Building shed storage shelves

Building shed storage shelves

Building storage shelves for your shed or garage is not difficult and it also doesn't require a significant investment, but it will most certainly make your life easier. For example, if you are a handy person, you probably have lots of tools and accessories. By building basic wooden shelves, you could store your tools properly and you will find them easily, whenever necessary.

In this article we will show you several ways of building the shelves for your garage. On one hand, you could just secure wooden brackets directly to the bare studs, while on the other hand you could build free-standing shelves. Irrespective of your choice, both alternatives provide lots of storage space and require almost the same amount of money for the materials.

Building garage shelves directly to the studs

If you haven't installed drywall or plywood on the interior of your garage / shed, you could attach the brackets directly to the 2x4 studs. In this manner, you can save space and get the job done much quickly than you might think. Choose proper garage shelves plans, before starting the project. The first thing you have to do is to build the brackets out of 1x4 lumber and secure them to the wooden studs. Use a spirit level to make sure the brackets are level , otherwise the shelves won't look properly. After attacking the brackets into place, you need to build the actual shelves, using 2x4 lumber or plywood. Using 2x4 lumber is a good choice if you plan to store heavy objects, otherwise it would be cheaply to go for 3/4'' plywood.

Building free standing garage shelves 

On the other hand, if you want to move the shelves or you just like the design, you could build free-standing shelves. Building garage shelving is fairly easy, especially if you use proper plans and materials. As a general rule, you should drill pilot holes at both ends of the components before inserting the galvanized screws, to prevent the wood from splitting. In addition, you need a spirit level to plumb the legs and to check if the shelves are horizontal. Moreover, check if the corners are right-angled, by using a carpentry square. Attach 3/4'' plywood on the brackets to build the actual shelves. If you want, you could also secure the shelves to the walls of the garage / shed, by driving in several screws trough the back of the shelves into the studs.

Resources: 

Storage Shelving Plans