Installing Shelves In Your Garage

The most important benefit of having shelves in your garage is that it helps to keep your things organized and presentable. Installation of shelves means that you are creating additional space for storage, which otherwise gets wasted away.

To arrive at the most effective shelving you should know before hand the items you intend storing therein. For instance, lightweight items can be stored on plastic shelves that are easier to install and are lightweight. But, such shelves may not be very appropriate for storing of heavier items, as they may get bent due heavy weight. Further, they are more prone to breakages than strong metallic shelves.



Storage of heavier tools and equipment demands solid metallic shelves. Some of the metal shelves are free standing. As these may get tipped over, it is better to attach such units to the wall near their top. The other variety of metal shelves is attached to the walls by means of brackets. That further helps to make better use of space by keeping the shelves off the floor, thus enabling free movements of vehicles on the floor. However, such shelves need a very careful installation for fear of their getting detached from the wall due weight of heavier items and thus cause an accident.

Another preferred option for garage storage is wire shelving. The advantage of these wire shelves that are generally provided with a plastic coating, is that you can use them for storage of heavier items, though they are not so strong as solid metal shelves. On the positive side they facilitate better circulation of air that may be of help during humid atmosphere.

Adjustable, or "rail" shelving is mounted on horizontal rails that are fixed on the garage walls. You can install shelves anywhere along the rails, and they offer the possibility of varying their height as per your requirements.

It may be worthwhile to consider wooden shelving, depending on the material to be stored. Hardwood shelves are pretty strong, though a softer wood like pine tends to sag in the middle after prolonged use. Long shelves should necessarily be supported in the middle to have a uniform distribution of loads and to keep them straight. However, climatic conditions needs to be taken into consideration while thinking on the lines of having wooden shelves that are adversely affected by humidity and temperature. At the same time wood is very easy to work upon for getting custom made shelving for the garage.

Once you have the proper shelves for your garage, you’ll realize how convenient it is to organize the garage to find everything so handy and easy to locate.