Need help suspending platforms from corrugated metal (storage unit)

[Jameyleigh12]

Hey ya'll. Im in the process of making suspended platforms for my storage unit (corrugated metal). I feel like I'm the only person to have ever wanted to do this. Which is crazy to me!! I made a whole canopy situation/raised bridge out of wood in my last unit and the legs had to ne in the middle of the unit...so they were in the way all the time. So i decided to make a suspended one this time, BUT....im not supposed to put holes in the unit (even tho i will def have to make a few). What shud i put into the metal to hold the chains that hold the platform-that holds my totes?!
*idea 1: make the smallest holes possible to get a toggle bolt thru the metal and have an eyebolt instead of the bolt thats normally attached to the toggle?
*idea 2: hallow wall anchors?
☆Ps-ive attached a photo of my old storage unit thing i wax talking about above....its really hard to see it tho..

Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED! thanks n happy 4th
-Jamey*Leigh

 

[PugetDude]

Corrugated metal in a self-storage unit is NOT engineered to hold suspended shelving. It's typically 29 gauge cold-rolled galvanized, too thin to hold a screw or support any appreciable load. Most are engineered to the ragged edge to start with; it's a cutthroat business.
Anything you screw into it will compromise the weather tightness and/or the adjacent units. Not what you wanted to hear but the fact is you shouldn't be attaching anything to the walls or ceilings of a rental storage unit. Build freestanding shelving if you need stacked storage.

 

[Kev In]

Can you mig weld an anchor or a eye hook to the ceiling? You can then hang your chain off them for your platform. Another option would be to make some custom shelving that doesn’t have a support leg in the middle.

 

[Jameyleigh12]

What do u mean 'custom shelving without a support leg?' Bc if i cant builf anything off of the storage unit walls (bc it wont support any extra weight some1 said)....then no matter what i build....will have the dreaded legs. Im attaching pix of inside my unit.

 

[Jameyleigh12]

Corrugated metal in a self-storage unit is NOT engineered to hold suspended shelving. It's typically 29 gauge cold-rolled galvanized, too thin to hold a screw or support any appreciable load. Most are engineered to the ragged edge to start with; it's a cutthroat business.
Anything you screw into it will compromise the weather tightness and/or the adjacent units. Not what you wanted to hear but the fact is you shouldn't be attaching anything to the walls or ceilings of a rental storage unit. Build freestanding shelving if you need stacked storage.

I understand. Thank you for the information

 

[readhead]

Having two threads for the same question isn’t helpful.

 

[danski0224]

You could use beam clamps and threaded rod to suspend stuff with Unistrut and other hardware.

That stuff isn't exactly cheap at retail stores.

Then there is the issue of being responsible and not putting too much additional weight on the structure.

Free standing shelving eliminates these problems.

 

[joe49]

Info? shelf dimensions? height? number? weight expected? One side or both?

 

[Garage Junkie]

Before you go too far attaching anything, please dig out your contract and read it to see if there is a clause specifically forbidding attaching anything to the walls, roof, or framing. I would not be surprised if you found out that it is not allowed by contract. In that case, anything you do attach you run the risk of defaulting on the agreement and getting thrown out.

That framing is pretty light and spaced out pretty far, I wouldn't hang much from it. You may not like legs, but there are many options that won't consume much floor space.

 

[budget76]

not trying to be a jerk, but the "stuff" people pay hundreds of dollars a year to store always amazes me. Temporarily between moves I get it, but how long are you storing this stuff to want to actually modify the unit? And what's it costing you to keep vs replacing it on Craigslist in 5 years when you think you need it

 

[Jameyleigh12]

Having two threads for the same question isn’t helpful.

Hey ya'll. Im in the process of making suspended platforms for my storage unit (corrugated metal). I feel like I'm the only person to have ever wanted to do this. Which is crazy to me!! I made a whole canopy situation/raised bridge out of wood in my last unit and the legs had to ne in the middle of the unit...so they were in the way all the time. So i decided to make a suspended one this time, BUT....im not supposed to put holes in the unit (even tho i will def have to make a few). What shud i put into the metal to hold the chains that hold the platform-that holds my totes?!
*idea 1: make the smallest holes possible to get a toggle bolt thru the metal and have an eyebolt instead of the bolt thats normally attached to the toggle?
*idea 2: hallow wall anchors?
☆Ps-ive attached a photo of my old storage unit thing i wax talking about above....its really hard to see it tho..

Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED! thanks n happy 4th
-Jamey*Leigh

Alright guys...I get it. Didn't know that I could compromise the structure. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Jameyleigh12]

not trying to be a jerk, but the "stuff" people pay hundreds of dollars a year to store always amazes me. Temporarily between moves I get it, but how long are you storing this stuff to want to actually modify the unit? And what's it costing you to keep vs replacing it on Craigslist in 5 years when you think you need it

I sell online and need to store alot of furniture. I keep having to go bigger and bigger. I currently pay $315/month....which is insane! They up the rent every 2 months. I wish there was another option, but there isn't

 

[Jameyleigh12]

Having two threads for the same question isn’t helpful.

sorry for being new to the site and not publishing my question in the correct forum the 1st time around. it won't happen again

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I'm in the self storage business; unless the facility has a poorly written lease, what you're wanting to do is not usually permitted. Also, if you're getting a rate increase every 2 months, you might wan to go to an independently owned facility, not a corporate owned facility (Public Storage, Extra Space, Cube Smart, etc).

 

[RV1202]

Basically, you need an anchor that has a large surface area to keep the anchor from falling out of the wall as the item being hung (your platform) pulls on it. One option is to just drive sheet metal screws into the platform itself, so that the heads of the screws are embedded in the platform. You would then use the sheet metal screws to hold the chain of the platform to the wall. This requires you to actually put holes in the platform, but those holes will be hidden by the chain, so all you need to do is cover them up with a nail when you are done. The chain will have holes, but you could also just use links between the chain that are hidden from view when it is attached to the platform (remember, you will have to put holes in the chain).

 

[cvairwerks]

I use cut down pallet rack verticals with the correct length crossbars in mine. A pair of 8 foot verticals, and a pair of 9 foot cross bars works well to span the width of a 10 foot wide unit.

 

[driftpin]

Save yourself the trouble and use some sort of free-standing shelving. Gladiator makes some sturdy shelving 4 shelves, max 8,000 lbs evenly-distributed, for the long ones. They come in various lengths and depths. I have a bunch of it in my typical urban 2 car attached garage. The shelving uses welded wire for the storage surface, I put down a piece of masonite on-top of the wire rack shelf to make it easy to slide things on/off. I checked the Gladiator website, they now offer 90" x 90" x 24" racks. They aren't cheap.

90" x 90" Heavy Duty Mega Rack with Four Adjustable Shelves

Tool-free snap and lock assembly Exceptional strength with 8,000 lbs total weight capacity Four adjustable shelves each hold up to 2,000 lbs 90" wide x 90" ...

www.gladiatorgarageworks.com

As cvairwerks mentioned, you can get pallet racking nearly anywhere that would serve the purpose. You are gonna be unhappy if they discover you're drilling holes in the structure.