Arrangement of the garage - very important detail in the life of every motorist, and in order to properly organize the space, you can make shelves in the garage with your own hands. In addition to storing the car indoors, even the most spacious garage often accumulates a large number of additional car accessories that clutter up the space. Shelves and racks help a lot in this matter - they will free the floor and prevent the necessary things from getting lost.
Shelves of various configurations are able to accommodate a variety of items of various sizes, contribute to maintaining order in the room. Self-manufacturing shelves will help not only save cash, but also arrange everything the way you want it. You will learn how to create garage shelves with your own hands from our article.
General characteristics of shelves and planning for their creation
Shelves in the garage will help keep things organized, and you can store everything from tools to spare wheels on them. The maximum convenience in location is very important. Shelves of various types perfectly cope with this function: hanging, corner, single or multi-tiered, as well as different widths and lengths.
Buying shelves in the store has a huge plus, since you do not have to make your own efforts. The advantage of self-manufacturing is the variety of choice of material, size and location of the structures themselves.
Absolutely any necessary things can be stored on shelves or racks, but you need to decide what exactly will be stored on them before you start purchasing materials, and even more so before you start manufacturing. For example, if you plan to put on the shelves liquid products necessary for cars (like gasoline, antifreeze, oil, etc.) or other works (for example, paint), you need to provide for the construction of the shelves in such a way that they are closed or have a small closed side - so you save your funds from falling.
It is also necessary to pay attention to your safety - all structures should be located in such a way that they are convenient for use and cannot injure you. It is very important to set the dimensions of the product correctly so that under the influence of the weight of the shelves they do not sag over time and do not collapse, losing all the contents.
Regarding dimensions, preference should be given to the standard: about 1-1.5 meters in length and 35 centimeters wide for multi-tiered or 65-75 centimeters for single shelves.
Important! In a new garage, not yet fully explored, you should not hang the shelves "tightly". It is better to fix the storage system in such a way that at any time you can change its position, or even place it on the floor. Given these recommendations, you will be able to understand which walls are the most functional and which are best left uncluttered.
What are the materials for the manufacture of garage shelves?
The first step is to decide what material you want to make the structure from. What the shelves will be made of will affect the design of the structure, the principle of fastening. The most common are shelves made of metal or wood.
metal shelves
This type of shelves is mainly made using stainless steel corners and sheets. Such shelves have both positive and negative sides. Let's consider them in more detail.
Table number 1. Positive and negative sides metal shelves
wooden shelves
Working on wooden shelves does not require welding skills from the garage owner, and, accordingly, the presence of a welding machine, and therefore it is much easier. In addition, there are much more options for creating garage shelves from solid wood or similar materials (chipboard, MDF, panels). The shelves are fastened using a frame or a metal profile.
Table number 2. Pros and cons of using wooden shelves
In addition to the above materials, there are less popular, but functional options. So, often wooden or plastic shelves are added to the metal frame, thereby the design is more reliable, but inexpensive.
Also, shelves can be created from high-quality plastic that can withstand a lot of weight and is resistant to deformation. Such material is easier to care for and easier to install.
However, if we talk about garage conditions (especially if the room is not heated in winter), the best option would be to put metal shelves there. They will last for decades and will withstand almost any weight without problems. Accordingly, metal shelves are often preferred when it is necessary to store heavy and rigid items. For this, metal will serve better than any other material.
When working with metal, it must be coated with an anti-corrosion agent, while wood will have to be painted with paints that protect the material from moisture and temperature extremes. Otherwise, the boards may begin to rot, they may change their shape and lose their integrity. Also, various pests can start in the tree.
When choosing a material, it is very important to understand how many things will be stored on them, what weight and with what help the work will be fixed - welding or nails. There is no single correct option for creating this product.
Designs and dimensions
Once you have decided on the material, you should think about the type of construction that is perfect for the selected room.
Each type of shelves has special fastening systems to which they will be mounted if the walls are not strong or the future contents of the shelves are too heavy. There are several shelves according to the type of fastening:
- wall;
- ceiling;
- single hinged;
- multi-tiered hinged;
- transformer shelves;
- shelves on wheels for the ability to move structures;
- shelves rotating around their own axis.
Wall shelves can be made both open and closed type. It is convenient to store various equipment often used by the owner on them. Such shelves are easily created using a corner and attached to the walls.
Hanging shelves are perfect when the walls of the room are not stable enough for large weights. To create such structures, you will need a corner and a shelf directly. A strong cable or corners are used as a frame. Fastening is done using hooks.
These shelves are very convenient, as they can be removed at any time. Their disadvantage is poor stability and mobility: it is better not to use them under heavy objects.
Also great option there will be a separate shelf for tools, where each item can be assigned its own place. For example, for screwdrivers, you can take a wooden block and make small holes in it. Attach it horizontally as shown in the picture below.
To store the keys, you can use hooks or nails driven into a horizontal surface. The keys can be arranged in ascending and descending order, which will make the appearance more neat. For greater convenience, this surface can be made movable by installing it on wheels.
Ceiling structures can be made against the wall - this way they will be stronger and more stable, and they can be used for materials of any weight. You can put things on them that you do not use at home. Ceiling shelves are made of any size both in length and in width. Their disadvantage is that it is rather problematic to get things from them. That is why it is better to store on them what you very rarely use.
Shelving comes to the rescue when all the loose walls in the garage are unstable. There are four types of racks:
To work on the creation of shelves, the use of drawings will be a huge advantage. On them you can depict in detail the type of construction, dimensions and volumes of shelves, as well as an example of fastening. If you don't have any particular preference, it's better to use standard sizes shelves: 60 centimeters long and 30-40 centimeters wide.
At a stationary rack, you can increase the size of the shelves up to two meters in length and half a meter in width. The distance of the tiers depends on what will be stored on them. For greater convenience, it is worth making the lower shelf voluminous, and making the upper ones standard (30-35 centimeters between tiers).
