Build Utility Shelving

Building shelves in the garage or basement is a practical solution to clutter.

Use plywood for the shelves. Dreamstime/TCA

Take control of your clutter in a garage or basement by adding basic utility shelves, and store all your stuff in orderly fashion. We like using Simpson Strong-Tie metal connectors with sheets of plywood to make sturdy utility shelves. They won’t win a beauty contest, but they’re a practical solution to getting organized.

Most of the work involves cutting 2-by-4 lumber into the legs and rails and then cutting the plywood for shelves. Then sand all the pieces. Lay out the shelf connectors, creating a rigid shelf so there’s no need for diagonal bracing. Make your cuts square and accurate. Assemble the pieces by attaching the legs, rails and shelves. For extra stability, fasten the unit to the wall. Go to http://www.strongtie.com/homeowners/projects for more details and instructions.

A handyman or carpenter will charge $275, including labor and material, to build a 4-foot-wide, four-shelf unit. If you have basic carpentry skills, you can build it for $125, the cost of the materials, and save 55 percent.

If you build the shelves yourself, you’ll almost certainly want an electric screwdriver or a drill/driver with many screws to drive. You also need a tape measure, a framing square, a handsaw, a miter box or a circular saw, a square/saw guide, a hammer, a sanding block and sawhorses.

To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved

$275—$125—4.0—5.0—$150—55 percent

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