Garage Shelving

[autobaun70]

Working on getting my garage a bit more organized, and I need to add shelving in front of one of my cars to get the additional storage I need. These shelves will be 12' wide, and needs to be built so that the hood of the car can be partially under the bottom shelf, aprox 12 span. What size lumber do I need to use for the needed strength here? I am planning on running a 2"x4" cleat along the back of the assembly to serve as the rear edge for each shelf. The shelves will be 2' deep. For the vertical supports on the edge away from the wall, I am planning on using doubled 2"x4"s for each corner. Does this sound sufficient? I am not planning on these holding anything extreemly heavy, just coolers, tents, but over time I am sure the weight will add up.

[240 LTS]

Multiple ways to do this come to mind. Trying to covey it could get wordy or be unclear.

1. Use a two 2x12x12's to span the width. Put them side by side. Attach your 24" side ledger boards to the back one and to your legs. Simple and heavy duty.

2. Use two 1x12x12, same as in #1.

Cut two or three 1x3x the depth of the shelf minus the 2x4 back ledger. Attach them under the shelves, spaced evenly, to tie them together (Keep them flush with each other).

These will not be near as strong as the 2x12x12 therefore a 1x3x12 could be used on the front edge of the outer shelf vertically as an apron to give it more strength. Use 1 5/8" drywall screws to attach them together. You can get course threaded screws also.

3. If there will be multiple shelves, a vertical 1x3x? could be run vertically, attached to the front edge of the shelves, and extended to the ceiling. Attachment at the ceiling could be tricky depending what is there, where the framing is.

Solid anchoring there would be needed to cary the load.

#1 would be quick and take a lot of abuse.

I take it rough framing is OK?

Good luck.

[autobaun70]

I have scheemed up something similar to option 3 that you mentioned above. My plan is to run a 2x4 on the ceiling and either screw it or lag bolt it into each joist, and drop 2 2x4's from it at the 1/3 point from each end. Does that sound sufficient? I would prefer to be able to use 2x4's to do the side to side spans to keep from eating up all of my storage with vertical support.

Edited December 16, 2009 by autobaun70

[240 LTS]

Back to the side by side 2x12x12 only supported on the sides should be fine. No vertical front of shelf supports to get in the way.

[autobaun70]

Back to the side by side 2x12x12 only supported on the sides should be fine. No vertical front of shelf supports to get in the way.

vertical support was a bad description there, what I should have said is that I would like to use 2x4's more to avoid having thick shelves, which would eat up a lot of storage.

[crash1371]

Now you got me thinking 12' long 2' wide if you build 2X4 3 sided box and ad 1/2,5/8,3/4 on top figure out your distance you want between the shelfs come out 18" from the wall where a joist is at the ceiling. It can cantilever that drop a 2X4 down along side you will have to cut the sheetrock the size of the 2X4 nail it to the joist leave 16" above in attic cut a 16" block sit it on the joist and gang nail it,remember if you nail on the left side of the joist do the other the same exact way everything is suspended from the ceiling joist leave that 2X4 long on both ends or each side set your ledgers by leveling from the 2x4 hanging from the joist mark the wall and hang your ledgers on the back wall 12" I would build a 3 sided box 2 sides at 20" 7/8 and a face at 12" slip it up into place level it nail it screw it repeat till all are hung cut off the remainder of you 2x4 hanging down from ceiling joist It can be done with rope chain drilling in the plywood you get the idea