Most people think of the garage as a place where they could park their vehicles inside for safety. While it is true that many garages were created for this purpose, garages also serve another important role in our homes that only a few people know and fewer people appreciate. Garages are also storage spaces where families could keep things ranging from instruments to tools for future use.
To make sure that they are fit for the ing various stuff, shelves are often used in garages to store items and maximize space, which helps people store more items in their homes. While it is possible to purchase shelves and cabinets for garages, some people prefer making their shelves instead of using whatever materials they could find. This article will outline the materials that people often use for DIY shelves in garages.
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Wood (Plywood, Oak, Maple)
When it comes to brainstorming garage organization ideas as well as other DIY ideas, wood is often the most popular material used for these kinds of projects and a good reason. For one, there are different varieties of wood that you can choose from, ranging from hardwood such as oak and maple to softwoods such as plywood, pine, and chip wood. Aside from this, wood is a durable material that is easy to work and customize, with several design ideas that anyone could try. Because of these characteristics, wood is a material that is often chosen to make DIY shelves for garages.
Depending on the type of wood and the kind of shelf design that will be created using this material, wooden shelves could carry light and medium-weight items as well as some heavy ones. Woodwork is also relatively easy to do when it comes to garage shelves as it requires fewer tools to do. From hanging shelves to spacious cabinets, it is possible to make a lot of shelf designs using wood.
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Metal/Wire
Metal (especially steel), as well as wire, are also well-known materials for DIY garage shelves because of their ability to hold heavy-weight items. From tools to sports equipment, it is possible to store a lot of things in various shapes and sizes using metal and wire shelves without the fear of them breaking apart. Unlike wood, which is a brittle material that breaks when excessive load is put into it, metal and wire are more flexible materials that will not snap easily when overloaded with materials. As a material, metal is also non-porous, which makes metal shelves easier to clean than wooden ones since they will not absorb anything, whether solid or liquid. While metal shelves could be used to store heavy-duty equipment, wire shelves, especially those made from steel and chromium mesh, could provide the same strength without the weight. Wire shelves could be used to make DIY bins, cans, and boxes. Wire shelves are also freestanding compared to metal shelves and could be mounted on either ceilings or walls.
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Glass
For some people, the glass may not seem a great option for making DIY shelves, as they are heavy just like metal, and brittle just like wood. But if you are looking for an attractive material that you can use for making DIY shelves for your garage, then you may choose to work with glass for this project. With glass, it is possible to create elegant designs on the surface although this could also be done on other materials, such as wood, metal, and wire. Nevertheless, some workshops and DIY stores provide pre-cut glass that could either be used on its own or as part of a shelving kit. Glass is mostly used to create shelves that could be mounted on walls and even ceilings although they could also be used to create other shelf designs for garages. Glass shelves are often used to store light to medium-weight items and it is not advisable to use an ordinary glass for making DIY shelves for garages or any parts of the home.
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Plastic
Plastic is another material that most people do not use when creating DIY shelves, but this material is another good option that you can try if you only have light to medium-weight items that you will store in your garage. Unlike the other materials mentioned in this article (except for wire) plastic is a lightweight material that is easy to carry, which makes plastic shelves easy to move around when you are cleaning around your garage. For the most part, plastic is a popular material for creating free-standing shelves that could be placed on any part of the garage.
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Adjustable Rail Shelves
Adjusted rail shelves are special types of shelves that could either be bought or crafted using different materials, mostly steel and wire. Because of the vertical tracks installed in the wall, adjustable rail shelves are flexible in adjusting the height between platforms to create a wider or narrower gap between them. These shelves could hold light, medium, and even heavy-weight materials as long as the welded metal is used as the material for the brackets.
Conclusion
The garage in your homes is more than just a parking space for your cars, as it could provide you with space where you could store things that you don’t always use, such as tools, sports equipment, and much more. When buying a shelf for your garage is not an option, you can always look for DIY ideas on the Internet for creating shelves that are both spacious, durable, and functional. There are a lot of materials that you can use for this purpose, each with its features and advantages. Just like anything that involves creativity, the only limit there is in making DIY shelves for your garage is your imagination.
