Do you consider yourself an organized person? For some of us, it comes naturally. For others, it’s a work in progress.
Each and every single one of us has our own system on how we store things. It might not make sense to the person who’s trying to find that extension cord or drill bit but it makes sense to you. 
Or maybe you’ve always been in awe of the people who keep everything neat and tidy in totes that are perfectly labeled. They are the real MVPs of a Pinterest success story.
But here’s the deal...organization doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be pretty simple by using materials that you already have at home. Or if you do have to buy materials to help you get organized, it can be done pretty cost-effectively as well.
Pole barn organization is no different. Whether you’re trying to organize your pole barn garage, farm shop, or even tool shed...the same practices will apply.
We’re all guilty of getting certain tools, ladders, or even garden tools out and not putting them away where we found them. It happens. We get busy and will just place the item up against the wall or on the ground and then the next thing we know our pole barn is a disaster.
Then we get frustrated with ourselves because we built a pole barn to protect all of the “extra” belongings that we had because we were running out of storage space. Although pole barns can be a key part of your organizational system, they don’t always get the attention that they deserve.
Let’s stop and think about that for a minute…
If you’re the owner of post frame building who needs help with organization I want you to picture what the inside of your pole barn looks like right now.
Now ask yourself these following questions:
- Are you able to walk around freely without running into things?
- Are you able to find exactly what you’re looking for?
- Do you have enough wall space to create storage?
- If you were to clean your shop, would you be able to make room for storage cabinets?
With an open, clean, and organized pole barn, you can store all of your items to find what you need when you need it. It may take some additional work up front, but in the end, you’ll be thanking yourself that you did.
These seven ideas will show you how to organize your post frame building for maximum storage capacity.
7 Ideas to Organize Your Pole Barn
1. Use a Magnetic Bar for Tools, Screws & Nails
A magnetic bar is a simple but easy way to organize the tools that you use on a daily basis. It’s also a good way to store the tools for a current project that you’re working on without having to put them back in your tool chest.
Are you tired of losing screws or nails when you’re doing woodworking? Use this bar to keep track of what you need...no more wasting screws or nails.
If you’re big into gardening, this is also another way to store your garden tools. It keeps them off of your floor or workbench, and you’ll always know where to go to find them.
Helpful hint: Just make sure you choose a magnetic bar that is strong enough to hold the tools you’re looking to organize.
2. Use a Pegboard for Tool Storage
Commonly found at your local hardware or lumber stores, a pegboard is a common organization idea that not many think about using. If you choose to install a pegboard, it will help you easily access all of your tools.
The other benefit of using a pegboard is it frees up floor space. No more trying to find where you last laid that socket wrench.
Helpful hint: For additional organization ideas, we recommend labeling where your tools are located on your pegboard. This makes it easier to put away when other people use your tools.
3. Use Open Shelving if You Have Limited Storage Space
Unfortunately, sometimes the pole barn size that we want doesn’t fit with the pole barn budget that we have so we have to make sacrifices. And usually, that sacrifice is with the size of your pole barn.
When you’re left with limited space in your post frame building, it’s important to figure out how you can utilize the space that you do have. By modifying your walls with open shelving, you can create more space to free up your floor and make your pole barn appear more spacious than it is.
Do you have extra storage totes that you don’t want in your house? What about all of the Christmas boxes filled with decorations? Open shelving would be a perfect way to store those.
Helpful hint: If you want to store more items, we recommend making the shelves deeper or construct your shelves to fit from floor to ceiling.
4. Keep Your Chemicals in Storage Boxes
It’s not uncommon to have chemicals located in your pole building, especially if you work in the agricultural industry or do all of your vehicle maintenance in your pole barn garage (you have to store your oil somewhere).
It’s also common for you to store weed killer, pesticide spray, and paints inside your custom building. However, these are extremely toxic, and some are even flammable in confined spaces.
As you’re figuring out how to organize your tool shed or hobby storage building, prevent these chemicals from contaminating the floor, ground, or even water supply. The best way to do is that by removing them for your shed floors.
By placing all of your potentially hazardous chemicals in a storage container, you can ensure they’re in one place and also kept safe from your children and outside exposure.
There are several ways to store chemicals, but heavy-duty plastic bins that are easy to slide in and out are great options for storing these.
Helpful hints: Here are some things to keep in mind when storing toxic materials.
- Keep the chemicals in their original containers, and store like items together. This will help you easily locate what chemicals you’re looking for.
- Keep all of your chemicals out of sunlight and out of reach of pets and children. Chemicals can be extremely toxic if pets or children digest them. If this happens to you, be sure to contact the Centers for Disease Control for immediate response.
- Be sure you include proper ventilation into your building design. This is extremely important if you are storing dry fertilizer and even fuel.
5. Purchase Free Standing Shelves
Sometimes the inevitable happens and we run out of time and budget. It’s not the best-case scenario but there are ways to finish your shed organization and free standing shelves is one of those ways.
Free shelves are an affordable and simple way to add storage space to your post frame building. They’re helpful for storing bulky items and are an easy solution to clear up floor space.
Helpful hint: The last thing you want to have happened is your storage shelves tipping over. Make sure they’re securely attached to the wall before placing any items on them.
6. Use Hose Hooks to Hang Extension Cords and Garden Hoses
Another storage idea for your shed wall is the use of hose hooks. Let’s be real for a second...the last thing that you want to deal with is an extension cord that is all tangled. It’s almost as worse as dealing with tangled Christmas lights.
If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can even use PVC pipe to organize your cords and hoses. Either idea will help you stay more organized and your hose and cords less tangled.
Helpful hint: House hooks are fairly inexpensive and can be found for as little as $5 at your local hardware store.
7. Incorporate a Workbench Inside Your Pole Barn
There’s nothing more frustrating than having to work off of uneven saw horses that have seen better days, but there’s a solution to your problem that will help your work be more efficient.
A workbench is a perfect solution for any type of post frame building, whether it be a horse barn, industrial warehouse, or even an open-sided building. By incorporating a workbench, you’ll have a “one-stop-shop” to work on all of your extra projects that come up.
A workbench can also be served as another shed organization idea because you can incorporate open shelving or even cabinets underneath.
Helpful hint: Prior to building your workbench, we recommend taping off the area first to see how much space you’ll have to work with. This is a good way to visualize how big of a space you’ll have to work with.
What Type of Pole Barn Organization System Will Work Best for You?
No two pole barns are alike, and the same can be said for your pole barn organizational system. But here’s the beauty of it...it doesn’t have to be perfect. You need to find (and incorporate) what works best for you. That’s the simplicity of post frame construction.
No matter what size of building you’re dealing with, it needs to be a functional space for you. With these seven ideas, you’ll be able to organize your space and maximize your efficiency in no time.
Have more questions about open-sided buildings not covered in this article? Please contact FBi Buildings at 1.800.552.2981 or click here to email us. If you’re ready to get a price, click here to request a quote and a member of our sales team will call you.