid 6-8 foot wire frame shelving unit with shoe rack for a reach in closet will run about $109 at Home Depot.
In Conclusion
When considering a closet, garage or other storage system, it pays to go online to compare different systems. You save a lot of money if you perform the installation yourself. Look for systems that have good customer service support and easy replacement of missing items.
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Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our
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