Shelves and shelving units for garage

BoardsMember

Hi. In South Dublin so Ikea is an option, but am kind of bewildered by Ikea so considering other options.

We have a 5 metre wide, 9 metre long garage that everything gets dumped in. So we end up with no space in it, can't find anything, because we dont have decent storage. What I envisage is having a few "columns" of shelving units coming out from the wall to use some of the "dead space" in the middle of the room. And then to use some shelves and long masonry nails for high up hanging/storage.

Basically, I have hit forty and now lust after a well organised garage. Can anyone give advice on where to buy such shelving units, and shelves? I am not too keen on buying cr@p, but on a budget too.

Thanks.

jeepers101

Would you consider building your own?

fiona-f

If you're anything like the vast majority of people, your issue isn't storage space, it's clutter. Do a full review and clearout of what you already have and be ruthless, keeping only what is genuinely needed, used and loved, or else your new storage solution will quickly become overwhelmed again.

On the substance, I use Ikea Billy bookcases - the deeper model - for my shed and find them cost effective, useful and they look good. Ikea also do specific garage/shed shelving but I found these to be very rickety and unstable.

But definitely focus on a cull and a system to keep it culled first, otherwise you'll end up with overflowing shelves and yet more stuff piled up uselessly in front of them.

BoardsMember

@jeepers - I would consider building my own, am reasonably handy, but by the time I source good quality fittings and the wood etc, and get around to doing it, I think my dear (intended in the affectionate meaning of the word!!) & patient wife would probably being to lose her reason. I just watched this and am really tempted to do so now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MfzU-WhV1A

@fiona - you're absolutely right, and we are in the middle of a ruthless clean, but I think having got rid of all the stuff, if we dont have somewhere to store the remaining stuff, the likelihood is that we'll just end up piling tat with useful after the clean out.

Think I'm going to go for a couple of these to start with: http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/00241047/

Maybe make one myself!

jack of all

Check out this website and see how the yanks do their garages in style:

http://www.garagejournal.com/

(WARNING the above site is addictive!)

If you can get your hands on an old kitchen from a remodel job you can have good quality wall storage for very little money, if you fancy some wood work you can focus on building workbenches, a couple of hundred euro would buy a lot of material for sturdy workbenches. Plenty of stuff on this site too:

http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/general-woodworking.html

lgk

You could attach adjustable shelving fixtures like these, then use brackets to support shelves where you need them. You can make shelves out of ply, t&g boards, etc., and adjust the spacing, depth as required.

I use them in my workshop to hold hardwood planks, so they can take serious weight.

sky6

I done this very job myself last year. I used shelving system as suggested by lgk. Sourced them in uk delivered and all at a fraction of quoted Irish prices.
then I purchased 225 x 22 mm Boards locally.
turned out a great job and fully adjustable to suit any size boxes etc.

BoardsMember

Pretty keen to try those adjustable shelves. If either of you can send me info where u got them would be great. No probs if not. Thanks for the advice.

jack of all

It's "Spur" shelving, expensive but nice (have some of it myself), more info here:

http://www.spurshelving.co.uk/

BoardsMember

jack of all wrote: »

It's "Spur" shelving, expensive but nice (have some of it myself), more info here:

http://www.spurshelving.co.uk/

Thanks for this, looks like the answer alright. There seem to be a few Irish websites that do the same or similar so will have a dig around and see where the value is.

sky6

I sourced my shelving here www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/...

BoardsMember

sky6 wrote: »

I sourced my shelving here www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/...

Hi. I was on their site and hoping to get you to second guess me if you have a moment.

I am looking at buying these http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/products/shelving_and_storage/twin_slot_shelving_systems/70009/aspect_twin_slot_bracket_white/359462
to go with these http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/products/shelving_and_storage/twin_slot_shelving_systems/70006/aspect_twin_slot_upright_white/673879

Nothing too heavy going on the shelves. Planning on putting about 60cm between each upright...does that sound ok? And then 40cm deep ply on them.

