We make shelving in the garage with our own hands
Spacious, practical garage shelving is essential for numerous tools, parts and equipment. They can be purchased or made by yourself. It's up to you to decide what is better to save: time or money. You can order from furniture manufacturers or private craftsmen. In any case, there are several factors to consider:
- room dimensions;
- product design;
- rack dimensions, number of shelves and their area.
Draw a blueprint or plan to understand exactly how the new storage system will be located in the garage.
Pay attention to non-standard solutions. For example, suspended and folding structures can significantly save space in the room. Collapsible garage shelving - plus mobility.
Materials
Metal
Metal structures beat strength records. Car enthusiasts prefer these racks in the garage, as they are very durable. Their main enemy is humidity. In the absence of a high-quality coating, rust will quickly destroy the entire structure.
Under normal conditions and with careful handling, metal racks will last forever. No special care needed - just damp clean from time to time to maintain your appearance.
Lack of material - a rather high price. However, many in the country, and in the garage, have a lot of metal elements that are difficult to adapt somewhere. Pay attention to them if you plan to make a rack in the garage with your own hands. Usually the parts are simply welded together. If you do not have sufficient experience with the device, you can get by with simpler fasteners. For example, bolted-on racks made of shaped pipes will last no less than welded racks.
Wood
Another classic material that costs significantly less than metal. Wood makes excellent hanging storage systems due to its low weight. The material is easy to process with hand-made materials, looks beautiful. The following species are well suited for shelving: birch, pine, oak. There are many different fastening elements for wood:
- The easiest one is nails. An excellent choice for temporary structures. But they are not suitable for permanent use, after a few years the rack will become loose.
- Wooden plugs. Fastening with glue on both sides. More reliable than nails, but inferior in strength. With active use, they wear out quickly enough.
- Self-tapping screws. One of the best options. With the right approach, a sufficiently strong structure is obtained, capable of serving more than 5 years.
- Bolts. Another great option for long term use. Make sure they are not corroded.
You can buy wood everywhere, it is inexpensive. Minus one - difficult care. A special impregnation is needed so that the wood does not rot, and a coating is needed so that it does not get dirty. If this does not suit you, you can simply update the hanging shelves in the garage and other wooden elements once every 5-10 years.
Plastic
A modern, inexpensive material that can boast of durability, but low strength. The vast majority of structures are not capable of withstanding over 100 kg.Light weight, possibilities for the manufacture of different systems, good design and mobility - these are the advantages of plastic shelving.
Not recommended for storing metal tools or parts. It is better to place wooden or fabric blanks, various little things on it. Here you can save money and not buy an expensive metal structure.
Combined shelving in the garage
The combinations are different, such as wood and metal. With the help of several materials, you can diversify the design of your garage, get a structure with good functionality. It will take the best qualities from two or more materials and become a compromise.
Order or do it yourself
If you have the skills to handle hand tools or a welding machine, making your own shelving will not be an overwhelming task. If you make your own garage shelves, you will get several benefits:
- You create a structure with a unique design. For many craftsmen, this is an opportunity to stand out from those who prefer to just buy a ready-made solution. A beautiful storage system can transform a room. And on the Internet you will find many ideas.
- It's really easy! Even with minimal work experience, it is enough to pick up a few tools and get started.
- The manufacturing process will not take much time. Craftsmen cope with one rack within an hour, or even faster. It all depends on the size.
- You plan your own space for each item in your garage with a margin. And only you can know which shelves and what you need.
- It is cheap. It is cheaper to buy materials and tools than to hire a craftsman.
The only negative is that you have to work. And here everyone decides for himself whether it is worth it.
The main difficulty is planning the future storage system.
We recommend laying out the parts and tools, sorting them and calculating how much space is needed for things of different groups. You need to make racks in the garage with a margin. Your collection of tools and spare parts will surely grow.
Manufacturing instruction
For a start, it's worth buying tools. The choice depends on your budget. Hand-made ones are cheap, but the manufacturing process will take longer. The following set will be enough for the rack:
- wrenches or screwdriver (screwdriver), or hammer;
- grinder (hacksaw for metal) or jigsaw (saw for wood);
- drill;
- welding machine if necessary.
The set of materials depends on what exactly you have chosen. Let's move on to step by step instructions.
Step 1. Site preparation
To make a rack with your own hands from wood or metal, you need a lot of space. Clear the garage, drive the car away for a while. There will be a lot of dust during operation. Be sure to cover tools and expensive items with plastic wrap. Lay out your tools in a prominent place so you don't search.
Remember safety precautions. If you work with a grinder or a welding machine, make sure that there are no flammable and explosive substances and materials nearby. Protect your hands with gloves and your eyes with glasses. It is better to work in an apron made of thick fabric.
Step 2. Planning
Drawings and diagrams for do-it-yourself shelving is an important stage. Draw a plan for your garage on a simple piece of paper. This should include the main objects: a car with a margin of 0.8 m on each side, existing racks and shelves and other objects located throughout the area. Based on this data, you will get a free area that can be used. Do not forget that the storage system can also be represented by hanging shelves. Use all available space.
It is separately recommended to draw up a schematic drawing of each shelf. Determine a place for each thing, even if it is a long activity, but it will pay off handsomely.Allow some margin for future tools and spare parts.
Place the tools on the side of the car, they should be there, on the other side there will be spare parts. Do-it-yourself tool shelves in the garage must be made in the following sequence: from the hood to the rear bumper, so that you don't have to stretch far. At the end, a space for machine tools can be equipped.
Step 3. Preparation of parts
For each rack, according to the drawing, make all the necessary parts: cut the frame elements, corners, crossbars and platforms. Use the required tools depending on the material. Mark the parts so that they can be easily assembled later. In the process, group all the elements for individual shelving.
When working with wood, drill holes for bolts or wood plugs. Can be attached directly to screws or nails. When working on metal, you can immediately proceed to welding if you have the skills to work with the device.
Step 4. Build
Assemble the rack of elements in the following order:
- side racks;
- crossbeams;
- amplifiers for shelves;
- shelves.
Check the rack for strength, carefully inspect welds and threaded connections for defects.
It remains to give the shelves an attractive appearance. Everything that you have enough imagination for is used. You can spy on ideas on the Internet. Popular solutions: artistic forging, wood carving, varnishing or paint. This is just one of the possible options. For example, you can see how to weld a rack from a corner. All in your hands!