It gets challenging to organise stuff in a cluttered garage, where things like tools and supplies cannot be easily accessed.
If you have a garage at your place, you’d be aware of the plenty of space it offers when you think about storing stuff. There are several types of garage storage solutions in the market; however, shelving is one of the most pocket-friendly and reliable. Are you getting frustrated by your clutter and garage organisation? Here at Garage Storage Solutions, we offer extensive professional organising and declutter service.
Benefits Of Using Metal Garage Storage Shelves
For any garage, heavy-duty metal shelving is very popular for storing different stuff.
Since these metal shelving units come in various styles and sizes, you will be able to keep your stuff on the racks with ease.
From convenience to visibility, a metal garage storage shelf makes sure all your items are kept in an orderly manner. You can also store your kid’s toys in the garage and make sure to get rid of the clutter.
If you are thinking about increasing your garage storage with metal shelves, here are the ten advantages.
Visibility
A garage acts as a multipurpose storage option. Not only does it keep your vehicle safe, but it also provides a safe place for other useful items in a house.
To help it stay neat and clean, it is essential to add a few storage units. One of the greatest ways to create more room for space is by using shelving units.
If you compare steel storage shelves to other options, the former allows you to store goods so that you can find them more quickly.
The other option may become cluttered after a while, but metal shelves will help you arrange stuff more efficiently.
Safe Storage
Delicate items require a place better than the floor when it comes to keeping your stuff. Therefore, steel shelves are among the most durable options that can be added to a garage.
These provide resistance to damage and corrosion for both shelving and the goods you have kept on the shelf.
The most common usage for these shelves is to store more delicate products like electronics or small parts that shouldn’t be kept in a storage cabinet.
Durability
Metal garage storage shelves are very beneficial when it comes to durability. Now, this also implies the stuff we store on these shelves.
Since a garage is an active area when it comes to keeping your vehicle and other important stuff, it becomes crucial that the things remain intact in the garage safely.
This can only be achieved if the garage organisation shelves are durable and can withstand abuse if a vehicle gets knocked into it accidentally.
Metal shelving units are designed to keep this in mind; therefore, there is no need for significant repairs or replacement.
In addition to this, shelves to be installed in a garage are coated with a layer of paint to avoid the effects of corrosion.
Not only that but metal racks or shelves are also a great way to save your stuff from getting attacked by termites and other pets.
Resist Temperature Changes
In addition to the durability, metal wire racks and shelves can also withstand different temperature differences. This also makes them an ideal candidate when it comes to storing things inside the garage.
If you compare them to wooden racks or cabinets, the latter may expand and contract when it comes to the change in the temperature, but you won’t see any change in the metal shelving units.
Customisation
One of the biggest advantages of using steel shelves comes with the ease of customisation.
These can be expanded to increase their storage capacity by providing additional units and extra shelves. In addition, it allows the frames to become more useful and versatile.
Apart from that, you can also remove the shelves if you require only a little space to store the important stuff inside your garage.
Keeps Everything Organised
Too much stuff in your garage will only clutter it more with time. However, with the help of metal garage storage shelves, it becomes easy to stay organised when you are provided with plenty of shelving units.
When every item in your garage is in place, you won’t have to pile up the stuff. It also becomes easy to put the property back to where it belongs. With several metal garage storage shelves, your garage will look more organised.
Saves Space
The biggest benefit of installing metal garage storage shelves is that it helps save a lot of space.
Since anything that takes a lot of space inside the house somehow finds its way to the garage, these heavy-duty shelves can quickly help you save space inside the garage.
Different tools and boxes can be kept on the flat surface, which will help clear the floor area.
Store Heavier Items
Perfect for bulky items, heavy-duty shelves help save a lot of space with ease. If you have stored your bulky electronic items in the garage, it is vital to keep them alleviated.
Nothing works better than a metal shelf, which can easily be customised to adjust heavy or bulky items.
More Space For Comfortable Parking
When your garage is cluttered, you will find it challenging to make enough room for your vehicle.
Installing or keeping storage racks and shelves will help you make more space to park your car comfortably.