It is advisable to make hanging shelves a little smaller: about 60 centimeters long and 30 centimeters wide. The distance between them is often small, about 15-20 centimeters, so they are assigned to those things that are rarely useful.
We make shelves with our own hands
When you have chosen the material, decided on the further design and its volumes, you can proceed directly to work. Below we will look at several options for creating shelves.
Wooden shelves: step by step instructions
Basically, this type of shelves is made in the form of a simple fixed structure, which is installed along one or two walls. In the second case, the shelves are angular. To create wooden shelves, you can follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Select the materials that you will use in your work. Prepare racks and shelves. For racks use larch or oak, for shelves - any material you are interested in.
Prices for OSB (Oriented Strand Board)
OSB (Oriented Strand Board)
Step 2: Make racks from a bar with a section of 10x10 or 5x10 centimeters. The cross bars must be of the same material.
Step 3: Measure the dimensions of future shelves and cut them out of wood.
Prices for the popular range of miter saws
miter saw
Step 4: Treat all used wooden elements (both racks and shelves) with an antiseptic. This will help to avoid further occurrence of fungus or rotting of the material.
Step 5: Mark the racks in the area where the shelves will be installed. Attach the shelves using self-tapping screws, spikes, wood glue, dowels, nails, or any other tools. To make the shelves more durable, you can plant them on the corners of their metal.
Step 6: Treat the ends of the rack, and then cover the entire structure with varnish or paint.
Video - Making a wooden garage shelf
Metal shelves: step by step instructions
This type of shelves is used mainly for storing heavy items, so it is better to make them stationary so that they are more stable. When working with metal shelves, welding is used. Bolts should only be used if they have a role to hold together lightweight materials like aluminium.
Step 1: Draw a sketch of the future design. Pay close attention to its location. Remember that shelves should only be installed against strong, sturdy walls that can support the entire volume.
Step 2: Choose ordinary corners as a frame instead of square profiles. The corners must be at least five centimeters.
Step 3: Mark all the elements of the frame on the material and cut it out using a grinder. Weld them into one structure using welding.
Step 4: Take perforated or rolled steel as a canvas for shelves. Its thickness should range from 1 to 5 millimeters. Remember that metal sheets themselves are very heavy. So, for example, a sheet of 50x100 centimeters, whose thickness is about three millimeters, has a weight of about 12 kilograms (each such sheet costs about 150-200 rubles).
Also, instead of metal sheets, you can choose wooden planks- in this case, the thickness of each shelf should be approximately 3 centimeters. Pre-treat the surface with a fire retardant, which will make the wood fire resistant.
Step 5: Fasten the boards or sheets to the frame.
Prices for popular models of welding machines
Welders
Step 6: Clean any rusted metal areas, if any, and paint the shelf or shelving unit completely.
Corner shelves: step by step instructions
The corner is very reliable and strong material capable of carrying heavy weights. You can easily make a frame with corners, which is perfect for storing spare wheels (while you need to place the wheels in a vertical way).
You can also make a multi-tiered shelf from the corners, taking the lower part under a heavier load (for example, cans of liquid). They can store light, but bulky. However, the distance between the shelves is slightly increased. In length, each shelf can reach one and a half to two meters, a width of about 50 centimeters. The height of this rack is best done no more than two meters. Between each tier, it is desirable to leave about 50 centimeters.
This rack consists of only three elements: vertical and horizontal racks and crossbeams, and shelves directly. They can be made from both metal and wood.
Step 1: Cut corner pieces for uprights. There should be four such elements.
Step 2: Decide where the rack will be. On the selected wall, mark two supports, the distance between which will be equal to the length of the shelves.
Step 3: Cut off the horizontal frame elements from the corner.
Step 4: Make shelves. To do this, you can use plywood, metal or wood. Cut the shelves so that their dimensions are 1.2 centimeters smaller than the frame itself. For example, if you made a frame 400x1300 in size, then the shelves should be approximately 388x1288 millimeters. Assemble the frame by welding or bolts. Then install the shelf along the wall so that the back walls and vertical posts match the sketch drawn on the wall. Attach the frame to the wall with bolts. Install and secure the horizontal frame.
Step 5: Lay on the corners of the shelves from the material that you have chosen.
Shelves and racks are a great way to save space in a room and give it a neat appearance. They are able to accommodate objects of various weights and sizes. The main thing is to correctly compose a structure that will be strong and safe.
Video - How to make shelving in the garage
Probably, each of the men who acquired a garage faced the problem of storing the necessary things and tools. They are always hanging underfoot, and some are even impossible to find. In order to save space in a small room and thereby organize and put all the tools and more in their places, they came up with shelves and racks for the garage. They can be made as you want, and as it will be convenient for you, at least on the whole wall, at least on two walls, or you can attach one shelf. There are even options for ceiling shelves.
However, such shelves are not safe, but sometimes only they can fit the type of garage. It is best, of course, to stop at classic options. In addition, do-it-yourself shelves in the garage will last much longer, it will be doubly pleasant to look at them and use them.
The material for the racks is taken either wooden or metal. Wooden racks are not partially disassembled, they are fastened with bolts, self-tapping screws and nails. Such racks are attached to the wall and do not belong to the movement. The second type of racks is welded. They are completely non-separable due to the fact that all metal parts are welded together. Folding racks can also be made of metal. They are fastened with special bolts, but such structures can hardly be called stable, because the so-called backlash is formed during assembly. To achieve greater stability and rigidity, they are fixed on the walls. This is done very simply. A plate with metal holes is attached to the outer racks with bolts or a plate with metal holes is welded and the so-called “crutch” is inserted into it. Before putting the crutch, you need to drill a hole at the level of the plate in the wall itself with a diameter smaller than the hole in the plate.
Both types of shelving structures have good statistics in terms of service life, but for some reason the main choice falls on welded racks. Collapsible racks are selected for certain cases, there are several of them. In the first, the possibility of moving to another garage room is not ruled out, and it is very difficult to transfer a huge non-separable structure to another garage, and if it is also far away, since such racks can weigh several tons. Partial removal will greatly facilitate the task of transporting the rack. The second case involves the absence of a welding machine, unless, of course, the rack is made manually at home. But in general, almost everyone chooses welded racks, especially if the assembler has experience in working with welding machine, because then the work will move much faster, and the welded racks are particularly stable and strong.
