Home Improvement Ideas: Shelving

Shelving is one of the most versatile and useful things you can have
in your home. Organizing is almost impossible without shelving. There
are two basic types that you should consider when adding shelves to
your home. You can build them yourself and make them adjustable or
fixed. Here we will discuss how to build shelves to get your home
organized. Plus, we'll give you ideas about how you can optimize the
use of your shelves to get the most benefit from them.1) Wood shelving
is relatively easy to build and can last for many years in your home.
Wood is sturdy and doesn't cost very much. You will, however, need
some basic carpentry skills and tools to get the job done. You can
purchase planks and cut them to the size that you need using a table
saw, a circular saw, or a miter saw. Another alternative is to buy the
wood in the dimensions that you need. When you buy wood for closets
and other shelving around your home, you should look for boards that
are not warped. You can buy finished pieces that do not even require
sanding if you want to make the job easier.2) Building adjustable
shelves is a great idea to keep your storage space versatile. Use
1"x4" boards as supports around the walls where you want to install
shelves. Use long wood screws and secure the boards into studs all
around the area. Make sure that everything is level before you
permanently affix the supports to the wall. You can space these
support structures about a foot apart, even if you plan on having your
shelves two or three feet apart. Simply slide the shelf board into the
space and it should sit nicely on top of the level plane. Use
finishing nails to secure the board in place. They are easy to remove
later and will allow you to move your shelving around, add shelves, or
take shelves away as necessary.3) Closets and cabinets usually have
fixed shelves. Try to alter the height of your shelves so that you
have plenty of storage options. Some may be 12" apart while others
have a much wider opening. You can add secondary shelves to create
cubby-hole areas or risers for smaller items.4) Larger containers will
need more space. You may want to consider this when installing closet
shelves because you will most likely want to store out of season
clothing in large containers. You can work in varying lengths of
hanging bars to give your closet extra space. If you adjust the height
and depth of your bars, you'll be able to work in plenty of hanging
space with your shelving.5) When you're done, you can stain and
varnish your shelves, or you may decide to leave them natural. Get
organized by adding hooks, baskets, bins, and some high quality
clothes hangers. You can create more space in your closet by using
clothing hangers that are designed to hold more than one item.
Consider wooden hangers that match your shelves for a really nice
look.