How to Make Wooden Shelves for a Garage

If your garage seems to be the collection point for unwanted articles, or the storage facility for the entire house, you may want to look into installing garage shelving. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on fancy storage systems when simple wooden garage shelves can do the same job. In fact, if you do any carpentry work, you may already have enough scrap lumber to build some wooden shelves in your garage. Remember, the shelves are in the garage, so they just need to be practical, not pretty.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Graph paper
• Saw
• Screws
• Drill and drill bits
• Screwdriver
• Square

Instructions

1. Measure your space, and measure the height of the items you plan to store on the wooden shelves. Plan to set the larger, heavier items on the bottom of the shelves. Draw up your plans on graph paper to help you visualize the project and to help you get the finished product you want.

2. Build the lower frame of the shelves. Cut 2-by-4 inch lumber to the desired length for the sides and front of the base of your shelving. Place the lumber so that the longer pieces cover the ends of the shorter pieces. Insert two screws through the longer pieces of wood into the ends of the shorter pieces to secure the pieces together after you square the corners. To make it easier to start the screws, drill small pilot holes where you intend to set the screws.

3. Add four upright posts to your garage shelving to the inside corners of the base frame. Run screws from outside the base frame, through the base and into the upright posts. Use at least two screws in each corner post. Connect the tops of the posts with a frame similar to the one you installed on the lower portion of the shelving unit. At this point, the unit should be solid. Set it in place so you can attach it to the garage's wall studs for safety’s sake.

4. Attach 2-by-4s across the inside of the narrow ends of the storage shelf's frame where you plan to set the shelves. Use at least two screws in each end of the board to provide a secure base for the shelves. Make sure each board is level with its counterpart on the other end of the shelf. If you want extra support, add 2-by-4s across the front and back of the garage shelves as well. Use at least two screws in the end of each one to attach the longer support pieces.

5. Measure inside the frame for the shelves. Using your measurements, cut pieces out of 1/2-inch plywood to make shelves to fit inside the frame. Use a circular saw to cut the plywood. Particleboard is another option, but plywood typically lasts longer and is less likely to warp. Choose plywood that has a minimum number of knots and defects in it, as they can affect the stability of the plywood sheet.

6. Drill pilot holes through the plywood shelves so you can screw them in place. Connect the screws through the plywood and into the shelf braces you installed earlier. Put at least four screws on each side of each shelf. It’s easier if you start with the lowest shelf and work your way up.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are storing extremely heavy items on the shelves, add extra bracing for the shelves at the same time you add the shelf holders.

• Always use at least two screws in every joint. If the garage shelves are longer than 4 feet, or if you are storing extra heavy items, consider adding more screws to give your shelving extra strength.

References

• Natural Handyman: Heavy Duty Garage and Basement Storage
• Home Shelving Guide: Building Storage Shelves