Reader Project: Handy Plywood Storage System
Updated: Aug. 18, 2021
My garage is my workshop, and space is tight, especially for squeezing two vehicles in. I used to have plywood sheets and scraps stacked against the wall, and they always had a way of creeping outward, taking up more floor space, especially as more material got added to the pile, or it was sifted through. This outward creep made for even tighter parking space.
The Family Handyman reader Steve Christakis came up with this great storage idea to maximize the limited space in his garage.
For more ideas to organize your garage, click here.
“My garage is my workshop, and space is tight, especially for squeezing two vehicles in. I used to have plywood sheets and scraps stacked against the wall, and they always had a way of creeping outward, taking up more floor space, especially as more material got added to the pile. This outward creep made for even tighter parking space.
There’s about a 4-in.-wide concrete ledge that runs along the wall, a foot or so off the floor. I built a simple 2×4 frame along that ledge, lining up with it, so that it effectively extended that ledge outward to twice the width it was before. This was to form a sort of ‘floor’ for stacking scraps on. I mounted a plywood sheet to the bottom of my new wood ledge using a couple hinges, so that the sheet could swing out and in freely.
I mounted a couple 2x4s to the front the sheet, again using hinges so that they could swing out freely. The plywood sheet now forms a sort of ‘wall’ behind which scrap wood can be stored. When the sheet is in its ‘up’ position, it neatly keeps all the wood in place, while simultaneously hiding it, making for a nicer, cleaner appearance. The sheet can be swung outward, and the 2x4s also swing outward, forming ‘legs’ to hold the sheet in place. This forms a nice V-shape behind the sheet, allowing you to fan the scraps out and easily sift through them to find what you’re looking for. To hold the sheet in place, I came up with a simple contraption made with wood and a hinge, and mounted to the wall, which folds down and prevents the sheet from falling outward. It folds up and out of place when you want to ‘open’ the sheet ‘wall’ up.  Now, there is no more outward creep, my garage looks neater and cleaner, and my parking space is preserved.” — Steve
