For most of us gearheads, we all know that no matter how large our garage is, it will, after just a while, get filled up eventually. It doesn’t matter if it is a one or two-car garage because pretty soon, a lot of mechanical equipment or unfinished projects, as well as extra parts, will be piling up towards the entrance.
Fret not because there are lots of garage shelving options to choose from before you completely run out of floor space. Here are a few basic options to consider before you go online and order impulsively!
1. Wooden Shelves
One of the most straightforward garage shelving ideas out there is to obtain some wooden shelves. These are shelves that can be the easiest to work with and costs less compared to other shelves that are made out of other materials.
These kinds of shelves are mostly made out of strong wood like maple or oak. Which makes sense as they are going to be holding various heavy objects for a very long time. Most folks would probably choose other materials however like chipboard or 3/4 plywood to build their shelves.
So if you will be hiring people or will be building this type of shelves for your garage, make sure to choose the best kinds of wood. Avoid softwood like Pine. Making the mistake of choosing these kinds of wood will make your shelves bend and eventually break because of the constant heavy load.
That being said, even if you have the use of the strongest sets of wood, you must keep in mind that this option leaves you to only store objects that aren’t extremely heavy. So try to avoid storing heavy equipment on them like large power tools for example.
2. Wire Shelves
Using these as storage spaces is also very inexpensive. And at a certain point, a bit more durable. However, just like you might imagine, there are some objects this kind of shelving cannot hold securely.
Wire shelves will not be able to securely store items that are in the smaller size. So, this kind of option is mainly reserved for storing parts bins or paint cans. If you, fortunately, had the extra time to sort out every bit of nuts and bolts as well as a few small pieces of hardware on parts bins, storing them up on something like a wire shelf is the best way to go.
3. Metal Shelves
For guaranteed reinforcement for carrying and storing heavier objects like various car parts and heavy-duty power tools, shelves that are made out of metal is the best option to pick.
Larger cans of paint and other heavy objects can also be stored here. Keep in mind however that these kinds of shelves are understandably costly compared to their previous cousins the wire and wooden shelves. but what you can get is absolute durability and storage of heavier items.
For safety, you might want to bolt these kinds of shelves in place. But even if these things are bolted securely down on the ground or even on the walls, don’t store all the heaviest objects. Besides the dangers of them falling and fatally injuring you or anyone else, getting them up there and getting them down again for use will be incredibly hard.
4. Adjustable Rail Shelves
These kinds of shelves are shelves that have systems of hangers built into them, therefore giving it the ability to freely adjust the spacing of its shelves.
These things can be repositioned and rearranged to fit the objects you would want to store on them. This freedom of choice for storage is a definite plus for when your garage is storing quite a few objects of differing sizes and shapes.
The good thing about this shelving option is the fact that this is a type of shelf that is also made out of metal. This gives it strength and rigidity to carry bigger objects as well like tabletop tools, power tools, wood slabs, and even extra car parts.
For these kinds of shelves, you can plan out the configuration of each of the levels of the shelf from the bottom up as you pick and place in the objects to store in it.
So which is the best option?
Every type of storage space is different. That is a given. However, you can always try to follow these standards when you are in the market for some shelves. Wall-mounted or freestanding shelf units for example will need to be 12 inches deep for storing smaller items like hand tools. They would also need to be 16 inches deep for larger ones like book boxes, for example. It would be best to purchase shelves that provide space with just the right size to hold objects and boxes without them being too deep or far away from reach.
Lastly, it will all depend on the size of your garage and the kinds of objects you will store on these shelves. We truly hope that this list has helped you choose the best shelving options for your garage. For more storage furniture and ideas, visit Storables.com today!