The trade market presents its own version of the racks. A certain type of rack is for sale, which is made of corners and grooves. They are quite stable and easy to use, besides the fact that they can be disassembled, there is also a small function of rearranging the shelves. Thus, you can arrange the shelves at the desired height. It would seem that shelving is ideal, what could be even better. However, their price is very disappointing. Because they are overpriced.
The shelving itself is not complicated. There are several basic details of the rack structure:
- Racks;
- crossbeams;
- Shelves.
There are cases when back wall racks on the extreme racks are welded with transverse racks of steel diagonally. Such measures are used to achieve increased resistance by compensating for lateral loads.
The size and height of the rack and shelves is determined by the expected things that will be stored on it. The main thing is to observe the required distance between the racks that are in the same section. This distance directly depends on the stability and rigidity of the material from which the rack is constructed. In any case, the shelves should in no case sag under the load that you plan to give it. If you are not going to load your rack too much, then the distance between the spans can be made no more than 2 meters, but for heavy loads it is best to leave up to 1.5 meters and no more. If you planned to make a rack along the entire length of the wall and it is really an ordinary size, then when assembling the rack, it is necessary to weld the intermediate racks and the distance between the spans should also not exceed 2 meters.
Be sure to say the shelves of the rack, more precisely about their height. The first shelf from the bottom should be at a height of 50-70 centimeters from the floor, and as a rule, this shelf is made with the heaviest gizmos. Subsequent shelves are made on any comfortable height, but for example, a 30-centimeter shelf height will not be practical and not entirely convenient, but 35-37 centimeters is already much better, by the way, it is this height that is considered standard. You can check the desired height with a 1.5 liter plastic bottle. It should calmly stand between the shelves and take out in the same way. Just in centimeters, this is how it turns out, and it is this height that is standard and convenient for operation.
Look at the shelves in the garage with your own hands photo.
As you may have read above, there are not so many materials for shelving - wood and metal. Of course, it is easier to work with wood, and they are not very heavy in weight, but the main disadvantage of wood shelving is their inability to withstand a large mass. As for the metal ones, they weigh tons, but they are also able to hold even a hippopotamus, unless, of course, all the assembly and welding of the racks were carried out correctly and according to the instructions.
Undoubtedly, the main aspect is also the price. If you buy metal material for shelving in retail chains, then the cost will be almost the same if you bought a ready-made shelving. But there is an option to buy material at metal warehouses. They sell metal whips ranging in size from 6 to 12 meters. The next step will be cutting the metal whips into the desired segments along the specified length. This can be done right at the metal warehouse, but you will have to pay extra for such a service, but the price for it is not too high. Thus, you can save almost 20 to 30 percent of your expenses.
Materials made of wood are significantly different in cost from metal. But do not think that you can save a lot by making a wooden one instead of a metal shelving. As a rule, racks are made from elite and premium wood, and they are, to put it mildly, not cheap.
As is known, garage conditions not the best, especially for wooden structures. Constant changes in temperature, humidity, dampness, frost, heat, all this has a very detrimental effect on wood material. If you want your wooden rack to serve you for at least a couple of years, you must definitely treat the material with special protective, antibacterial agents. Wood treatment compounds are best bought for outdoor use, as these conditions are very similar to those in a garage that does not have heating. At will, such compositions are also selected that tint the tree, and subsequently it will not need to be painted. It is possible to work with the processed material only after final drying.
Let's see how to make wooden shelves in the garage with your own hands:
All parts of a wooden shelving unit are connected using a quarter or half-paw method, which is a common practice for carpenters. If this method is beyond your power, then you can nail the bars butt, butt. But with such a connection, it is necessary to use corners and overhead metal plates to increase stability. The elements of the rack are fastened to nails, but when using corners and overhead plates, fastening with self-tapping screws is also possible.
The dimensions of the racks in the standard are taken 50 by 50 millimeters. Crossbars can be made from exactly the same bar, only slightly smaller in size - 50 by 30 millimeters. For flooring you need:
- Planks with a thickness of not less than 21 millimeters;
- Plywood resistant to moisture in thickness from 10 millimeters;
- Laminated chipboard;
- Oriented Strand Board (OSB).
At a cost, planks and plywood are cheaper. Of the more expensive material, laminated chipboard seems to be, but its huge plus is that it does not need systematic and indeed painting in general. In order not to lay out large sums, you can buy materials at sawmill bases, where they are sold in bundles and their cost is much different from new ones. The only disadvantage of such a purchase is that the materials may be scratched.
There is one more little nuance. Shelves from chipboard material have a side cut and when moisture gets on them, they can swell and crumble. To avoid this trouble, you need to process the sections with silicone.
Do-it-yourself wooden shelves in the garage photo options.
If your choice fell on metallic look racks, there is what materials to choose from. There are two versions, from which you can make both shelves and rack racks, there are also standard materials, with the help of which "warehouses" are created. Metal materials intended for other purposes, for example, cable ducts and rack cable, which were originally used in communication, can also be used.
What materials are needed to create a metal frame:
- Metal corner 3-4 mm thick. Shelves from the corner should be 25-40 centimeters wide, but you need to take into account the amount of loads that will be carried out in the future;
- You can also take profile pipes. They are less prone to deformation, they are very difficult to twist or bend. And in comparison with the corners, profile pipes are more elastic. The required dimensions of pipes for racks are from about 40 by 40 millimeters and up to 50 by 50 millimeters, for cross bars from 40 by 25 millimeters and up to 50 by 25 millimeters;
- Profile pipes are designed for racks, but the crossbars are made from corners. The thickness of the metal should be 2-3 millimeters, the width of the shelves starts from 25 millimeters and above. The corners should be unfolded by laying the flooring, something that looks like in a nest;
After the construction of the frame, flooring is needed. It is made from exactly the same materials as when forming wooden shelving. Chipboard, OSB, plywood, board are taken and cut to the desired size. Some make flooring not only from wood, but also resort to a very non-standard method - sheet metal. In wooden structures, this method is not supported due to the high mass of this material, but laying it on a metal frame is very realistic.
