Garage Organization: Finding Space on High

I have enough camping gear in my garage to start my own REI store. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve my garage organization and storage. One of the most successful was this high shelf, which runs along two entire sides of the garage, a couple of feet below the ceiling. It’s pretty simple: 2x4s and ½-in. strand board, 24 in. wide, nailed together and nailed to the wall studs. To prevent sagging, the outside edge is attached to the rafters every 8 ft. or so with a length of chain and an eye bolt. I built the shelf in sections, installed each independently (with my son’s help), and spliced them together with short lengths of 2×4 underneath. The whole shooting match took only a Saturday morning to build and install, once I’d cleared away enough stuff to work.

I keep a stepladder handy for getting things on and off my high shelf, but even with the ladder, it can be precarious putting larger or heavy things up there. Even restricting it to lightweight stuff, though, I managed to fill it up pretty darn fast!

— Ken Collier, Editor in Chief

For more great ideas for garage organization, check out these links:

Easy Garage Storage Solutions

Build a Garage Storage Wall