Does that sound ok?

genuine leather

Spot on with those two BM, as sky6 called.
They are a great/simple system, i use quite a few and place alot of gear on them,very sturdy. Just use strong screws(5x 50 would be ok as you dont plan placing anything to heavy) to fit the uprights.

BoardsMember

Any suggestions on the best way to fix the ply to the brackets? Screws are the obvious answer, but probably need the exact length and go from below so that the screw is flush with the bracket and into the ply, but not through. Is that right?

genuine leather

Yeah they have 2 screw holes under the brackets that a certain length of screw works.Its the best option.
If they are similar brackets to my own, a 60mm screw will work on the inside and a 40mm screw on the outside.
You could stagger the joints of the plywood also, glue and put some 3.5/4 x 30mm screws that would stregthen the shelves even more for you.

BoardsMember

Thanks for that. Hoping to get the plywood cut to size, i.e. the longest piece won't be much longer than about 2 metres, so not planning to have anything "complex" to do!!

sky6

Everything that has been said is good to go. The only thing I done differently is that I used 225mm by 22mm Timber Boards which I just cut to length and width for the shelves. The problem with the brackets is that there not really wide enough to join two shelves together.

BoardsMember

sky6 wrote: »

Everything that has been said is good to go. The only thing I done differently is that I used 225mm by 22mm Timber Boards which I just cut to length and width for the shelves. The problem with the brackets is that there not really wide enough to join two shelves together.

Yeah I have been wondering about that myself. I didn't really understand the staggering approach suggested by GL, but I am hoping to get them cut to size to a certain extent, or maybe put up the uprights to support the lengths that the ply comes in. I have ordered the 370mm brackets so planning to go for 400mm widths if possible. I have used Woodworkers in Terenure in the past, they seem pretty good.

sky6

I cannot understand why the Manufacturers don't make such a bracket to support jointed shelves as surely they must be aware of the problem.
If you do want to join two shelves together you could use a piece of 16 gauge or 2mm Galvanised steel placed on top of the Bracket and screwed to the underside of the shelves. The Metal will be so thin that you won't even notice it.

jack of all

There's an easy way around this problem- just use some 2x 1" planed all round or or rough sawn batten as a cleat to join your boards together, as per pics below. Offer boards up, mark centrelines of bracket locactions on boards, take down and layout out boards and battens. Glue and screw batten cleats in position and away you go. Gives a good solid shelf. Use a block plane to chamfer/ relieve the ends of the cleats for a smart finish.

BoardsMember

Were we not talking about joining boards length wise for longer end to end shelf lengths, rather than depth?

Question in your nice approach for the width challenge: why do people recommend glue and screw in scenarios like this? Is it just a belt and braces thing?

prospect

They don't look like tea towels to me!!

jack of all

BoardsMember wrote: »

Were we not talking about joining boards length wise for longer end to end shelf lengths, rather than depth?

Question in your nice approach for the width challenge: why do people recommend glue and screw in scenarios like this? Is it just a belt and braces thing?

My apologies I misread your post; of course you could use a wider cleat (2-3" wide) to join boards end to end and across. However a much neater solution (though maybe not as strong) would be 2, 3 or 4 biscuit joints, but not a runner unless you have the gear for that of course.

A glued joint (on bare wood or unfinished MDF or ply- not much point on melamine faced material) is much stronger and the screws simply hold the cleat in place until the glue has achieved strength. It is belt and braces though and why not? Unless you anticipate taking stuff down in the near future. There's nothing worse than sagging shelves that could have been made stronger for the want of some glue, extra screws and maybe a batten on the leading edge.

jack of all

prospect wrote: »

They don't look like tea towels to me!!

Ha! I just build the shelves and my missus looks after the rest. FYI it is in fact an old wine gift box repurposed as a sewing box, complete with internal dividers etc.:)