Recommend me a wall hook for overhead shelf support

[jfrey123]

If anyone is in the mood to help a newb, I could use a little advice. I'm taking a lot of GJ inspired reading from the past couple months to rehab my attached two car garage to have better storage (and actually fit two cars!). Got it in my head that I want to add a 2ft deep shelf where garage attaches to house using the cheap 2x4 and plywood frame idea common on here. I want to avoid supporting the front of it from the joists (because of mixed feelings I've read here about overloading what they were designed for). Shelf frame will screw into studs against wall and then use chain rated to 500lb running from higher up the wall to the front of the shelf at a 45 degree angle.

Another lesson I read on GJ was to avoid using open hooks if lifting heavy things overhead. I want my shelves to support everything from Xmas decorations to boxes of old books we want to keep, so I'm now concerned about using regular hooks that screw into the wood to hold my chains. I found these closed loops on Amazon, but at $4 a pop and needing to use about 10, I wanted to try and find a possibly cheaper solution.

So: closed loop wall hook to support overhead shelf under $4. Ideas? Or buy these and be happy?



4-pcs Stainless Steel Wall Mount Hook/Pad Eye (3-inch) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071GP42B1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rlitman]

You can get a forged head lag eye.

Those $4 pad eyes look nice, but they're probably not as strong. If I went that route, I'd also probably mount them canted at a slight angle (say 10 degrees or so). That makes it less likely that the screws will split the stud.

 

[TractorJeff]

Yes I think you are over thinking it.
A lot of porch swings have screw hooks holding them up.
I know of at least 3 swings that have had pretty good loads put on them without stretching out the hooks.
If those stainless hangers are welded on the backside, then maybe yes but I would assume there must be a mild steel version available also?

 

[jfrey123]

Having a helluva time finding closed eye styles of hooks, so my terminology is probably lacking. Forged head eye lag from rlitman is helpful, thanks for that.

Jeff, you're probably right. I know some of the standard hooks and eyes can be rated fairly high load, and seeing that the forged eyes are even more expensive online is driving me to look at them harder. GJ is a great wealth of knowledge, easy to find the "right" way to do things, but my garage also isn't an industrial environment where supporting 1,000's of pounds overhead is going to happen. Thanks for the thought to keep it simple.

 

[rlitman]

I suspect you can get the forged eye lags at the hardware store, but I also suspect they'll be more than $4 each. I know you can get forged eye bolts (not lags) at HD, but again, because these are load rated, they're not cheap.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Much simpler !

18 in. x 16 in. White Heavy Duty Shelf Bracket



Mount the 16" side to a vertical stud. If you place one on each stud it will hold a lot of weight ! Add some extra holes in the vertical brace and use lags. If you are using 3/4" plywood it can overhang 6" no problem it as long as it is properly attached to the brackets.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You can get a forged head lag eye.

Forged lifting eyes do NOT have lag thread. They have regular bolt threads. You would have to drill THROUGH the joist, severely weakening it,



and place a washer and nut on the topic.

 

[rlitman]

Forged lifting eyes do NOT have lag thread. They have regular bolt threads...

Un huh.

 

[jfrey123]

Much simpler !



18 in. x 16 in. White Heavy Duty Shelf Bracket

Agreed these are easier, and have a number of these on the side walls of the garage (this and the thinner flimsier type). I was doing my best to be less wordy in my first post but should have explained that I want to avoid any supports below the intended shelf. Plan is to have pegboard **** right up under the shelves and I don't want to cut and notch every few feet.

....unless people think these would work upside down? I considered it for a moment but figure they weren't intended to be used in a way that gravity is pulling them out of a wall versus pushing into the wall.