Do-it-Yourself Garage Storage Cabinets

Considerations

• Your choice of garage cabinet plans will depend on the size of what you want to store. With smaller items such as tools, nails and other building supplies, you'll need to build cabinets with lots of shelving. If you need to store larger items such as bikes, winter equipment and camping gear, you may want to stick with larger units that don't have many shelves. No matter which plans you choose for your cabinets, purchase top-quality materials, which will make the finished product sturdy and longer lasting. The best materials for garage cabinet designs are wood, metal and plastic.

Types of Storage Cabinets

• You can choose from free-standing or mountable cabinets, depending upon the layout of your garage. Mounted cabinets are easily removed in case you sell your home and easy to sweep under. Mounting your cabinets will also prevent them from absorbing moisture from the floor, but they can't store as much weight. If you do need to store heavy items that normal cabinets won't hold, consider heavy-duty cabinets with stainless-steel handles and hinges that offer a 110-degree swing to load heavy items in and out.

Preparation

• Start by taking everything out of the garage, and decide what to keep, toss, donate or recycle. Next, sort by type the belongings you'll keep, putting sports gear in one pile, gardening in another, children's toys in another. Then study each pile to help understand your storage needs. Once you've decided the purpose of your garage cabinets, you can measure the space to develop your plans, and either create them from scratch, or if you're fairly new to garage cabinet plans, look online or at the local library or bookstore for ready-made plans. If you're on a budget, check with your local building salvage yards or find someone who is renovating their kitchen---kitchen cabinets can make great garage storage units.

Building Storage Cabinets

• To build a basic storage unit, cut 5/8-inch plywood for shelves to the desired depth. Next, cut two pieces 6 inches wider than the shelves for the top and the bottom of the unit, and then cut side pieces to the desired height and width. Build a frame for the bottom base and top, using 1x3s spaced 2 feet apart and nailed together. Once the frame is in place, lay down the bottom base and nail it to the frame. You'll attach it to the wall with a screw gun at the desired height, then screw the side piece from the outside to stabilize the unit. Repeat for each inner shelf and the top piece. Last, install 1x3s as vertical supports in the front of the unit 2 to 4 feet apart.