I was tired. Not physically, but mentally. Tired of trying to find a solution in my garage. We have a smaller garage. So much so that, I’ve been trying to protect and preserve it in the same way our nation is protecting and preserving our national parks. Our parks are beautiful. My garage floor space is beautiful. But, how can I reclaim more? This was a question I wrestled with for years. My father was a pipefitter whose handyman skills are boundless. As any good son always looking for an excuse to bond with his pop would do, I summoned his expertise. It never matters what he is doing at the time he is called. He is going to jump at any chance to hang out with me or my siblings. These projects are just an excuse for both parties.
He arrived within an hour and immediately began assessing the situation. He concurred on my crisis and within minutes, shared the solution. He suggested I use a strut-hog fence combination shelf suspended with threaded rods. It sounded daunting as I’ve never built with metal before. It’s a completely different game given there is no give or room for error. Every measurement had to be perfect as you couldn’t just default to moving a screw over a couple of inches. Nope. This would take some planning and some serious time. I was concerned I’d be able to pull it off, but as his most handy child, he knew I’d be able to do it. After explaining it to me, I felt like I was ready for my moment of truth.
You may be wondering what his rationale was for such a complex arrangement and why I agreed with his assessment. It is simple. Not only is this shelf the most durable set up and able to bear a ton of weight, but it was also practical. Its suspension meant nothing was on the ground. I could walk under it to my heart's desire and would never have to trip over anything ever again. Add to that the utilization of the hog fencing, allowing me to see what’s above and in the back, as well as being able to reach to back to slide something forward, and you could see why this was the ultimate solution.
Assembly is a challenge, but only requires a few tools, which always makes me happy, and few materials. Depending on the determined length you land on, gather some strut, threaded rod, lag screws, hex bolts, strut bolts, some 2x4s for the wall-backing, a portaband saw, and a grinder. You’re in business. Just add one measurement onto the usual “measure twice, cut once rule” to be certain your pieces line up, and you too can one day have the perfect garage shelf.
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