Mezzanine vs Shelves

[CBOT]

Hey there!

Our 40x50 shop is finally finished. Now that I am moving stuff in I’m trying to decide if I should build a mezzanine or just put up some shelves? Anyone out there who did one and wishes they’d done the other? If I go the mezzanine route it would probably be 10x20.

Thanks!

 

[alex2929]

what is the ceiling height? If you could utilize the space above and below a mezzanine/loft seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[u2slow]

I need both shelves and mezzanine. Finally have a bit of both.

IMHO, shelves have limited usefulness beyond 2' deep.

 

[finn]

I have one garage, 32x54 with attic trusses and a pull down staircase. Waste of money. It just collects junk.

The shop has a Mez over the boiler / compressor room. It’s a little handier, since it’s only 8’ or so to the top., so it’s easier to reach with a ladder. I can’t really fit a staircase because of the door layout, plus, fixed stairs steal floor space.

That shop also has 32’ of shelving, in the corners, about a foot or 16” deep, plus 2’ deep shelves along one wall in the boiler room.

I prefer the shelving hands down.

 

[CBOT]

Walls are 16’. I figure I’ll be able to put the mezzanine in the back corner at 9’ to 10’ high. That way its lowest clearance point is going to be around 5’ up there next to the wall, then opens up with the pitch of the roof. Sounding like a mezzanine is the way to go. Then shelves if needed.

 

[CBOT]

I’d put stairs to get up to it.

 

[gutted72]

I had the same decision to make when my shop got done. I elected to go with the mezzanine. 10' wide x 30' long. My wall height is only 13'6" and the bottom of the mezzanine is 8' from the floor, I do have to duck when I'm walking around up there but since I'm short I don't have to duck much.

Plus if you need some shelves, you can put up some pallet racks, they will hold anything

 

[CBOT]

Thats awesome thank you all for your input!

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'll second the suggestion of "atleast" considering some pallet racking. You can also incorporate the lower shelf into the work bench.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I have one garage, 32x54 with attic trusses and a pull down staircase. Waste of money. It just collects junk...

You need to ground that garage and staircase like they were teenagers. Don’t let them leave your property or have the key to any of your vehicles or other equipment. That should stop them from collecting junk. You own that space, you get to decide what goes there!

 

[finn]

You need to ground that garage and staircase like they were teenagers. Don’t let them leave your property or have the key to any of your vehicles or other equipment. That should stop them from collecting junk. You own that space, you get to decide what goes there!

That’s why I no longer use it. It’s essentially useless space, in my opinion. I would never recommend spending money on Storage trusses.

similarly, stairs to a mezzanine take up valuable floor space, negating some of the benefits. The small Mezzanine over my boiler /compressor room is ok for storing sheet metal for my 36 Ford project. Stuff that is work in progress, but not needed immediately,and it’s low enough at about 8’ that access isn’t bad.

still, pallet racking and fixed shelves, preferably most with doors, is most useful.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

21’ of the 48’ length of mine is storage trusses. I designed it that way specifically to store parts of my projects- like my ‘28 Model A RPU- out of harm’s way without taking up useful space on the working floor. It currently is holding the doors, fenders, and radiators as I prepare to begin reassembly. As for stairs- even to a mezzanine- taking up floor space, just add another 4’ to that dimension in the planning stage. I am able to place my lathe and milling machine under the stairs to my loft.

 

[cannuck]

When I build storage areas I design to have mezzanine space, and use it all. Outside of my heated shop (26 x 39w) I have an 1,100 sq.ft. unheated space (20 x 55w) that is covered by a tensioned fabric "roof" The center bay aligns with my shop door and has a manual overhead crane over its 16' wide area and mezzanines full length 12' deep where long term stuff gets stored (karts off season, some totes, seasonal stuff, etc.). I also have a storage shelter on our farm that uses 2 x 40 high cube sea cans as "mezzanine" space and a 20 x 40 floor space covered with an overhead crane, again with a tensioned fabric cover.

After a half century of accumulating stuff I can tell you one NEVER has enough storage space, so I make absolute full use of every option I can work out.

In both cases, I have both mezzanine AND shelving on every available square foot.

 

[u2slow]

Pallet-racking is great if you can get the right sizes, pieces, and it's all the same system. Then that lower workbench thing works awesome. We were setup like that at a shop I worked at. However, finding the stuff now at good prices, and transporting 18-20' frames have been roadblocks. I'm using scaffolding and whatever I can build with lumber (new or used).

I don't mind a ladder to a mezzanine. It helps if you can also rig up a pulley-lift or similar for things you can't pack up/down the ladder yourself.

 

[ycgoat]

I have been dwelling on that same choice. My concerns with a mezzanine; low head room below it, I do not want a post in the open floor area. My concerns with the pallet racks are they stick out and limit my parking space.

 

[u2slow]

For my mezzanine height, I worked with being able to still walk under the main beam with a light fixture screwed to it. Post is placed near my 2 post lift column so it's not in the way.

Pallet rack comes in different depths... 2', 3', 4'. If you spend the time, and can weld, you can narrow the wide stuff. I could not find any 2' depth so I built something similar out of lumber.

 

[finn]

When I build storage areas I design to have mezzanine space, and use it all. Outside of my heated shop (26 x 39w) I have an 1,100 sq.ft. unheated space (20 x 55w) that is covered by a tensioned fabric "roof" The center bay aligns with my shop door and has a manual overhead crane over its 16' wide area and mezzanines full length 12' deep where long term stuff gets stored (karts off season, some totes, seasonal stuff, etc.). I also have a storage shelter on our farm that uses 2 x 40 high cube sea cans as "mezzanine" space and a 20 x 40 floor space covered with an overhead crane, again with a tensioned fabric cover.

After a half century of accumulating stuff I can tell you one NEVER has enough storage space, so I make absolute full use of every option I can work out.

In both cases, I have both mezzanine AND shelving on every available square foot.

You point out exactly what I was talking about: half a century accumulating stuff. Stuff that your kids will be bringing to the transfer station in a few years.

Storing projects that you are working on , or. are next in queue is one thing, but storing things for fifty years is... (hoarding), and you’re never going to have enough space.

Now, if only I could drum up the gumption to throw away those 1961 soap box derby wheels my wife’s uncle gave to me twenty five years ago and I keep tripping over and moving around!

 

[nadogail]

I have been dwelling on that same choice. My concerns with a mezzanine; low head room below it, I do not want a post in the open floor area. My concerns with the pallet racks are they stick out and limit my parking space.

The solution to your problem is pretty simple, Get A Bigger Garage.

 

[cannuck]

Tools, production tooling, jigs, fixtures, sub-assemblies, hobby stuff, that kind of thing. Very little that I haven't got a need for and 5 grandsons, some of whom will no doubt take over some of the stuff. Eldest is already pretty handy with many large tools.

 

[IPACA9]

Check out my post on my mezzanine for my 30x40 building. Maybe take some ideas from that.

 

[Ron_J]

I don't care to have a lot of shelves. I decided on one rack of shelves for stuff I need on a fairly regular basis and a loft for the seasonal stuff that I may only need to get to once a year.

So far I'm real happy with the loft.

 

[ycgoat]

The solution to your problem is pretty simple, Get A Bigger Garage.

LOL, I just put in a 30'x80', 4 bay which was all I could afford.