Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s

Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s [1]

Submitted by Ana White [2] on Thu, 2014-09-11 12:01

[1]

Additional Photos

[3]

Page 1 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

[4]

[5]

Thanks so much for watching my newest video on building a 20' long

garage storage shelving unit!

I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed making the video

and the storage unit! It was fun!

Now it's your turn - here's the plans for the project!

Some project notes:

You can make your shelving as long or short as you want.

The span between leg sets can be altered. Mine are about 5'
appart, and it's plenty strong. I'd go wider (6') so that you can
fit three of those giant storage totes per shelf. According to the
Sagulator [6]you can put about 200 pounds on a six foot long
shelf, made of 4 2x4 boards.
You can go taller if you want.
You can add more shelves, at any height.
Make sure you secure to the wall to prevent forward tipping or
racking

I recommend a good self tapping screw so you don't have to predrill any
holes (as I do in the video). Try these [7] for building the "ladder" legs -

Page 2 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

[8]

And you can use something smaller, like these [7], for attaching the
shelving boards to the ladder leg sets -

[9]

Share when you are done with your project, I love seeing how your
projects turn out!

XO Ana

Summary:
Free plans to build garage shelving using only 2x4s. Easy and
inexpensive, but sturdy and functional. Includes video tutorial from
ana-white.com

Page 3 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)
CategoriesProject Type: Storage Woodworking Plans [10]
Bookshelf and Bookcase Plans [11]
Room: Closets [12]
Craftroom [13]
Outdoor [14]
storage and organization [15]
Skill Level: Beginner [16]

Dimensions: 72" tall x 20' long (or desired length)

Page 4 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

2 - 10' long 2x4s PER Leg Support (I had 5 leg supports, so I bought 10)

4 - 2x4 - length of shelf PER SHELF (I bought 16 2x4 @ 20' long because
I had 4 shelves, 20' long each)

2-1/2" self tapping wood screws [9]

Common Materials: 2 1/2 inch screws

Elmer's Wood Glue [17]
Tools:

Page 5 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

[18]

[19]

[20]

Cut List:
PER LEG SUPPORT

2 - 2x4 @ 72"

Page 6 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

4 - 2x4 @ 17"

General Instructions:
Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning
this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section.
Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a
clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight
boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before
attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold.
Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will
not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good
luck!

Page 7 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

[21]

Mark out placement of shelf supports on each of the legs. Attach legs
to shelf supports with 2-1/2" self tapping screws and glue.

Page 8 of 10

Step 1
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)

[22]

Mark out on 4 of the shelf boards the placement of the leg supports.
Attach 2 to top shelf and 2 to bottom shelf with screws. I attached the
outer boards first, flush to the inside of the leg boards. This will create
the basic shape of your shelving unit.

Adjust for square. Then add remaining shelf boards and screw down.

Attach securely to wall to prevent forward tipping or racking.

Finishing InstructionsPreparation Instructions: Fill all holes with

wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed.
When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of
the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to
remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces
as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth. It is always recommended
to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color
evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

Source URL: http://www.ana-white.com/2014/09/free_plans/easy-eco

nomical-garage-shelving-2x4s

Links
[1] http://www.ana-white.com/2014/09/free_plans/easy-economical-gara

Page 9 of 10
 Easy, Economical Garage Shelving from 2x4s
Published on Ana White (http://www.ana-white.com)
ge-shelving-2x4s
[2] http://www.ana-white.com/users/ana-white
[3] http://www.ana-white.com/sites/default/files/diy%20garage%20shelv
ing01_0.jpg
[4] http://www.ana-white.com/sites/default/files/diy%20garage%20shelv
ing03_0.jpg
[5] http://www.ana-white.com/sites/default/files/diy%20garage%20shelv
ing04.jpg
[6] http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm
[7] https://www.amazon.com/SPAX-2in-Unidrive-Coated-Screw/dp/B000I
63A0S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1450106226&sr=8-6&a
mp;keywords=spax+screws&linkCode=ll1&tag=knooffwoo20
-20&linkId=a63b91a562a858072cb60b601b3e292e
[8] http://amzn.to/1QhzQFm
[9] http://amzn.to/1QhzUEY
[10] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/project-type/storage
[11] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/project-type/bookshelves
[12] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/room/closets
[13] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/room/craftroom
[14] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/room/outdoor
[15] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/room/storage-and-organi
zation
[16] http://www.ana-white.com/category/plans/skill-level/beginner
[17] http://elmers.com/diy
[18] https://www.ryobitools.com/power-tools/products/details/537
[19] https://www.ryobitools.com/power-tools/products/details/92
[20] https://www.ryobitools.com/power-tools/products/details/187
[21] http://www.ana-white.com/sites/default/files/diy%20garage%20shel
ving02.jpg
[22] http://www.ana-white.com/sites/default/files/20%27%20long%20ga
rage%20shelving%20step%202.jpg

Page 10 of 10