Need help storing 4x8 sheet lumber in tight space.

[Rick Porter]

Hello, I have VERY, VERY limited space in my 2 car garage. I have all my plywood and mdf 4x8 sheets leaning against a metal shelf. I need to make a change so I can access the items on the shelf (if I remove anything from the shelf now the weight of the sheets will knock my shelf over). I really can't move the sheets anywhere else in my garage because all the space is already taken, so I guess I need to design something so they can stand on there own. I just can't figure out how to do this!!!


Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. - Rick

Sorry this images are so large... I don't know how to resize them.

[Bobby Robbinett]

Build your self a hanging sheet goods rack. Get a few 2x4’s or 2x6’s and make a frame that can be hung from the ceiling. Obviously it needs to be screwed into the ceiling joists but that is rather simple. That would get them up out of the way while still maintain your existing shop space as is. You could have it only hang down 12” or so that way it doesn’t become an obstacle.

[Alex Zeller]

I have a lumber rack in my basement that's maybe 12" wide at most. It's up against a wall so it takes as little room as possible. On the side of it is where my plywood goes. It's not leaned up against it at an angle but standing straight up so it take up as little room as possible. I haven't finished the rack yet but the sheets don't sit on the cement but on a 2x6. Since there's about 3' above the sheets that's not used my plan is to put up peg board so I can put tooling and other woodworking items when not in use. It does mans sliding the lumber and plywood out of the end but it's much more organized than just having stuff stacked up.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

What if you put the plywood on wheels? I have a drywall cart in my shop that is excellent. 3000# capacity, great wheels, easy to move and wouldn't take up much more space than leaning them on your shelf. Plus you could roll it around to load and unload. My cart is orange, I think Uline brand but not positive. Same construction as this:

[Derek Arita]

I too suffer from a lack of space in my 2 car garage shop, where my wife insists on parking her car. Not seeing your entire shop layout, I can offer this...turn your bandsaw around, so you can access it from the same side you access your shelves, then stand the sheet good up, behind the shelving and bandsaw. I have my sheet goods standing up against a wall, behind a rolling cabinet. I'm confident that if you take the time to move some stuff around, you'll find the space to slide those sheets in. Good luck.

[Jim Becker]

A wheeled cart might be the best choice for your situation because it would allow you to move the material for access to the storage as well as allow you to move it out of the way when you are using the space for woodworking.

[Andy D Jones]

Ditto on the drywall cart. And you definitely want to store plywood sheets on edge, to be able to get the sheet you want without unloading every sheet above it.

-- Andy - Arlington TX