The most standard and basic flooring material is still the good old plank. The most reliable and also inexpensive flooring. For such purposes, floorboards are taken (they have a minimum number of burrs), their thickness should be from 21 millimeters. Be sure to be treated with antiseptic and protective agents to prevent the wood from swelling from moisture and other external influences. If desired, you can paint the wooden shelves.
The advantage of metal shelves is that they are able to withstand heavy loads, although they have a fairly low thickness, there are also disadvantages and this is a very loud sound during operation, the shelves can rust and because of this they need to be sanded and painted very often. By the way, the metal frame also needs to be processed and painted so that rust does not appear.
Several features during the assembly of metal shelving
Metal racks have two assembly options. The first is to weld the necessary parts using a welding machine, and the second is to connect to each part with bolts. As for the welding method, as for me, there are no questions, but with bolts it’s already a little more complicated. When welding where corners are used, they are overlapped by 5 millimeters. After laying out the shelves, such a small difference will not be noticed at all. There is an option for welding after cutting off the excess part of the corner and butt-joining, but in this case it will take a lot of time to cut off the excess parts of the corner.
But bolts are different. First you need to connect the side parts to the shelves, and only then attach to the rest of the frame. To connect, you need to screw in two bolts, this will help to achieve greater stability.
There is a classic, or rather factory version of a shelf (stand) for tools. Buy perforated a metal sheet on which all the necessary tools are hung. The only drawback of such a stand is only the cost.
Do not despair! Of course, there are many ideas that you can do at home with your own hands, and here are some of them:
- You need to take a board, chipboard, or plywood, mark it with the right color on it for each tool that will hang there, and stuff carnations or screw in screws. A good option, besides, it is done quickly, but not quite beautifully and elegantly, but it’s convenient and I did it myself;
- If you have nowhere to put a heavier tool, for example, large keys or knobs, you can take the mesh, screw it to the wall and weld the hooks you need from the wire. A simple and easy option and a way to quickly get out of a difficult situation;
There are a lot of such examples, and all of them are taken from life. Everyone gets out and comes up with their own original ideas, which soon begin to be used by a lot of people. Such stands for tools can be made from almost any material that is at hand. Turn on your imagination and create, because any thing made with your own hands is the fruit of creativity.
So that the "good" in the garage does not interfere with the movement, it is necessary to somehow organize its storage. The most convenient shelving for the garage. If there is enough space, they can be made on the entire wall or even on several walls. If there is no place below, you will have to move upstairs - to make shelves under the ceiling. Not the most the best option but sometimes the only one. Still, shelving in the garage standing on the floor is safer, especially if they are securely attached to the wall (to avoid unpleasant situations).
Which rack is better: welded or bolted
Shelving for the garage is made of wood and metal. Wooden for the most part non-separable - on nails and screws. They are usually installed permanently, fixed to the wall. Metal racks can be welded. Then they are indestructible. There are racks on bolted connections. These structures are mobile and can be disassembled if necessary. Their disadvantage is insufficient rigidity, since there is always some backlash in such a connection. To make the structure more stable, it is attached to the walls. To do this, metal plates with a hole can be welded (attached with bolts) to the extreme racks. Drive a crutch into this hole (after drilling a hole of a slightly smaller diameter in the wall).
One option is a frame profile pipe and plywood shelves
Both welded and bolted shelving for the garage serve well, but welded structures are more common. The collapsible option is chosen in two cases. The first is that it is possible to move to another garage and all the equipment will have to be transported, and the structure weighs hundreds of kilograms, so it is problematic to move it entirely. The second is that there is no possibility or desire to use welding (if the garage racks are made by hand). The rest usually prefer welded ones - they are more stable and, with welding experience, are assembled faster.
On sale there are still metal racks made of perforated corners. They are also mobile and can be disassembled, but they are connected using hooks (on the crossbars) and grooves (on the racks). Such storage systems are convenient - you can rearrange the shelves to the desired height. Their disadvantage is that they are expensive.
Designs and dimensions
Structurally, shelving for the garage consists of racks, crossbars and shelves. Sometimes, to increase rigidity, transverse puffs are also made on the back side - two steel strips welded / screwed diagonally to the extreme racks. They compensate for side loads increasing overall stability and reliability.
Dimensions - the height and depth of the shelves - are chosen almost arbitrarily - depending on what you intend to store. The only thing that needs to be carefully selected is the span length - the distance between the racks in one section. It depends on the stiffness of the material you decide to use: the shelves should not sag even when fully loaded. For heavy things / objects, the span is about 1.5 meters, if the load is not too large, the distance can be increased to 2 meters, but it’s definitely not worth doing more. If you need a longer garage rack, put intermediate racks, the distance between which can still not be more than 2 meters.
A few words about the height of the shelves in the rack. The lowest shelf can be raised from the floor level by 50-70 cm (even more if desired). This is where the heaviest items are usually placed. The rest of the shelves can be made at different heights, 30 cm is inconvenient and impractical. In general, the optimal shelf should be 1.5 liter plastic bottle, and this is 35-37 cm. This distance is convenient for use.
What are they made of
As already mentioned, shelving for the garage is made of wood and metal. Wooden ones are lighter in weight, it is easier to work with wood, but they do not withstand such heavy loads. Metal ones are heavier (many times heavier), but an elephant can also be laid on them.
There is also the issue of price. Rolled metal is not cheap at all these days. If you buy everything in the market or in a store, at the price of one rack (along with consumables) you will cost almost the same amount as the finished one. The only one real way save money - buy metal at the metal base with whole whips (there are 6 m and 12 m each), and then cut into pieces of the desired length. Slicing can be right at the base, you will have to pay extra for services, but the amounts are very small. In this case, you will be able to reduce costs by about 20-30%.
