Are all those cardboard boxes in the corner of your garage driving you crazy? Holiday decorations, camping gear, seasonal clothing and extra bedding take up valuable space. And who can tell one brown box from another?
We’ve designed this system to get all that stuff up and out of the way and into unclaimed space near your garage ceiling. We built this handy system around special reinforced plastic totes that hang from carriages made from 2x4s and plywood strips. In this article, we’ll show you how to assemble these simple carriages, align them perpendicular to the ceiling joists, then anchor them into place with lag screws. It’s that easy. Add labels to the sides of the totes and you can tell at a glance where to find that long-term storage item. You can build and install the carriages in an afternoon and start organizing right away!
1. Measure the top of the tote to determine the width of the tote rims (3/4 in.) and the size of the bottom flanges of the carriages (in our case, 3 in.).
2. Cut 3-in.-wide strips of 3/4-in. plywood for the bottom flange. Center them on 4-ft.-long 2x4s, then glue and screw them. Use 2-in. screws every 10 in.
3. Flip the carriage assemblies over. Center the 5-in.-wide plywood top flanges and glue and screw them to complete the carriage assemblies.
4. Locate the ceiling joists with a stud finder and snap chalk lines to mark them. Probe with a finish nail to make sure the lines fall on joist centers.
If you don’t have unused space above the garage door, you can install this system just about anywhere. However, keep the totes at least 2 ft. from light fixtures, door springs and garage door openers.
The special reinforced totes (see Buyer’s Guide we used are a bit stronger than those you’ll find at home centers or department stores. The reinforced rims on these containers will support weights of 35 lbs. or more, which is perfect for lightweight storage. And the totes will be easy enough to lift into place while you’re standing on a ladder. To be on the safe side, the total weight of all the totes shouldn’t exceed 210 lbs., so find a different place to store books and heavy hardware. Custom plastic lids are also available for dust-free storage (see Buyer’s Guide).
5. Mark each carriage 12 in. from the end and align the mark with the joist location. Screw the carriage temporarily to each joist on one side of the flange with 3-in. screws.
Click Image to enlarge.
6. Cut a 2x4 template from your tote dimensions and mark the location of the top edge of the next carriage. Mark the rear side as well, then screw it and the other carriages in place on one side only.
7. Check the fit of the totes and make sure the rims have maximum bearing on the lower flanges. Make any necessary adjustments.
8. Drill 3/16-in. pilot holes in the top flanges. Then drive pairs of 3-1/2-in. lag screws into each joist, removing the temporary screws as you go. Use a minimum of four lag screws per carriage.
TIP
Use a 6d finish nail to probe the drywall on each side of the joists to make sure you hit the center of each joist.
This storage system is relatively inexpensive. Our special totes cost about $16 each, and the carriages, made from 2x4s and 3/4-in. plywood strips, cost about $26. With hardware, this six-bin project cost about $125. Just follow our step-by-step photos and get organized!
If you use other types of containers, measure the rims carefully and adjust the bottom flange width to assure full support. And no matter what joist spacing you find (24 in. or 16 in.), be sure to fasten the carriages with at least four lag screws.
9. Mark the centers of the carriages and screw a 1x2 stop along the marks. The stop will keep the totes from sliding too far into the carriages.
Editor’s note
Before you order your totes, measure the height above your garage door and find totes that’ll work. Our 13-in.-deep totes required 18 in. of clearance, including the carriages. For lower clearances, you can buy totes that are 8 and 10 in. deep but with the same top size.
Cutting List |
| QTY. |
SIZE & DESCRIPTION |
| 4 |
3/4" x 3" x 48" plywood bottom carriage flanges |
| 4 |
3/4" x 5" x 48" plywood top carriage flanges |
| 4 |
1-1/2" x 3-1/2" pine carriage stringers |
| 1 |
3/4" x 1-1/2" x 8’ pine stop strip* |
| *Based on the tote sizes we used |
| |
Materials List |
| QTY. |
ITEM |
| 2 |
2x4 x 8" |
| 1/2 |
4’ x 8’ sheet of 3/4" plywood |
| 1 |
1x2 x 8’ pine stop strip |
| 1 pint |
Carpenter’s glue |
| 16 |
1/4" x 3-1/2" lag screws and washers |
| 1 box |
2" wood screws |
| 1 box |
3" wood screws |
| 6 |
23-1/2" x 19-1/2" x 13" plastic totes |
| |
Buyer’s Guide |
You can buy storage totes from Simplastics at www.simplastics.com or (800) 966-9090.
We used No. snt-230-BL sold in quantities of three. Lids and shallower totes are also available. You can also find totes at United States Plastic Corp., www.usplastic.com. The size equivalent SKU is 52005
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