While you are planning the layout of your self-built home, it is a good idea to have a look at your current living arrangement and indeed other people’s houses as well. There may be some aspects of the rooms and the layout in general that you might want to keep and some that you feel to be unattractive or just awkward, due to there possibly being too many items on the floor that would be more accessible and organised on shelves.
The hall and staircase, for example, can be just an attractive feature or more functional in nature. For instance, a cupboard under the stairs might be handy especially with integrated shelves or shelving systems to hold various items such as a toolbox and cleaning materials. It might also possibly be a good place to store shoes and coats.
An open plan living space might be more useful to you. The number of bathrooms and whether you want en-suite bedrooms will be another aspect to be considered. Even if a bathroom is small, making use of shelving units not only for storage, but innovative decoration can make a room appear larger.
Think carefully about each room in turn, as the size of the windows and the height of the ceiling, as well as the use of well-placed shelves can have a dramatic effect on how the rooms feel, as it were. More natural light in the room would mean less use of electric light. A high ceiling will make the room feel cooler which would be beneficial in any hot summer weather that might occur.
You might want an office or a hobby room. Where you put this room should also be thought out carefully, preferably it should be located in the quietest part of the house to allow you to concentrate on your work or hobby.
One of the only practical options for heavy storage racking in industry is the heavy duty angle iron unit. These shelving units consist of holed angle iron uprights with sheet metal shelves and angle iron or wood bracing. These are the most popular industrial duty systems on the market and they have industrial looks and prices.
There is one particular brand that is best known, and heavy duty angle iron shelving is often called by its name even though it does not bear the brand’s name. Its units are mostly sold as 90cm wide bays and there is a choice of depths and height. 30, 45 and 60cm are three of the popular depths.
There are quite a few different brands and hole patterns. Unfortunately, different systems, as a rule, will not fit together. It is possible to force them together but this will be less than perfect since the shelves are often not horizontal and poorly supported. Therefore it is recommended that when adding to shelving space the same brand of unit is bought. That or a different brand is used but as a separate unit rather than as an extension to the existing system.
When assembling the heavy duty units, 1 inch M6 roofing bolts are recommended. A storage shelf fitted at ground level will create a strong box structure for the legs. This box structure is also useful to help to spread the load on the floor. Uprights can be cut with a tool known as an angle grinder.
In all environments that need storage shelving systems, the buyer of the shelving system need to take into consideration; the suitability of the shelving unit for his or her particular needs, how long it will last and how versatile the system is.
Typically there are several solutions to this problem. For example, low profile shelving systems will help the buyer who needs to make the best use of vertical storage space and will need to access his or her stored items quickly and efficiently. Usually the shelves in one of these systems will have a load bearing capacity of up to 800 lb. This capacity will depend upon the steel gauge and the size of the shelf selected. There may be widths of up to 48 inches available.
Wide profile shelving systems will be ideal for longer spans. The shelving may be made of chipboard or steel wire mesh. These units are capable of coping with very demanding storage needs. Load capacities, again depend on the size of the shelf and are up to 2500 lb. The shelf widths available are up to 96 inches.
For businesses, especially small retailers, that may have a tight budget to stick to, there are also available, channel beam shelving systems that include a special v-beam design that will give heavy duty support for shelves. These systems will be useful for a good many storage solutions in stock rooms and warehouses without breaking the buyer’s budget. The warehouse or shopkeeper can also use them in conjunction with storage boxes.
In 1978 a company patented a shelving system that was both adjustable and wall-mounted. It consisted of a vertical slotted wall mounted support and shelf support brackets which slipped onto the bar. The support brackets varied in length to hold different depth shelves. The system is easy to mount and has an extremely versatile design in that in can be made use of either as a single shelf or from floor to ceiling.
The original was clever, but it did have some problems. The bars are of an unattractive appearance and the combination of these bars has an unfinished look. As a result of these drawbacks, the systems are mostly used as cheap, utilitarian shelving systems, in for example, garages, garden sheds and other places where appearances are not important.
Another, more important problem was shelf instability. It is possible to displace shelves from brackets and brackets from the bar if accidently knocked from underneath. Situating too much weight on one side of the shelf could cause it to tip over. The brackets themselves could twist around as well if hit.
Another company set out to design a system to solve all of these difficulties, but still be inexpensive and easy to assemble. Another benefit of the new system is that it has an attractive appearance and could be used anywhere in the home.
The new system has a heavy duty steel insert which is similar to the original design but the inserts are cased in plastic and this has solved the twisting problem.
Those who have work benches or work tables might want to consider building items of furniture for their children’s bedrooms that are unusual, fun and practical as well.
Bunk beds in the shape of a camper van for example. The design will take up more room than a conventional set of bunk beds. However, although the finished unit will be about 18 inches longer than usual, it will have a large tray on the top deck which will hold a light, a selection of books and soft toys. The bottom deck will hold a writing desk and chair where homework could be done as well as any other tasks; artwork for example, with the budding master artist not making as much mess on the bedroom carpet. Shelves can be fixed to the wall under the bed too for extra storage.
If you want to screw the camper to the wall, it is recommended that you take about ten minutes to decide which way around the camper van should face. You need to make sure that plenty of natural light falls on the surface of the desk. When you have worked this out, it will then be possible to decide in which side to fit the door in order for it to face out into the room.
A fun alternative idea for an only child’s bedroom would be a double decker bus shaped bed. In this case, the bed would go on the top deck. On the bottom deck would be a desk in the driver’s cab and behind that room for toys, school equipment and so forth. Storage solutions for the home which are stylish and practical.
Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. This might sound a bit old fashioned but sometimes the old fashioned ideas are the best ones. If you did woodwork or metalwork at school, this notion will have been repeated over and again by your class teacher.
In these days of mass-production of just about everything, cheap tools are all around us. Take for example wood-saws, formerly with a wooden handle and blade made of steel that needed regular sharpening. Nowadays, blades are made from alloys that last much longer and with mass-produced and therefore cheaper to produce, handles which are usually made from plastic, are low in price and for all intents and purposes, disposable.
Not matter what their cost, not looking after your tools properly is potentially dangerous and could cause damage to a project that will mean needing to replace the piece of wood or starting again. Whether it is a project involving the building of shelving units, shelf racks or storage racking. Poorly cared for tools can cause accidents. For instance, a blunt chisel will need more effort to make it cut and this extra effort might cause it to slip. A blunt drill bit may snap if too much pressure is applied.
An oilstone to keep your chisel blades sharp is an investment worth considering. If their blades have become wet, dry them thoroughly first, leave them somewhere warm first to make sure they dry properly then spray them with oil afterwards.
With a stair landing that is reasonably easy to modify you might consider creating extra storage space. Assuming there is an unused “dead space” you have the opportunity to install a stair trap which will allow you to create an area roughly three by four feet deep into which shelf racks could be installed. If the shelf racks are self-assembly they can be adjusted to suit your needs.
To begin, remove the floor and sub-floor from the landing. Be careful about pipes or electrical wiring possibly running alongside the floor joists. Remove the top two treads and stair risers.
Nail the ledgers to the floor joists on either side of the opening, allowing room for the thickness of the door framing. Cut the subfloor plywood to size and fasten the side frame pieces to the lower edges of the panel. Attach the frame pieces to the panel at each end.
Cut the stringer pieces to size, attach them to the lower front edge of the subfloor panel. Fasten the remaining frame member across the bottom of the subfloor at the point where the stringers end. Cut risers and treads to size, cut the grip and attach it to the face of the front riser. Install the finish flooring in place atop the subfloor.
Place the assembled unit in position. Fasten strap hinges to wall and flooring.
Open the door; fasten the angle bracket to the door frame. Attach the gas struts and establish where to attach the remaining set of support brackets. Finish the floor material to match the existing floor.
Woodworking hobbyists or indeed professional carpenters will use the shelf storage area under their workbenches to hold a variety of things. It is also a useful place to store the tool box. However, even the most well organised toolbox can become overfilled after a while and, at this point, the woodworker may consider building a purpose made tool cabinet.
The great advantage to building your own cabinet is that you can make it as large or as small as you like depending upon your anticipated needs. Even the insides of the doors should be made use of as a storage place for a handsaw and a tenon saw. Shelf storage room inside the cabinet can be made adjustable to cope with any future acquisitions.
A drawer for screws, nails, drill bits and other odds and ends is a good idea and need not take up too much room in the tool cabinet. When finished the tool cabinet will probably look best in its natural state. However, be sure to treat it with preservative before coating it with a clear varnish. Not forgetting to apply both substances in a well ventilated area of the workshop.
Attach it to the workshop wall by drilling four holes into the cabinet’s back, one at each corner. Hold it against the wall, then use a spirit level to check it is straight and mark the position through the holes. Prepare the holes using rawl plugs and fix the cabinet in place using two inch woodscrews
The hobby of wood working is still very popular. Some regard it as therapeutic, others as practical. Even a simple piece of furniture handcrafted by the householder has a certain style of its own. There is also the feeling of satisfaction in the knowledge that you made that footstool or table. Furthermore the woodworker can tailor make shelving units, for example, to the exact dimensions available in his or her home.
The garage or the garden shed are the most popular places for an amateur woodworker to set up a workshop. A garage, typically, will have the advantage of a solid, concrete floor, plenty of light and a power supply. Should the garden shed be the only viable option, check the floor will be able to stand the weight of the work bench or work table. If necessary you may wish to reinforce the floor with more timber. You might also want to run a power supply from the house. However, this kind of work, even the installation of an electric light can be potentially dangerous and should be left to a professional electrician.
Fitting out your workshop to suit your needs is the next important thing to do. There are a good many portable workbenches on the market which are ideal unless you are going to be making larger items, when a more solid workbench is required. Shelf storage room or shelf racks to store tools will also need to be considered, taking into account the amount of space in the workshop.
Affixing a shelf to the wall is a relatively simple task for the experienced DIYer. The right tools for the job are essential. A spirit-level to ensure the shelf is straight, measuring tape, the correct drill bit, masonry or wood, depending on the surface to which the shelf is to be attached. Wood or plastic wall plugs, screws, screwdriver and a pencil.
Having decided where to fix the shelf, first place the metal shelf bracket against the wall and use the pencil to mark its position through one of its screw holes. Take the bracket away, use a piece of masking tape wrapped around the drill bit at the length of the screw.
Use the chuck screw to make certain you have tightened the bit firmly, then, holding the drill straight, drill into the wall, pushing gently letting the drill do the work. Once you have reached the marking tape on the drill bit, pull the drill out. Push the wall plug into the hole, making sure it is flush with the surface.
Place the bracket over the screw-hole, insert the first screw and screw it most of the way in. Use the spirit level to check the bracket is straight and mark the second screw-hole with the pencil. Swing the bracket to one side and drill the second hole. Push the bracket back, tighten the first screw, and then screw the first bracket into place. Place the spirit level atop the shelf to place the second bracket and fix it into place.