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Overhead storage
Well, this idea stemmed from lack of storage at my parents place. They moved about 5 years ago to south west in the states. Most homes in the south west are built without a basement, and typically with a three car garage. The third bay is used for storage. The garages are also typically full finished and insulated, so there is no real good access to the attic. Besides the fact, most of the attics are cluttered with extra 4x4's for the reinforement of the roof. They use cement tiles instead of shingles.
Anyhow, here's how we added some needed space. Source of material: Home Depot. Cost: Depends on how many shelves you want to put up.
What's needed/Price:
Painted steel fencing $65 for a 56x72 length of fence. They also have sections shorter in height and length. The smaller, the cheaper they are. There is also two sizes in the length of steel that runs the length of the section a 1" and 1 1/2", if I recall correctly. The smaller 1" is sufficient.
5/16 eye bolts. (6) per section (I forgot, but I think they were 2 1/2 long.)
3/8 eye bolt lag screws. (6) per section
5/16 washers (2) per eye bolt
5/16 nuts (2) per eye bolt
Plastic end caps from the steel shelving area. They have a box of 30 or so. Gray in color.
Painted chain, similar to that used for swing sets. It's 250# tensile
For a typical 56x72 section, it'll run you about 80 bucks. But remember, how much space that is. (Please compare to those other systems out there and there cost/size. They don't hold a candle to this.)
Pretty simple.
Drill (6) 5/16 holes in the fence section, with 3 per side spaced evenly. NOTE YOU MAY NEED TO ACCOMIDATE THE RAFTER SPACING.
Install eyebolts with a nut on it first, washer, then put through the section, another washer and the nut to finish it off. Repeat for all eye bolts.
Using distances from the fence section eye bolts, drill corresponding starter holes for the lug screws in the rafters.
Install (6) lug screws.
Next decide how low you want the panels to hang. Cut the chain to correspond. I'd suggest leaving several links for 'adjustment'.
Hang the chain from each eye bolt lag screw. Install the plastic caps over the ends of the eye of the lag screw. This will keep the chain from coming off if you bump the shelf.
Now, merely hang the fence section from the ceiling from the chains. Again, install the plastic caps on the ends of the eyes, on the eye bolts to keep the chain from coming off.
NOTE: I WOULD SUGGEST TAKING NOTE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR RAFTERS. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST LOADING THEM WITH EXCESSIVE WEIGHT, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HOLD IT, YOUR ROOF TRUSSES MAY NOT. USE CAUTION.
Here are some pics of them installed.
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