With these shelves, you will successfully remove objects from the floor, giving ample space to keep your vehicle from hitting things in the way.
Ceiling Shelves Ensure More Room
Make use of the ceiling to store essential items with the help of a ceiling shelf. These help keep important things off the garage floor so that you can park your car with ease. Apart from that, if your garage gets flooded easily, this storage unit will help keep the important stuff dry and safe.
Factors To Be Considered While Buying Metal Garage Storage Shelves
Metal shelves can hold a hefty load and typically come in a variety of sizes. Another advantage of metal shelving is that it is easy to clean since metal absorbs paint or chemicals in case anything gets spilled.
Most of the time, shelving units made up of metal come with a coat of black paint, which helps protect the shelve from damage and rust.
A solid metal shelf works great for heavy-duty equipment, while a wire shelf will offer space without strength.
The wire shelves are made up of a metal mesh connected to form a sturdy net. While storing tools, make sure they are kept in a box or container before storing them on the wire shelf to not fall through the gaps.
Before choosing a shelving unit for your garage, consider how much storage space you need, how much room in your garage you have, and how much time you want to spend on installation.
Once you’ve selected a shelving material, decide whether you want freestanding or mounted shelves and, if the latter, how they’ll be attached to the wall or ceiling. Then carefully measure the intended space and learn how to install them.
Mount Type
The three most popular and functional styles of garage shelving are freestanding, wall-mounted, and ceiling-mounted.
Freestanding units provide flexibility and mobility since they are not attached to any surface but can also take up valuable floor space and get in the way of other functions (like parking your car). They are typically made of wood, metal, or a combination of both.
Wall-mounted shelves are fixed into studs (vertical structural beams) at regular intervals using metal brackets. The metal, wire, or wooden frame is fitted onto this bracket for maximum stability and strength.
Ceiling-mounted shelves are fixed into ceiling studs using long, adjustable metal brackets and are ideal for storing seasonal items and equipment you use more occasionally out of the way.
Welded steel construction can provide safe and reliable storage (up to 600 pounds of weight). Access these shelves using a ladder or step stool.
Dimensions
Everybody’s storage space is different. However, there are a couple of things for you to keep in mind.
A wall-mounted shelf should range between twelve inches deep to hold small items like hand tools and can. On the other hand, items such as large boxes should be kept on a shelf at least sixteen inches deep.
To access the things on the shelves conveniently, make sure they aren’t that deep, which will make it difficult for you to look for items. Look for at least a two or three-foot deeper unit when it comes to ceiling-mounted shelves.
A shelf’s length can vary depending upon a person’s requirement. Therefore, make sure you know where you want to keep the rack/frame before purchasing or even while building a DIY unit.
Capacity
When it comes to bearing the weight of an object, a garage organisation unit or shelf should at least be able to take the maximum weight.
If your space has many things to store, you need to buy multiple shelves so that you do not burden a single frame.
Capacity matters the most in terms of a ceiling or wall-mounted shelf. If the weight of the stuff is too much, the frames may not withstand the pressure and pull away from the wall or ceiling, causing damage.
You’ll want to purchase a shelving unit that fits your storage needs. For example, if you have only a few tools and supplies to store, a single wall- or ceiling-mounted shelf should provide enough space.
However, if you need to store various items, you may want to invest in several shelves or cabinets. Complete your garage organisation plan by getting your gear off the floor with Garage Storage Solutions’ smart shelving and basket storage.
Installation
Simple assembly is required when it comes to a freestanding shelf. You have to keep it in a particular place and start organising your stuff without installing anything.
With ceiling and wall shelves, you need to be a little extra careful. These require a to be positioned into stud and beans that serve as the support. Wall studs are placed at an interval and usually run from the floor to the ceiling. You will have to follow the instructions in the manual to install the shelves carefully. The ceiling units should be adjustable. It will help you store the stuff as per your needs.
While all shelving units will require some assembly, consider the additional installation time that wall- and ceiling-mounted models need before making a final purchasing decision.
If you don’t want to deal with a lengthy installation process, you may want to invest in a freestanding shelving unit.