Lumber is less expensive than metal. But do not think that the costs will be small: you will have to buy high-quality wood without knots, and this is an “elite” or “premium” class with a corresponding price tag. So it won't be very cheap.
from wood
Operating conditions in the garage are far from the best - high humidity, frost, alternating freezing / freezing, sometimes - heat. Not very good for wood. Therefore, all material must be treated with antibacterial and protective compounds. Take wood products for outdoor use, as conditions in an unheated garage are more like them. You can choose a tool that simultaneously tints the surface to be treated and your product can not be painted. After processing, the materials are dried and only then work begins.
When connecting parts of a wooden shelving, you can use the standard methods for carpenters - in a quarter or half-paw. If this is difficult for you, you can also nail butt, and use metal corners and / or overhead plates to reinforce the connections.
Another point: it is better to connect on nails, and not on self-tapping screws. It turns out more stable, less connections "loose". If you choose the option with reinforcement with plates, they can be mounted on self-tapping screws.
Now in terms of size: for racks, a beam of 50 * 50 mm is usually used, for the crossbars, you can use the same beam or a little thinner - 50 * 30 mm. Flooring is made from:
- boards with a thickness of at least 21 mm;
- moisture resistant plywood with a thickness of 10 mm;
The cheapest are board and plywood. Laminated chipboard much more expensive, but it does not need to be painted, and this is a good plus. In order not to spend a lot, you can take the first and last sheets in a pack at the bases - they are scratched and are much cheaper.
Wooden shelving in the garage - drawing with dimensions
Another point: the side cut remains open on the shelves made of chipboard. If it is not processed, when the humidity rises, the chips will swell, the shelf will warp. To prevent this from happening, coat the edges with silicone. With such processing, nothing will happen to chipboard.
metal
If you decide to make metal shelving for the garage, the choice of materials is wider - there are two options for rolled metal, plus standard storage solutions (perforated corners). You can also use metal parts designed for other purposes - for example, steel cable racks or cable channels that are used in communication are suitable.
Cable channels and shelves - convenient and not very expensive
So, what is the frame of a metal shelving in the garage made of:
- From a metal corner with a metal thickness of 3-4 mm. The width of the corner shelf is 25-45 cm, depending on the planned loads. Durable, but metal-intensive material, weighs a lot, is expensive.
- Profile pipe (rectangular in section). With a lower metal consumption (wall thickness is less), compared to a metal corner, it has best performance in elasticity (harder to bend), more resistant to torsion. Approximate dimensions for racks 50*50 mm or 40*40 mm, for cross bars 50*25 mm or 40*25 mm respectively.
- Racks are made from a professional pipe, and crossbars from a corner. The thickness of the metal is 2-3 mm, the width of the shelf is 25 mm or more. Unfold the corner so that the flooring to be laid is like in a "nest".
The flooring on the shelves is made from the same materials as for a wooden rack (board, plywood, OSB, chipboard), only sometimes non-standard options are added, which are used sharply with a wooden frame due to the high mass - sheet metal.
The board remains optimal for most regions - a reliable, not very expensive material. It is necessary to take sexual, without knots (with a minimum of knots) with a thickness of 21 mm or more. Treat with antiseptics, then paint.
Plus metal shelves - high reliability with a small thickness, cons - price, weight and "loudness". They also need to be painted, but first they must be cleaned of rust, then go through with a rust converter and primer, then paint and preferably in two layers. Also, by the way, it is necessary to process the metal frame. Then the rack in the garage will not rust.
Features of the assembly of metal racks
Metal racks can be welded or bolted together. There are usually no issues with welding. If a corner is used, it can be overlapped - a difference of 3-5 mm when laying the shelves is invisible. If you wish, you can cut out the excess in one of the shelves, butt-weld, but trimming takes a lot of time, and you still won’t see much difference.
With the assembly of the frame for the bolted shelving, the procedure is as follows: first, the squares of the sidewalls and shelves are assembled separately, then they are twisted together. At least two bolts are desirable for each connection - for greater rigidity (less backlash).
If you assemble racks for a garage from a profile pipe with your own hands, the procedure is different. First, the sidewalls are assembled, short crossbars are attached to them. It turns out two rectangles with crossbars. Then they are connected by crossbars.
How to make connections, see the photo. In one case, welding is still needed - to weld the "heel pad", in the other you can do without it - cut out the "ears", bend and cling to them.
There is another way - special crab systems. These are metal plates with grooves molded to fit the profile. Pipes are laid in the grooves, then two plates are pulled together with bolts.
Such a connection is unlikely to withstand very large loads, but there is an undeniable plus - you do not need to drill a bunch of holes in the metal. In a profiled pipe, this is certainly easier than in a thick-walled corner, but it still takes a lot of time and effort.
By the way, the bolts are used M8 or M6, respectively, large holes are required for them. It is easier to drill with a thin drill first, then expand to right size thick. But even with this order, you will need a solid amount of drills. So that they overheat less and break less often, put a jar of water next to it, periodically lower the drill there.
Layout, schemes, drawings, ideas
In the garage, you need not only a rack, but you also need a workbench and a stand for hand tool- all kinds of keys and other small things, of which there are many and come up with some specific comfortable spot storage is difficult.
The workbench can be made in the center of the rack. This is convenient - everything you need will be at hand, you do not have to constantly go to the shelves.
The workbench can be part of the system, or you can make two separate modules, between which you can install the required table. If you don’t like this arrangement, you can change the configuration - at least put it at an angle.
As for the tool stand. There is a factory option - a perforated sheet of metal with holders hung on it. The idea is very good, except for the price.
As usual, there are also a few DIYs (what a garage without them) on the same topic. The ideas are simple to implement, maybe not so elegant, but convenient:
And if desired, all this can be put on wheels - make the stand for the tool mobile. This is the case if in the warm season you prefer to work with the machine on the street.
None of the car owners will refuse to install convenient racks in their garage, it is simply impossible to do without them, since there are a great many necessary things that should always be at hand.
