Storage suggestions needed

[iatros]

So I have this space available that I would love to use for storing my "occasional use" items. I was thinking maybe some matched plastic bins?

I wanted to throw it out there to tap the GJ geniuses for the most innovative, effective, clean, and of course coooool way to best utilize this space.


It sits right above the garage door opener and spans 80% the width of my small space...

Thoughts?

Thanks for your time!

 

[flybefree]

Iatros, with no budget you could add some soffet lighting, drop down a 110 outlet for easy access and put sliding doors on it for access, made from diamond plate of course...paint to match your plan.

Shaun

 

[Scott McKinley]

I would frame it with 2X4's and then continue the drywall. You will have a nice storage space that will only be seen from the inside of your garage

 

[iatros]

Those do sound good! I think a reasonable budget for this would be < $100.

Any other suggestions?

 

[ChristopherLutz]

I second Scott's suggestion. In fact, I would bring it out far enough so that you could mount your garage door opener to the bottom. That would make for a really clean look.

Also, in my humble opinion, doors are a must. Dust and dirt just seems to get everywhere and anything you can do to control it helps. I'd go with 1/4 inch masonite, on plastic sliding tracks - paint everything white to match your walls, it would virtually disappear - very clean.

 

[Zeke]

The drops to hold the floor of the new storage should be punched angle metal just like the opener tied to the joists above. Fast and easy.

 

[slickgt1]

get plywood, mdf, whatever you can find cheap or someone is trashing completely. Make boxes to fit the area. Account for a sheet of sheetrock on the bottom, or get paint grade ply/mdf. Screw and glue them into place, paint. Add doors when you get a chance/material.

I don't like 2x4s because they eat a ton of space.

 

[nit2wn]

I'd measure it off to see what plastic totes could be fitted up there and then frame it to where it would flush out to the other corner on the right. I'd use some 1/2 plywood and and leave it short enough on the bottom side that you could drywall it later. I'd fab up some doors with straps to limit downward travel. You could used some tool or racing banners to ''hide the area'' too. I saw somewhere on here that someone had a wide print picture put up on some cabinet doors. You could have one printed up of a SR71 Blackbird like it was flying into the room.

 

[gavinkong13]

You will have a nice storage space that will only be seen from the inside of your garage

 

[Wingnut65]

I second Scott's suggestion. In fact, I would bring it out far enough so that you could mount your garage door opener to the bottom. That would make for a really clean look.

+2. Put a vertical support (2x or angles) to a truss directly under the opener to carry the weight. With the door opener mounted to the shelf, you won't have its hangar as an obstacle to always have to work around.

 

[1991Syclone]

Put up some HyLoft shelves and fill them with Rubbermaid bins full of things you rarely use.

 

[Jeff_R]

I would be careful going back about 6-7 feet (that is about how far it looks in the pictures)... some things can be very tough to reach that will inevitably slide that far back. You might only want to go 2 feet and access it only when the door is closed.

 

[iatros]

ChristopherLutz: Yeah, I'm convinced about the doors as well. I hadn't thought of the garage door opener mounted like that. It will definitely be something to look into as I really like that idea.

Milt : I've never worked with punched angle metal before. How much weight can it hold? Is it easy to work with? If so, it's definitely a consideration!

slickgt1 : That's the original idea I had. But after reading some more posts, I think adding some form of recessed lights to the bottom of this new storage area would really help light up the rest of the garage? I don't know how that would be easy with just the boxes?

nit2wn : I'm definitely going to be integrating totes into the design. What do you mean by "doors with straps to limit downward travel."?

gavinkong13 : Your picture attachments didn't work Could you re-attach or fix please?

Wingnut : It would be nice to clean up that opener's install! I'm making it a part of my plans

1991Syclone : I wanted something a little more enclosed to keep the dust and other stuff out. Thanks for the link though!

JeffR : I'm not sure where you mean by 6 feet.. I'll post a pic here to show you what I'm thinking and maybe you can point it out?


Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, and ideas! Here's what I'm formulating in my head with your input. Keep it coming! I plan on starting this project this weekend I hope

 

[Jeff_R]

Ahh... that makes more sense. I thought you were going to build it in the space above the garage door (when the door is open). With where you are planning, you should be able to reach in all the way.

Actually, if you do some "open" type shelving (straps across the garage, spaced about 1-2 feet apart) above the door, you would have space to store ladders and lumber as well.

 

[nit2wn]

You've got what I was talking about drawn pretty much. I was just saying some limiting straps or some thing on downward travel. I then got this idea of finding some junkyard lift gate shocks and going the other way, using them to help open them up. Just an idea. I need to brainstorm my own garage, but waiting on a couple of cheap cabinets I got coming.

 

[JohnMcD348]

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94916

Here's what I did. It's not as finished as you'd like but add a little dry wall and some paint and you've got a pretty functional overhead storage area.

 

[slickgt1]

ChristopherLutz: Yeah, I'm convinced about the doors as well. I hadn't thought of the garage door opener mounted like that. It will definitely be something to look into as I really like that idea.

Milt : I've never worked with punched angle metal before. How much weight can it hold? Is it easy to work with? If so, it's definitely a consideration!

slickgt1 : That's the original idea I had. But after reading some more posts, I think adding some form of recessed lights to the bottom of this new storage area would really help light up the rest of the garage? I don't know how that would be easy with just the boxes?

nit2wn : I'm definitely going to be integrating totes into the design. What do you mean by "doors with straps to limit downward travel."?

gavinkong13 : Your picture attachments didn't work Could you re-attach or fix please?

Wingnut : It would be nice to clean up that opener's install! I'm making it a part of my plans

1991Syclone : I wanted something a little more enclosed to keep the dust and other stuff out. Thanks for the link though!

JeffR : I'm not sure where you mean by 6 feet.. I'll post a pic here to show you what I'm thinking and maybe you can point it out?


Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, and ideas! Here's what I'm formulating in my head with your input. Keep it coming! I plan on starting this project this weekend I hope

Yea there is an easy solution to that. You can buy those 3/4" lights counter LED lights, you double the ply on the bottom. Or as I initially stated, your bottom is ply, then 5/8" sheetrock, you drill 2" by 1" holes, a channel in the ply for the low voltage wires, and you are done. I will show you some pics of what I did in my kitchen so that you can understand it better.

 

[iatros]

Slick, I'd love to see some pics!

 

[slickgt1]

OMG. I am sorry I forgot to take pics. Let me check my archives, maybe I have some from before. I'll post back shortly.

 

[slickgt1]

Ok here is the idea. This is not exactly what I mean, but similar process. The lights in here are 4". You will need to make a box similar to this, but the front open/doors. The bottom where the lights go in is double plywood. It has channels in both pieces for the wires to jump from one light to the next, and an area to hide slack. Bore/Drill out holes for the lights in the bottom ply, connect, and push them in place.

The lights that you need are something like this.
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/und...isku=2334947&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage

I suggest getting LED and not halogen because the halogen give off a lot of head through the bulb, and in time will make dark rings around the fixture. The led, never get warm enough to do anything.

They are a bit expensive on this site if you ask me, so look around. When my supplier gets these in, I get the LED ones for $15. Every 3, I get free transformer. With LED, you can connect like 15 of these to one transformer.

BTW, that cabinet in the corner was not designed by me. It was the owner, and it looks like **** compared to my shelves. That corner thing is a bar.

 

[lowbucktruck]

Milt's got the right idea. With the punched angle steel, think erector set. Very strong and easy to assemble with the right bolts/hardware. And you can always paint it (I usually hit it with Rustoleum spray bomb for basic protection).

This is the angle steel that they sell at Home Depot and Lowes:
PERFORATED ANGLE is available in 12, 13, 14, 16 and 18 gauges, 8 and 10 foot lengths with 3/8" holes on 1" centers.
http://www.acmemfgco.com/GarageWorks.html

I have storage shelving in my garage built from this stuff, and I am in the process of building more, suspended from the ceiling like the Hyloft.