Material
Garage shelving is typically made of metal or wood. Wall- and ceiling-mounted shelving units are usually made of metal, while freestanding shelves use both types of material.
Wood is more aesthetically pleasing than metal and can be painted if you want a customised look. However, metal is usually more durable and lasts longer than wood.
Types Of Garage Shelves
There are different types of garage shelves. Before buying, you must consider your requirement as well as the space available inside the garage. Here is what you can choose based on your needs.
Wooden Shelving
Wooden shelves are beautiful and sustainable, adding style to your work and storage spaces.
Hardwood shelving like oak and maple is strong and durable. Softwoods such as pine and pressed wood like plywood and chipboard can handle light-duty storage but can warp, buckle, and break under heavy loads.
Freestanding wooden shelving units can be moved fairly easily wherever you need storage. At the same time, wall-mounted shelves are fixed into structural studs via metal brackets and firmly attached to your walls.
If you decide to build your shelving unit from a kit, look for one that comes with all the hardware parts you need, as well as clear instructions; note that lumber may not be included.
Metal And Wire Shelving
Metal (typically steel) shelves can hold heavy loads and come in a variety of sizes. Another advantage to metal shelving is it’s very easy to clean—a non-porous material, metal won’t absorb chemicals or paint in case of a spill.
Metal shelves may come painted black or powder-coated with a protective finish to resist rust and damage.
While solid metal shelves are useful for heavy-duty equipment, wire shelves offer the strength of metal without the weight.
They’re typically steel or chrome mesh: a surface of connected metal strands that form a sturdy grid, web, or net.
These shelves are designed for paint cans, tools, bins, and boxes; make sure any smaller items (loose nails and screws, for example) are inside larger containers before storing them on wire shelves so they won’t fall through the mesh gaps.
Solid metal shelves are often found in freestanding units, as they can be quite heavy to fix directly to the wall. Wire shelves can be freestanding or mounted to walls and ceilings.
Adjustable Rail Shelves
Depending on what you intend to store, you may want the freedom to change the height of your shelves to gain more or less space between tiers.
Adjustable rail shelves offer this flexibility, thanks to vertical metal tracks you install into the wall. These tracks are slotted at equal intervals, with metal brackets designed to be fitted into each slot.
To change the position of your shelf, remove it, move the brackets up or down, and refit your frame at this new height.
Commonly made of steel wire, adjustable shelves can easily hold heavy objects, as long as the brackets are also welded metal.
Freestanding
This type of shelving unit looks similar to a bookcase or cabinet without doors. It requires some assembly and takes up valuable floor space, but it doesn’t mount onto a wall or ceiling, cutting installation time.
These heavy-duty metal shelving storage units provide maximum mobility and flexibility since these aren’t fixed or attached to any surface.
However, these can take a lot of space and may even get in the way of your car while you try to park it inside the garage. Another thing, these sometimes come along with the combination of wooden planks.
Ceiling-mounted
These heavy-duty metal shelving units are fixed into the ceiling using long metal brackets. A ceiling-mounted rack is ideal for storing equipment that needs to be kept out of the way of your vehicle. Apart from being a safe storage space, these provide ample storage if your garage is small.
Ceiling-mounted shelves have brackets that are drilled into your garage’s ceiling studs. This type of shelving saves more space than a wall-mounted unit because it uses ceiling space that wouldn’t normally be used for storage. However, assembly is more difficult than it is with wall-mounted units.
Wall-mounted
A wall-mounted shelf can be fixed into a stud using metal brackets. After that, a frame is fitted on the racks to store the stuff.
The metal brackets are kept at regular intervals so that the stuff’s weight is distributed evenly.
Wall-mounted shelves sit on brackets that are fixed to the studs in your walls, but you can also find frames that work in the absence of studs.
For example, the flex mount unit can be mounted to solid concrete. One benefit of a wall-mounted unit is that it doesn’t take up floor space, but it does require more assembly than other types of garage storage shelving. Can I find garage storage cabinets to match my style? Absolutely! Even the cabinets in the garage should reflect your unique tastes and style. Garage Storage Solutions offers stylish storage in a variety of materials and finishes.