Drawers Under Basement Stairs

[Scott Welty]

There are many designs out there for using the space under stairs for storage. I have a client who wants drawers under their basement stairs. I have two general ideas to run by the experts here.

1. As this is a basement the floor will not be level so I'm think of building a 2x4 frame (like for a toe kick) that I can shim and make level. My cases can then go atop that. Fix the 2x4's to the floor with Tapcons. Sound reasonable?

2. I'm thinking of building 3 runs of drawers each in its own case. Build these separate and the install one at a time and screw them to each other and to the 2x4 base. Where else to anchor them?

Thanks ahead of time as usual

Scott

[Jim Dwight]

I like the frame of 2x4s - PT (or use PT plywood due to concrete contact). An additional reason for this is basements sometimes get water - from the ground or from things like hot water heaters or washers. I don't know if I would bother to attach the frame, however. Once the drawer boxes are on it, it won't move. I would attach the drawer boxes to the stairs at the top, however. It would help them not move and also support the stairs. If the stairs have no riser, you might think of adding one to avoid debris falling on the drawer boxes. But if the boxes for the drawers have a top, this may not be necessary.

[Jamie Buxton]

Pressure-treated lumber is a good idea on concrete, but I wouldn't fasten the drawer boxes to the stairs at the top. Pressure-treat is full of water. It will dry out over time, and get shorter. It will shrink at least an eighth, and probably more. I'd just tapcon down to the concrete, like you say, and call it good.

[Charles Lent]

I was in a house many years ago where someone had built drawers under the cellar stairs and the face of each drawer was the riser of the stairs. The farther down the steps, the longer the drawers were. Of course, the drawers all had to be closed to use the stairway.

Charley

[Lloyd McKinlay]

If you are adding storage under stairs remember that code recommends a layer of drywall as a fire block. My area requires 5/8.

[Von Bickley]

Pressure-treat is full of water. It will dry out over time, and get shorter. It will shrink at least an eighth, and probably more.

Pressure treated lumber does have a lot of water and will shrink and move a lot. My local lumber yard has kiln dried PT 2X4's that would work perfect for you. These 2X4's are great with no knots but they are a little expensive. You probably would not need a lot and they would be perfect for your application.

[Jim Dwight]

I built a wine drawer into the bottom riser of the basement staircase in our last house. It held a case. It had wheels on the bottom to roll on the floor. I had to tile under the stairs to make the floor all the same elevation. It would be dangerous to try to use the stairs without the drawer pushed in but otherwise it seemed like a good idea.