In this article, we will tell you what materials the racks are made of in the garage, how to make them yourself, according to the size of your particular room, how it is more convenient to arrange them so that tools and spare parts are neatly stored, and there is space and order in the garage.
Types of racks
First you need to decide which rack to make in the garage so that it is convenient, functional and takes up a minimum of space, consider the main types:
- Stationary rack designed for a specific location, its design does not involve movement or disassembly, for strength and stability it is attached to the wall, ceiling or floor with dowels, brackets or anchors. Shelves on such a rack are made non-removable.
- Collapsible rack assembled according to the type of designer for bolts. It is good because you can change the location, height, width of the shelves on it, as well as move it, add or reduce the number of sections.
- similar in design to collapsible, but placed on wheels or a trolley. The disadvantage of this type is to limit the load, it is usually small size, it can be rolled out into the street or, if necessary, moved around the garage.
- designed to store long materials, tires, wheels in a suspended state, this design is usually made complete with a conventional rack and occupies a small part of the garage wall. It is a rack on which brackets are fixed.
If you have decided which rack to make in the garage, then let's look at the materials for its manufacture.
Materials for garage shelving
In garages, wooden or metal shelving is especially popular, there is also plastic, but it is less durable and quickly becomes unusable. Alternatively, you can combine materials, for example, wooden frame and plastic shelves, but again, such shelves do not withstand heavy loads, and this factor is most important in the garage, since most storage items have a considerable mass.
Let's talk about the advantages, disadvantages and making shelving from each material.
Wooden shelving
The most affordable wood in terms of cost and availability is pine, a shelving made of it will last a long time, but it is rather fragile and quickly destructible.
In order not to build a new rack every five years, for reliability and greater durability, it is still better to choose harder types of wood, such as oak or larch.
- Making wooden shelving with your own hands is cheaper and easier.
- No specialists required and additional tools, it is enough to have a standard carpenter's set on hand - a hacksaw, a hammer, an ax.
- A wooden rack is easy to make the desired size and configuration.
- A failed section or shelf can always be replaced with a new one. without laborious disassembly of the entire structure.
The disadvantages of a wooden rack include its stationarity. Well, if you do not need to rearrange or move it, as moving the structure will cause it to loosen or even break. This type is usually installed "forever" and is permanently attached to the walls or floor.
I must also say about the increased fire hazard of wooden racks. And in combination with oil and other combustible compounds that the tree perfectly absorbs, the risk of fire increases.
Important! Before you make shelving in the garage, you need to decide on the size, the safe passage between the car and the shelving shelves must be at least 1 meter in order to avoid accidental mechanical damage to the car and ease of movement.
Features of the manufacture of wooden shelving
When installing a wooden structure, experts advise adhering to the following recommendations:
- All elements of the rack must be treated with an antiseptic from decay and fire retardant impregnation, which reduces the risk of fire. Particular attention should be paid to the ends of the boards, because they require repeated application of protective agents.
- The height of the rack is best done under the ceiling to increase functionality, and the length - according to the size of the wall.
- A gap of 50–100 mm is left at each end between the wall and the rack for ease of installation.
- Assembly is carried out on self-tapping screws, to increase the strength of the structure, metal corners are installed at the joints under the shelves.
- The width of the shelves is determined independently, but it is not recommended to make it more than 50–60 cm; shelves that are too deep are not very convenient to use.
- For racks, a bar of 100x100 mm is taken, the crossbars are made of a bar of a smaller section, for example, 50x70 or 50x50 mm.
- The distance between the racks is recommended to be no more than 1 m, boards on long shelves can sag and break under heavy spare parts, and short ones will not contain everything you need.
- Wood should not have rot, wormholes, knots, cracks, and blue, which is especially susceptible to decay over time.
- The shelves are covered with a board 100x50 or 100x40 mm, or with sheets of chipboard.
- For round parts, in order to avoid falling, a side is made on some shelves.
- For rigidity, a wooden home-made rack for a garage is reinforced with stringers (diagonal stretch marks) from the back side and at the ends.
- For safety and stability, it is recommended to place large shelves at the bottom of the rack for overall and heavy items, and smaller ones in the middle and at the top for lighter items.
A properly built shelving in a garage made of wood with your own hands will serve you for more than one year, but it will have to be periodically covered with protective compounds and painted with wear-resistant paint.
metal shelving
Steel shelves are more laborious to assemble, their price is quite high, but metal is much stronger than wood, and its service life is many times longer. You can, of course, order a ready-made set of collapsible racks, detailed instructions will help to quickly and efficiently mount it, but it will be more expensive.
It will be cheaper to assemble garage racks with your own hands, especially since in this case you can use used metal. It will be necessary to remove rust from it with a special compound, prime it with anti-corrosion impregnation and paint it with resistant paint for metal.
metal shelving for garage
Benefits of metal shelving:
- Strength and durability.
- High resistance to gasoline, oil, aggressive chemical environment.
- Moisture resistance.
- Resistant to mold, fungus and other microorganisms.
- Fire safety.
- Not susceptible to seasonal temperature fluctuations.
In other words, you get almost eternal steel structure, it will serve as long as it is needed without replacement, or until it gets bored.
Important! It is better to assemble racks for welding, this method will give the structure rigidity and additional strength. If this option is not suitable, then bolts are used.
Features of the manufacture and assembly of metal racks
As already mentioned, shelving in the garage can be made from used metal, but a number of measures will have to be taken to enable its further service.
If you decide to purchase a new material, then it is best to take galvanizing, it does not require additional surface treatment. Chrome or nickel-plated elements are perfect for shelving, but the cost of such a design will be much higher.
How to make shelving in the garage? If you adhere to the following recommendations, you can get an excellent, strong and durable design.
So:
- For external vertical racks of the frame, you can take a round or shaped pipe, a channel, a large corner, you must remember that the main load will be distributed on them, so it is not recommended to save on the cross-sectional dimensions of the products.
