Need Shelving? To the Lumberyard!

Q: DEAR TIM: Tools and supplies are scattered on the floor of my garage, and I desperately need some storage shelving. How hard would it be to build storage shelves? I have room for shelves that would be about eight feet long. -- Gretchen S., Avalon, Calif.

A: DEAR GRETCHEN: I've built storage shelving in each house I've lived in. Over time, I've developed a system that is easy to construct and requires minimal carpentry skills. I built my most recent shelves in the garage of my New Hampshire home, and they really caught the attention of my neighbor. He was impressed with how strong they were and how efficiently the space was used.

I prefer wood storage shelves because they are easy to construct and the material is readily available from a local lumberyard. I've discovered that all my heavy tools, toolboxes and supplies do quite well on shelving made from half-inch-thick plywood. The shelves can be any depth, but if you make them 15 7/8 inches deep, you can get three shelves from a standard sheet of plywood.

The tools you need to build these shelves are probably on your garage floor. You'll need either a circular saw or, preferably, a miter saw. A screw gun or drill equipped with a screw bit is also helpful. You'll need a level, measuring tape and possibly a hammer.

For every three shelves that are just under 16 inches deep and 8 feet long, you'll need one 4-foot-by-8-foot sheet of half-inch plywood, three 2-inch-by-3-inch-by-8-foot boards, three 2-inch-by-2-inch-by-8-foot boards and two 2-inch-by-4-inch-by-8-foot boards. You'll also need a one-pound box of 2 1/2 -inch drywall screws and a one-pound box of 1 1/4 -inch drywall screws.

Before you start assembling the shelving units, you need to do some planning. Move the cars out of your garage, clean the space and assemble the tools and supplies you intend to put on the shelves. Try to group the items you use most often and the things that are somewhat heavy and cumbersome.

The items used most often should go on the shelves that are easiest to reach. Heavier items should go on lower shelves.

Once you've sorted your items, take a tape measure to see how tall the tallest item will be on any given shelf. I've discovered through trial and error that my garage storage shelving is most efficient when the first shelf is 36 inches off the garage floor and there is 17 inches of clear space between the top of a shelf and the bottom of the horizontal 2-by-3 that forms the support beam for the next shelf above.

In the first step of assembling my shelving system, screw the 2-by-2 boards to the wall horizontally, making sure that they are level and that the ends are plumb. To create the 17-inch free space between shelves, simply install the 2-by-2s so that the top of each one is 20 inches from the top of the one below it.

Next, cut a full sheet of plywood into three pieces; each one is 15 7/8 inches wide by 8 feet long. These plywood pieces become the shelves. Then, lay each sheet lengthwise onto a 2-by-3-by-8 board that's standing on its two-inch edge. The 2-by-3 will act as a small support beam on the front edge of each shelf. Use the smaller 1 1/4 -inch drywall screws to attach the plywood to the 2-by-3.

Once all the 2-by-3s are attached to the plywood shelves, take the shelves and attach them to the 2-by-2s on the wall using the same 1 1/4 -inch screws. Have a helper hold the shelves while you do this. Once three screws are in place, the shelf will droop a little but will be stable. Install at least six screws evenly spaced through the shelf into the 2-by-2.

The final step is to install the 2-by-4s vertically at the front corners of the shelves. The 2-by-4s should be cut so that they are as long as the height of the top shelf. Position the 2-by-4s flat against the ends of the 2-by-3s. Use a small level to level each shelf front to back. Then drill a pilot hole through the 2-by-4 into the end of the 2-by-3. Use the longer drywall screws to fasten the 2-by-4s to the 2-by-3s. I like to install at least two screws at each end for added strength. Do this with each shelf and at both ends.

Once you're finished admiring your work, start moving all your tools and supplies onto your new shelves.

Tim Carter can be contacted via his Web site, http://www.askthebuilder.com/printer_Submit_Question.shtml.