garage cabinets

[shadowrider509]

has anybody used those unfinished kitchen wall cabinets from lowes in your garage for storage. 36 in wide cabinet for 97.00 just wondering how they would hold up. thought about building my own . Idont think I can build one any cheaper than that.

 

[TurboCup87]

When we remodeled our kitchen, I put the old cabinets in the garage and basement for additional storage. Works great. That was 18 years ago.

 

[Gary S]

Many of the cheaper kitchen cabinets are built from particle board (mdf). It doesn't support the weight that plywood will. In a garage, people tend to load them with lots of iron parts and tools, so I'd make sure you are getting plywood construction, not mdf.

 

[budl]

My lower cabinets are kitchen cabinets salvaged from remodel projects with preformed formica countertops on top. I have had this setup for over 10 yrs and it works great for me, looks nice too. The base cabinets are all pressboard construction and they work fine for me. I don't think I would try to hammer form 1/4" steel with a 5lb sledge on them but for the stuff I do (old car stuff like wiring, soldering, cutting, gluing) they work great. I even have a 4" vise mounted to the countertop, over a cabinet corner of coarse. I painted all cabinet faces gray enamel and scored some orphaned overhead file cabinets designed for office cubicles to mount on the wall above the countertop. My entire investment in 16' of cabinet space is about $160 (didn't count the base cabinets cause I already had them). The overhead files were purchased used at our local Habitat for Humanity store and I got a good price on the preformed, precut countertops from HD because they had a couple of small dings on the edges.

Bud

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Find a cabinet maker in your area. You will be surprised how much better the quality and how the competitive the price is. Check around with some home builders in your area. I guaranty they are not buying cabinets from Lowes.

That said Lowes cabinets will work great in a garage. But as said above. Any kitchen cabinet is going to need some additional support if you planning on over loading them with heavy car parts. Especially anything much over 24 inches

Glen

 

[92GreenYJ]

If you watch for sales, you can get some ready to assemble Gladiator cabinets for around that price or less. That's what I did and I love them.

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

Many of the cheaper kitchen cabinets are built from particle board (mdf). It doesn't support the weight that plywood will. In a garage, people tend to load them with lots of iron parts and tools, so I'd make sure you are getting plywood construction, not mdf.

Particle board and MDF are two different things and both are very strong when used in lieu of plywood.

The downside is screw tear-out and moisture.

I have MDF upper cabs in my garage through-screwed into 2x4 frames top and bottom and it works well.

Kitchen cabs will likely be just fine if they're not exposed to moisture.

 

[Higgins]

Check in with your local Habitat ReUse It Store, as they have used cabinets, and occasionally have metal kitchen cabinets. The St Charles, Geneva cabinets are to kill for and can be picked up at reasonable prices........

AL

 

[gungatim]

you can build a cabinet 36" wide by 12" deep by 18" tall, typical upper cabinet using a single sheet of plywood. No reason you can't slap together one that size for under $75 including hinges and hardware that will be much stronger than a particle board cabinet from a home center. The one in my pic is an example, it holds welding supplies including 6 or 7 rolls of mig wire, guages, arc rods, etc. Probably 150 lbs in that cabinet and has been solid for 5 yrs. now. It is glued together with regular but joints and nailed with a 16ga finish nailer. You can build it and have it hung in an hour...

 

[upndown]

I've picked up various cabinets from CL freebies, Picked up a whole kitchen full one time, we just had to take them down..used what we needed, then gave away the rest on CL freebies..RECYCLE..

 

[Kevin54]

has anybody used those unfinished kitchen wall cabinets from lowes in your garage for storage. 36 in wide cabinet for 97.00 just wondering how they would hold up. thought about building my own . Idont think I can build one any cheaper than that.

A few people on here went to IKEA and got cabinets. One member, and I don't know which one at the moment, put up some gloss gray cabinets that looked great.

 

[Beachside Hank]

I've picked up various cabinets from CL freebies, Picked up a whole kitchen full one time, we just had to take them down..used what we needed, then gave away the rest on CL freebies..RECYCLE..

Way to go! Everybody benefits.

 

[Paul_VR6]

A few people on here went to IKEA and got cabinets. One member, and I don't know which one at the moment, put up some gloss gray cabinets that looked great.

I just bought four 39x24" and going back today for the doors and more shelves. Under $100ea complete w doors and 475lb load per cabinet. Went 24" vs 36" due to weight on the shelves.

Assembly and hanging werent bad alone either.

 

[Gary S]

Particle board and MDF are two different things and both are very strong when used in lieu of plywood.
.

They are both made of waste and glue. As soon as you load them up, the joints let go.
Glues and screws don't hold securely in particles like they do in plywood, so you don't get the durability of plywood.

 

[PECVD2]

I have used these Closetmaid laminated PB for 8 years. I set the shelves where they would best suit my storage needs and used the 1x 2" engineered moulding (setting on top of cabinets) to hold the shelves in place. I used predrilled holes with wood screws to hold the strips of molding. I also later used some OSB to further strengthen the shelves. Seems like I paid about $75 each for these. Not the best by any means but they have worked for me. I put the unfinished 36"x18" cabinets in my wife's garage and they are loaded with her junk and have held up.

 

[pima67]

A few years back Lowes was discontinuing the Coleman cabinets and 3 drawer sets(actually made by Sauder) . Good price so I bought 3 of each. When I assembled them I also used Gorilla glue to assemble the sides, tops and backs to add additional strength. So far they have held together quite well.

 

[Voi]

Our house had those unfinished cabinets throughout the house when we bought it. It was the definition of a fixer upper.

I gave all of the kitchen cabinets to a friend of mine and he did use them in his garage. He did add support so I'm not sure they're worth buying new. They were remarkably low quality and some fell apart when we demoed the kitchen. I saved the face frames and doors from those for myself.

Likewise, I also pulled all of the face frames and doors off of our bathroom vanities and pantry areas and then built my own boxes for them and used them in my garage.

I've seen Ikea cabinets in person and think I'd use those, assuming the price is similar. Otherwise build your own and go frameless and use plywood slabs for doors. Avoid solid wood to save money.

I've even seen shop cabinets built with face frames made from ripped plywood so you don't have to go frameless if you're not comfortable with that.

 

[Paul_VR6]

Done with the fourth and the doors.

Probably going with a row of the shorter ones on the right side once I clean the mess off thr wall.

 

[hendooman]

I put two of the 36's and 2 of the 15's in my garage. If I can get a few years out of them I will be happy. I use them for spray cans, cleaning supplies, and misc. junk. No heavy parts or anything like that. They are working out just fine so far.