- It is desirable that all racks be solid, but if you have to join, then the joints must be given Special attention, for strength, it is better to weld them together.
- On the racks, you need to outline the places for installing horizontal ties under the shelves. It is important that they are in the same plane.
- The distance between the racks is 80-100 cm, the height of the shelves decreases from the bottom to the top.
- From above, you can leave a place under a high shelf for storing overall light items.
- It is best to assemble the frame for welding, constantly checking the verticality and horizontality of the parts, as well as the angles of the shelves with racks, with a level and building corner.
- For the crossbars of the frame, a corner of 50x50 or 50x70 mm is perfect, the shelf of which will serve as a side to protect against falling or rolling things.
- At the finished frame, it is necessary to check the diagonals, and install intersecting stringers of reinforcement at the back for additional structural rigidity.
- Under the shelves on which it is planned to place massive objects, it is recommended to weld 1-2 additional stiffeners.
Important! The lower shelves, on which objects of large weight will be stored, should preferably be made of metal, preferably corrugated; boards or chipboard are used for the upper shelves.
- Since the board does not work well for bending, it is better to install it in the frame across the rack.
- Welded joints are treated with an anti-corrosion agent, the entire rack is primed and coated with durable wear-resistant paint.
The photos and videos in this article provide tips and tricks on this topic, we hope that we helped you figure out how to arrange garage shelving.
Of course, the garage can be equipped with ready-made storage systems, which are available in a large assortment in stores. But do-it-yourself shelving and shelves have many advantages over them.
- Saving money. In any case, a homemade product will cost less than a purchased counterpart. And if the farm has some materials left over from the repair in the apartment or the arrangement of the site, then the benefit will be even more tangible.
- Optimal dimensions. Among ready-made structures, it is difficult to find one that fits comfortably in the garage without taking up extra space, and at the same time contains everything that needs to be stored. At self-manufacturing can take into account the dimensions of the room, and required amount and shelf size.
Shelving in the garage can be made in any size
- Reliability. Affordable racks and shelves are often not very strong, they may not support the weight of the stored equipment. Or they won't last long difficult conditions operation. For home-made structures, the owner of the garage himself chooses materials, the strength, quality and bearing capacity of which he has no doubts about.
- Design. Not the most important item on this list, but essential for someone. Especially if the car owner uses the garage for other purposes. For example, as a workshop in which everything should be in its place.
Garage shelf designs
At the place of installation of the shelves can be:
- wall-mounted suspended from the wall using anchors or other suitable fasteners. These can be ordinary boards laid on corner wall brackets, or multi-tiered structures made of steel angle, profile pipe or wood;
Wall construction - brackets and boards fixed to them
Wooden racks fixed on the wall
- floor in the form of racks supported on the floor in a variety of designs;
- suspended, in which the supporting frame is attached to ceilings or ceiling beams on anchor bolts or on anchors with hooks or rings. The frame in this case can only be metal - from long studs, a cable or a perforated profile. Their advantage lies in the possibility of placement anywhere without being tied to the walls. When installed on the ceiling metal beams and jumpers, it is possible to manufacture a welded shelf.
Note. Hanging shelves without additional fastening to the wall can sway, so you should not store expensive or fall-sensitive tools on them.
Wall shelves include special shields equipped with hooks, holders, hangers and other devices for storing hand tools. Small shelves for containers with fasteners and small parts can also be attached to them.
Such shields are hung on the wall by eyelets or attached to it through a through method.
According to the assembly method, the shelves can be stationary, collapsible and mobile.
The choice of design depends on the free space in the garage allocated for the storage system. And also from the material of the walls and ceiling and their finishes, the height of the room and other factors that are individual in each case.
Prices for collapsible shelving
Collapsible racks
Materials for manufacturing
To equip the garage with shelves for storing things, it is best to use metal or wood. Other materials are not suitable for operation in conditions of frequent temperature changes, air humidity and a high probability of mechanical damage. For example, chipboard quickly absorbs moisture and swells, and plastic does not have sufficient resistance to stress.
The most reliable material is metal in the form of steel corners, round and shaped pipes. It is strong, durable, easily withstands the heavy weight of stored items, does not burn. To give it an aesthetic appearance and resistance to corrosion, all structural elements are covered with special protective or paint and varnish compositions.
But for the manufacture of metal shelves, certain skills and equipment are needed to work with it. In addition, this material cannot be called cheap.
In contrast, the tree is more affordable both in terms of cost, and regarding the processing of parts, the availability of the necessary tools. It is not as durable and strong, but it is unlikely that extreme load resistance is required in the garage. And the wear resistance of wooden elements is also increased by the use of protective coatings.
The main disadvantage of wood is its combustibility, but it is possible to protect wooden structures from accidental fire with the help of flame retardant impregnations.
Prices for various types of Dali universal antiseptic
Universal antiseptic Dali
Most best option for garage shelves and racks - this is a combination of materials: a frame is made of metal, and shelves or floorings are made of wood. This reduces the cost and ensures acceptable reliability and durability of the structure.
When planning storage shelves, you need to calculate everything and make sure that they can withstand the expected weight of items, they will fit comfortably on them, and the design itself will not interfere with either the car or its owner.
It is best to make a preliminary drawing or just a sketch, transferring all measurements to paper and thinking over the methods of connection and fasteners. When creating a project, we suggest considering the following recommendations:
- The thickness of the shelves depends on the material and the intended load. Typically for storing tools, wheels and other heavy items wooden shelves are made with a thickness of at least 30 mm;
- the distance between the supports is also of great importance. The greater the weight and the smaller the thickness of the flooring, the smaller this distance should be. Optimal in terms of reliability and convenience is the length of the shelves from 80 to 120 cm for wooden structures and 150-200 cm for metal;
- their depth should not exceed 60 cm, otherwise it will be inconvenient to get something from the shelf. But this parameter is selected taking into account the purpose and depends on what exactly is supposed to be stored on this tier. If you need shelves from floor to ceiling of different depths, then it should decrease from bottom to top;
- this rule also applies when choosing the distance between the shelves: the lowest should be the highest. They store overall and heavy things, and small and light things can be placed higher.
