2

I am considering building garage shelves based upon a design I found online. The shelf will hold storage bins and boxes.

This is the design plan:

DIY Garage Shelves [Freestanding] | Ana White https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/diy-garage-shelves-freestanding

Does this plan have any obvious design flaws or other considerations?

My shelf will be 15' long. I was thinking 3 legs, so both ends and one in the middle which would be at the halfway point.

I like this design because typical garage shelf designs I've seen have 2x4 frames with plywood shelves and the 2x4 frames end up taking up 3.5" of space that cut off the space you can use to put in boxes.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Here are some photos from the design plans.

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

6
  • This is quite standard design of such shelving, with no joinery. I see no obvious flaw and shelves will sag much less than plywood. "Are there better plans for garage shelves?" this asks for opinion..
    – Volfram K
    Feb 8, 2022 at 6:48
  • 1
    As soon as I saw the top picture I knew it was Anna White....Yes, there are better plans. This isn't going to hold as much weight as it would if the 2x4s were oriented "the tall way" and the 2x4s will end up sagging over the 7.5' span. Plywood shelves with 2x4 "frames" and half the span would be a better choice.
    – gnicko
    Feb 8, 2022 at 13:27
  • 1
    Yup, @gnicko, turning the 2x4 on edge will significantly reduce sag. Then, though, you're back to losing the 3-1/2" of height on every shelf and you may as well cover them with plywood instead of putting a shed-load of 2x4 in as the shelving material. Ends up with a stronger shelf that's cheaper to build because plywood to cover that area is much cheaper than 2x4s on edge to cover that area. There's a reason that's the standard design pattern.
    – FreeMan
    Feb 9, 2022 at 12:47
  • 1
    If, of course, you're only storing party decorations and Christmas tree ornaments, then weight doesn't matter and a 2x4 on the flat will be fine. But, if you're doing that, still cover the shelf with 3/8" or 1/2" plywood because it will still support the minor weight and still be cheaper than all those 2x4s
    – FreeMan
    Feb 9, 2022 at 12:47
  • @FreeMan - Not to knit-pick, etc... but the 2x4 vertically instead of horizontally only changes the opening by 2 inches (3.5" vs. 1.5").
    – gnicko
    Feb 11, 2022 at 2:39

2 Answers 2

3

Overall it's a good solid design and it's pretty common, other than often it's plywood for the shelving material.

I only have 1 concern, 7.5' of span is a long span not to have vertical supports. even for 2x4s. I think you'll get a lot of sag. I suggest 1 of 2 different solutions, either have 2 sets of supports (every 5 feet) or turn the 2x4s 90 degrees if the 2x4s are standing on edge they won't sag.

2
  • "if the 2x4s are standing on edge they won't sag" obviously this does improve the beam strength of the 2x4s significantly, but it's possible these may still sag if installed on edge (given it's just construction lumber especially). Obviously what the shelves are intended to store is an important detail, and if there will be any particularly heavy items they shouldn't be positioned near the centre of the spans.
    – Graphus
    Feb 8, 2022 at 19:23
  • 1
    @Graphus, yes they can be made to bend, even significantly, depending on what is stored on them. but it would be a LOT less than if they are laid flat. I suppose I could say 'won't sag as much' to be more accurate.
    – bowlturner
    Feb 8, 2022 at 19:27
2

These are perfectly reasonable. So unless you have something really heavy to store on them they'll be fine.

You will almost certainly want to attach them to the wall for safety (and stiffness). If you don't you might want to consider diagonal members along the back (or commercial metal x-braces) to manage racking. Butt-joinery is fine except it won't handle racking forces.

The single most important consideration is not the material or the overall design, though. It is feeling free to throw away the dimensions to fit whatever standard box you intent to store on it. There is nothing worse that having something like this and finding your standard "roughneck" or whatever you have chosen doesn't fit, or it fits but leaves a lot of unused shelf space.

The picture shows that it was sized more or less for those pastel boxes, so unless you also have those pastel boxes, you ought to think about the shelf dimensions.

1
  • My wife already had about 50% of the shelving full before we even built our new shed. When I built the rack, we measured all the different plastic storage tubs she wanted to put out there and I spaced it so all but the tallest (of which there was only 1) would fit on any shelf. The tallest one an random cardboard boxes fit on top where there is open space to the bottom of the loft/inside of the ceiling, so there's plenty of room. Premeasuring is very important!
    – FreeMan
    Feb 9, 2022 at 12:44

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.