Wall-hung lumber rack

[jnesmith]

It's time for me to build a lumber rack. I've seen several that others around here have built. All very nice, but I plan to use heavy-duty brackets and standards like these:



My HD has some very heavy duty standards and brackets by Rubbermaid. Maybe not as heavy-duty as those sold (for 4-5 times as much) by Lee valley, Garrett Wade, and others, but sturdy enough for me I think.

I doubt I would ever have more than 100 BF on the rack, so each standard and each bracket would be supporting weight well within it's limits.

I am more concerned about the wall. I will be attaching it to my garage 2X4 studs. The standards will be around 36", and placed high up on the wall.

I have seen some recommendations to run the standards all the way to the floor to transfer the weight to the floor. I'm wondering whether this is really necessary given my wood storage needs. I hate to pay for 8 foot standards if I only need a few feet. If it's necessary to transfer the weight to the floor, is there a better way?

The wall in question is an exterior wall. I assume then, that it's load bearing, but don't know for sure. If it is, I assume it may not be able to support a lot of extra weight. I really don't want to come home one evening and see my garage leaning or collapsed. Nor do I want to wind up beneath a pile of lumber.

Any suggestions?

[LarryG]

Main question is: what finish material, if any, is on the wall in question? If it's gypsum board (aka Sheetrock), heavy loads tend to wallow out the gypsum board around the fasteners and over time cause the standards to become less secure.

Re: transferring the loads to the floor, you could place a 1x4 flat against the wall under the bottom end of each standard and accomplish much the same thing as running the standards themselves to the floor. I'll bet 1x4 pine costs less than those standards ...

Re: the load-carrying capacity of your exterior wall, don't worry about it. A normal 2x4 stud wall will support an additional floor AND a roof, so it's unlikely you could ever stack enough lumber on your racks to cause a problem.

[jnesmith]

Thanks Larry. The wall is dry wall. Isn't that the same as sheet rock? If the standards are lag-screwed to the studs, will a little dry wall deterioration really cause a problem?

Good point about the load capacity. I guess I was thinking the rack may exert some sort of leverage or torque force that the wall isn't designed to withstand, in addition to the weight.

Good idea with the one-by. I think I'll incorporate that unless others think it's entirely unnecessary.

Thanks again.

[jnesmith]

Here's the spot in question:

[bolson]

I bought 20" fixed shelf brakets. A pair holds 1000 lbs. and I put 4 brackets per rack. Each bracket is about $5, for $40 for two racks mounted about 20" from the ceiling I can hold 200-250 BF of lumber depending on the specie (mainly due to weight, I have Jatoba in stock which weighs about 2X of "normal" domestic lumber).

I can get pics if you want

Brad

[RagerXS]

Brad, I'd be interested in pics but even more so to know where you got the hardware.

~ Fred

[bolson]

Here are my lumber racks. They are about 30" or so from the ceiling so that I can still use the space below the rack (I have 9' ceilings). I got the brackets at Menards, but I have also seen them at Home Depot. For 20" from the wall they are about $5.50 each and are just made out of 1/4" steel.

I lag bolted mine into the studs with 3 lag bolts and eventually I will add a backup safety chain that would catch the lumber in the unlikely event of either a rack collapse or if the pile fell over.

The safety chain will have a S-hook to a eye bolt in the ceiling so when I am pulling lumber I can move it out of the way. It will connect to a eye hook in the studs not being used by the rack.

With 4 brackets you get a theoretical load of 2000 lbs. and I figure about 6 lbs per BF for jatoba and 4 lbs. per BF for Cherry. On the Jatoba rack I have about 75 BF of lumber and the Cherry rack has about 80 BF. I store the rest of my lumber either in my pole barn (16"x18' cypress planks are just too big for the shop) or if the wood is rough milled, in the house acclimating before final milling and cutting.

Right underneath the racks is my main machinery wall so the lumber can go right from the rack to the machines.

you can also see my virgin drywalled shop, which I just did with some friends a couple of weeks ago. I won't mud and tape it until spring so that I don't have any joints pull apart from poor mud adhesion.





Edit:

The bracket is "John Sterling Max Bracket" They are $7 at Home Depot and about $5.50 for the same at Menards if you have them.

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by jnesmith

The wall is dry wall. Isn't that the same as sheet rock? If the standards are lag-screwed to the studs, will a little dry wall deterioration really cause a problem?

Yes, drywall is Sheetrock (actually a trade name, like Kleenex; the generic term is "gypsum board").

Deterioration of the drywall around the lag screws can become a problem because the secureness of the connection to the wall depends on everything being sandwiched together. The stud is plenty strong but the drywall is soft and chalky, so when it wallows out the lag screw is no longer well supported laterally immediately behind the standard. The more slender the screws are, the worse the problem becomes ... this is one reason so many stair handrails loosen up over time.

Use the biggest, baddest lag screws you can fit through your standards (even if you have to drill the holes out slightly), put a screw in every hole, and cinch them down really tight, and you'll probably be okay.

[jnesmith]

Thanks for the pics Brad, and thanks again Larry. I think I am on my way.

[bolson]

quote:Originally posted by LarryG

quote:Originally posted by jnesmith

The wall is dry wall. Isn't that the same as sheet rock? If the standards are lag-screwed to the studs, will a little dry wall deterioration really cause a problem?

Yes, drywall is Sheetrock (actually a trade name, like Kleenex; the generic term is "gypsum board").

Deterioration of the drywall around the lag screws can become a problem because the secureness of the connection to the wall depends on everything being sandwiched together.

You'll notice in my install that I attached the brackets to the wall with a 4" wide piece of MDF to prevent the rack from crushing the drywall. Seems to work so far.

[HarmsWay]

I use something similar to what John pictured in the initial post. The parts can be expensive but the system has a few advantages over the some of the others. The biggest for my use is flexibility. The brackets come in 10, 14 & 18" lengths and I can move the brackets around to fit my needs. The brackets themselves also take up very little space if you have a number of shelf levels - not important if you have one shelf. The wall straps also distribute the load over a greater area and should either go right to the floor or, as Larry said, you can transfer the load to the floor with a piece of solid lumber. I have a few long straps that go to the floor and some short ones that do not.

The 18" version has about the same capacity as Brads (2400 lbs on four brackets).

Bob

[BrazosJake]

I'm probably the last person on earth who needs to be giving organizational tips, but if you have a garage shop, don't overlook the unused space above the door(s). I tied heavy 90* brackets into the ceiling joists, then short 2x4s into those and 4' 2x4s between them. Be sure to angle upwards toward the garage door entrance, after making their 90* turn on opening, garage door tracks slope slightly toward the rear (maybe eveyone already knows that one, but I didn't when I put mine in[:0]). 3 sets are holding about 80 bf of lumber currently.

[jnesmith]

Thanks. Something like this?

http://www.internetwoodworking.com/w5/rack.html

That's a good idea too.

[ironhat]

I decided to coble mine out of 2"x4" stock. I'm guessing at the dimensions while at work (don't worry, I own the place) but I believe the upright which I have lagged to the wall is about 24". About 2/3 of the way up I cut a dado to accept another 2x piece about 12" long. To keep the two pieces at right angles and support the wood you just gusset them together with a 45* scrap of plywood. Cheap and effective.
Later,
Chiz