In general, first of all, one should proceed from one's own needs, the number and type of items for the storage of which the system is created. At the same time, they try to use every centimeter to good use.
Manufacturing examples
Those who are interested in the possibility of self-equipping a garage may come in handy detailed descriptions production and fastening of shelves. Several options are listed below.
Suspended ceiling shelf
most a simple shelf can be made from a sheet of plywood and four long threaded studs. And fix it on the ceiling with anchor bolts and couplings.
cut out of plywood or furniture board shelf of the correct size. Preferably no longer than 70-80 cm, otherwise it will bend over time. For reinforcement, you can add a pair of studs or edging the shelf along the ends with a metal profile.
In the corners, stepping back from the ends by 4-5 cm, we drill holes in the shelf with a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the stud. We apply it to the ceiling and put marks on it through the holes made.
We drill a hole in the ceiling with a puncher according to the marks. The diameter of the drill must match the size of the anchor bolt. We hammer the anchor into the holes.
Prices for popular models of rotary hammers
Perforators
We connect the stud to the anchor using a long hex turnbuckle.
We wind a nut on each stud and put on a wide washer. Then we thread the ends of the studs into the holes in the shelf and adjust it in height with the second pair of nuts and washers installed from below.
Too long ends of the studs can be cut off or used for the second shelf.
Wall mounted wooden shelf
You can make several parallel shelves along the entire length of the garage wall only from wood - boards and bars fastened with self-tapping screws.
We cut out several supports from the board in the form of a truncated right triangle.
Its length is calculated depending on the number of shelves and the distance between them. If the width of one board is small, then we splice a rectangular segment with a triangular one.
On both sides we fasten bars of 20x40 mm to each bracket. One is along the upper cut, the rest are parallel to the first, indented to the size of the distance between the shelves. They will rely on these bars.
We make markings on the wall using a level and a tape measure, marking the position of the manufactured wooden brackets. The distance between them is selected taking into account the length of the boards, but it must ensure the reliability of the structure and not be too large.
We fasten suspensions to the back of the brackets with self-tapping screws. It can be steel strips with drilled holes for wall mounting.
We try on the brackets to the wall according to the markup and put marks on it through the holes in the suspensions.
We drill holes in the wall according to the marks.
If the load on the shelf is small, you can fix it with dowel-nails. But it is better to use expansion anchors.
Instead of the extreme corner brackets, we fasten the support bars to the transverse walls at the same level at which they are screwed to the brackets.
Fixing bars - supports
Step 9The top shelf of cut-to-size boards is laid directly on the brackets and fastened. Intermediate shelves are inserted between them with support on the bars. And we fasten the lowest to the lower ends of the brackets.
Wooden floor rack
And another completely wooden structure, but more spacious. For its manufacture, thirty boards for flooring and a 50x50 mm beam for racks and lintels are required. First you need to make a drawing and decide on the amount of material, the height of the racks, the depth of the shelves and other parameters.
Advice. As a basis, you can take the above drawing of the rack and, if necessary, add the required number of sections.
| step by step photos | Description |
|---|---|
| We cut the timber and boards along the length according to the drawing and plan them so that the details were smooth with no burrs. |
| We mark places on the racks crossbar fasteners for shelves and select grooves with a depth of 1-1.5 cm. |
| On the back of the groove side of the racks, we drill two shallow holes big drill. Hats will be sunk in them self-tapping screws. |
| Insert the jumpers into the slots. For reliability, they can be smeared with wood glue. |
| Through the previously drilled holes we twist the racks with the crossbars. |
| Such supports need to be made two or more, depending on on the number of rack sections. They have to get exactly the same, with the crossbars on the same level. |
| We install the supports in place. Far racks can be attached to the wall with metal corners. |
| We lay the boards on the crossbars and fasten them with self-tapping screws. |
Video - We make shelves in the garage with our own hands
Metal welded shelves
This option is suitable for those who know how to work with a welding machine. In this example, quite non-standard way fixed mount metal frame to the walls. It is quite reliable and allows you to save on the purchase of anchors, which would require a lot. Instead, short pieces of steel reinforcement were used. And the frame itself is assembled from a profile pipe 20x40 mm.
We make horizontal markings on the walls for each row of shelves.
We cut the reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm into segments about 10 cm long.
We drill holes in the walls with a depth of 7-8 cm, using a drill corresponding to the diameter of the reinforcement. The step between them is 1 meter, from the markup you need to step back down to the thickness of the profile pipe.
In order for the structure to hold firmly, the direction of drilling of adjacent holes must be changed, directing the drill either perpendicular to the wall, or at a slight angle.
We drive the trimmings of the reinforcement into the holes so that a professional pipe can be placed on their part protruding from the wall.
We cut the pipe with a grinder into segments corresponding to the dimensions of the shelves. And weld them to the reinforcing bars sticking out of the wall.
Having fixed the rear and side elements of the frame, we weld the front ones to them.
From the same pipe we cut racks from the floor to the top shelf, install them every 120-150 cm and weld them to each horizontal row, having previously set it in level.
To ensure the rigidity of the entire structure, we additionally weld jumpers from each rack to the far wall of the frame.
It remains to grind the welding spots, the frame and lay boards or plywood on it.
Prices for popular models of welding machines
Welders
Shelves for tools
These shelves are easy to make. It is enough to drill holes of different diameters in a board or piece of plywood for screwdrivers, hammers, wire cutters and other tools available in the work. And fix it horizontally.
Vertically mounted shields can be equipped with different holders, using ingenuity and imagination. It can be:
- self-tapping screws screwed at a certain distance from each other;
- magnetic strips;
- hooks and ;
- bars with grooves and even recesses cut out by a router according to the shape of each tool;
- cutting pipes or plastic bottles.
If you want to equip your garage convenient system storage with the maximum use of free space everyone can. Need only suitable material corresponding and some amount of free time.
Video - The simplest wooden shelves
