DIY Wood Storage Solutions for the Garage Ceiling and Walls

Wall Storage

• 1

  Purchase a 3/4-inch-thick section of plywood for your shelves. Your local lumberyard or home improvement store can cut the wood to the specified width and height. You can also purchase wooden shelves, though this might be more expensive; and since the shelves will go in the garage, it’s not necessary to buy finished shelves. Plywood comes in wide strips, so you can make your shelves as wide as you need, which works well for garage storage since many of the items stored in a garage are large and heavy.

• 2

  Choose a spot in your garage for the shelves.

• 3

  Use a level to draw a straight line across the mounting area for each shelf.

• 4

  Locate the wall studs with a stud finder. These areas will be stronger and hold screws better. Wall studs are about 16 to 24 inches apart; so once you find one, you should be able to find the others easily. Mark the wall studs with a pencil.

• 5

  Place the top of a shelf bracket at the stud location and draw an X in that area.

• 6

  Drill pilot holes into the wall stud where you marked the X. Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw.

• 7

  Place the bracket back onto the wall and screw it in place at the pilot holes.

• 8

  Add at least one more bracket on the other side of the shelf. If you’re installing a long shelf that covers most of the wall space, place one or more brackets in the middle of the shelf to support its span.

• 9

  Place the plywood shelf on top of the brackets.

• 10

  Screw the plywood to the brackets if they come with holes to do so. In some cases, it’s fine to simply lay the plywood on top of the brackets; but if you’re placing the shelves near the ceiling, attaching the plywood to the brackets ensures a stable installation. Attaching the plywood to the brackets or walls is also necessary in earthquake-prone areas.

Ceiling Storage

• 11

  Create two squares with eight 2x4s. Use an electric screwdriver to attach the four pieces together. Either have someone help you hold the pieces together as you screw them in or glue them together with wood glue first.

• 12

  Determine where you want your ceiling shelf to go. Climb up on a ladder and use a stud finder to locate the ceiling joists then mark them with an X, along with the area where you want the sides of the ceiling shelf to go. This is where you'll attach the 2x4s. Bring your lumber squares up to the ceiling and screw one of the sides into the ceiling joists. Take the other lumber square and screw it to the ceiling joists you marked for the other side of the shelf.

• 13

  Take your plywood piece of shelving and place it over the installed 2x4s. Attach the plywood to the 2x4s with the electric screwdriver and screws. Use a thick section of plywood for heavy loads. Check the lumberyard's specifications to determine how much weight your chosen plywood piece can hold.