How to Install Shelves in a Garage

Shelves increase storage space and remove clutter from a room. Available in kits that can be easily installed by any do-it-yourselfer, shelves are attached to standards and brackets to help keep things in a room organized and handy. Standards are attached to the wall vertically with screws that are installed into studs. Brackets are then placed in the standards to support shelves. Standards and brackets come in a variety of sizes, and you can choose between lightweight or heavyweight ones, depending on what you want to store. For the shelves, hardwood planks are used in place of pine or other softwoods that sag with time. You can purchase ready-made shelves or cut them to size with a saw.

Stud finder
Tape measure
Safety glasses
Ear plugs
Standards
Drill
2-inch screws
4-foot level
Brackets
Hammer
Hardwood shelves
1-inch wood screws

Instructions

- 1
  Decide which wall in your garage you want to install the shelves on. Use a stud finder to locate studs in the wall. Mark the locations lightly with a pencil, then determine and mark where the top and bottom of each standard will be, keeping the desired distance of the shelves between the floor and ceiling in mind. Make sure the marks are vertically aligned.
- 2
  Determine the distance you want between the standards. The distance depends on what you want to store. For storing heavy objects in a garage, it is best to install three standards that are spaced 30 to 32 inches from one another. Also, make sure the shelves do not overhang more than 6 inches from the sides.
- 3
  Place the first standard over the stud and insert the pencil through the top screw hole to mark its location on the wall. Wear your safety glasses and earplugs to insert a screw with a drill through the top hole to hold the standard in place. Place the 4-foot level next to the standard and adjust the standard until it reads plumb. Mark the locations on the wall with a pencil and insert screws there to hold the standard firmly in place.
- 4
  Attach the remaining standards over the marks on the wall the same way, ensuring they are plumb.
- 5
  Place shelf brackets in the slots provided in each standard. Make sure each pair of brackets is at the same level. Gently tap each bracket with a hammer to secure it in place.
- 6
  Slide each shelf over a set of brackets. Some brackets have a hole in their center or front that you can use to secure the wooden shelf. Insert 1-inch wood screws into the holes to attach them to the shelves securely.

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