How Do You Build Overhead Storage Units For The Garage?

Garage organization instructions usually talk about shelves and cabinets along the walls, but what about all that empty space near the ceiling? With a few common tools and a few dollars' worth of materials, you can build a ceiling rack to hold those bulky items that refuse to fit on ordinary shelves. Cut eight (8) strips of ½-inch plywood three (3) inches wide and 24 inches long. Cut both 2"x4"x8' in half, so that you have four pieces four feet long. Assemble the parts using carpenter's glue and wood screws (for reference, the shank hole of a #8 screw is 11/64" and the pilot hole [in soft wood] is 5/64"). Attach four strips to the outside ends of each pair of 2x4s (see photo). Use a carpenter's square to align the parts correctly. Repeat with two more 2x4s and another four plywood strips. You now have two hangers. Use a stud finder, magnet, or the old "tap until you find a solid spot" method to locate your rafters. You'll want to find three ceiling joists so that you can mount the ...  more