How to Build Freestanding Storage Shelves in Basement

You can use pine boards to create customized freestanding shelves for a basement storage area. Building your own storage shelves gives you the ability to customize the height and length of the shelves to sizes that best suit your basement and the items you plan to install. If you want freestanding shelves, use pine boards that are 24 inches wide to ensure that the shelves remain stable. For lumber this wide, visit a lumber yard and not a home improvement center.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 1-inch thick by 24-inch wide pine boards
• Table saw
• Hand drill
• 3-inch-long wood screws, 1/8-inch diameter
• Paintbrush
• Paint or stain
• Polyurethane

Instructions

1. Determine the best height and length for your storage shelves by measuring the basement with a tape measure.

2. Cut two pieces of pine boards that are 1 inch thick and 24 inches wide to the desired height with a table saw. These two bards serve as the vertical supports for your storage shelves.

3. Divide the total height of the storage shelves by the height you want between each shelf. For example, if you want 15 inches of space between each shelf, divide the total height by 15.

4. Cut the necessary number of shelves according to your calculation in step 3 to a length 2 inches shorter than the desired length of the shelves. This accounts for the thickness of the vertical supports.

5. Place the vertical supports on their 24-inch faces, and butt the boards together. Measure up from the bottom of the boards to your desired height for the shelves, and then draw a straight line across both faces. Measure up 1 inch, and draw a second line. The 1-inch space between the lines shows you where to drill your mounting holes for installing the shelves. Repeat this for every shelf as you work your way up the supports.

6. Drill eight evenly spaced quarter-inch diameter holes across the faces of the vertical supports in-between each group of drawn lines.

7. Place the vertical supports on their sides, and then line the shelves up between the 1-inch drawn lines. Drive 3-inch-long wood screws that are 1/8 inch in diameter through the vertical supports and into the shelves.

8. Paint or stain the shelves to your desired color. If you choose, you can use a paint or stain with the polyurethane premixed. Otherwise, after the paint or stain dries, coat the storage shelf with polyurethane to prevent the high level of moisture in your basement from damaging the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• You can adjust the width of the boards to create narrow shelf depth, but this could cause the shelf to become unstable. A 24-inch base helps to stabilize the freestanding shelf. If you choose narrower shelves, attach the storage shelf against the wall with bolts or to the floor with lag bolts. An unstable storage shelf could be a hazard, especially if you have small children.