How to Buy Storage Shelving

Storage shelving comes in so many varieties that it's easy to buy the wrong kind and then regret the purchase. If the storage shelves don't hold enough and aren't appropriate to the environment, it wasn't a good set to buy. Instead, go through a checklist of criteria before deciding which storage shelves to buy. This will ensure that the shelves are functional and will last as long as possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide whether you want a set of storage shelving that is already built or one that you put together yourself for a custom fit. There are pre-built shelving units in so many sizes and shapes that there is generally a set for storing just about anything.

2. Choose a place for the shelves before you buy them. Where the shelves will go is an extremely important consideration. If the shelves will be in the garage, in a basement with a moisture problem or outside, the shelves should not be made of wood. Plastic or coated metal will work for damp basements and the outdoors. Any type of metal or plastic shelves will work well in a garage. Either wood or metal will work in the home, though wood is generally preferred indoors.

3. Check the weight capacity of the shelves. There are shelving units that will easily hold 300 lbs. per shelf and there are ones that will hold about 50 lbs. per shelf. If you know what it is you will be storing, estimate the weight that will rest on each shelf and buy shelving accordingly.

4. Have measurements ready. The shelves will have to be long and wide enough to hold the items you will store. Take into account the total usable space of each shelf, which may be slightly smaller than the total space of the shelf. The corner posts will impact the usable space.