Is your basement the last refuge of tired belongings? A place where empty boxes, tools, books, papers, games, old dishes, and train sets get piled up so high that now even you don't remember if you still have them? Well, don't despair. You can easily transform it into storage paradise by installing basement organizers.
1.
Planning the Storage Area
First, think about the items you will want to keep in the basement and how often you use them. Even if your basement is unfinished, plan the storage area with the possibility of finishing the space in the future. Doing so may eliminate the need to move shelves or other storage devices later. If you intend to wall off the area from the rest of the basement, creating a storage room, make the door as wide as possible to allow placement of large items such as furniture. Pick an area as far away as possible from clothes washers and hot water heaters because they may leak occasionally and ruin stored items.
Remember to install good lighting, such as fluorescent fixtures--you don't want to enter the basement looking for a board game and come out with your son's old insect collection.
Ventilation is important, too, because many basements are damp. If you must store items like clothing and important papers in the basement, you may need to install a dehumidifier to keep them from getting ruined by dampness.
2.
Shelving Tips
When it comes to utility shelves, you have a variety of choices. A popular option for basement storage is ready-to-assemble metal shelving (Fig. 1). If you go this route, select shelving constructed of heavy gauge, galvanized, painted steel. Metal edges should be rounded, not sharp, to prevent cuts from sharp edges.
Look for the widest shelves available that will fit into the designated area of the basement. Many of the items you will store will be in boxes; 16- to 24-inch-wide shelves will hold most boxes nicely; 12-inch-wide shelves may not be wide enough to hold the boxes securely.
Purchase the tallest shelf assemblies available. On average, a basement ceiling is 7 to 9 feet high. Many shelf assemblies are only 5 feet high. That means you have 2 to 4 feet of space above the top shelf that you may also use.
The height of the shelves in an assembly should be adjustable to accommodate different sized items.
Attach all storage shelves to the wall or ceiling with bolts or screws, so that they cannot tip over.
3.
Wall Storage
Lightweight items, such as extension cords or vacuum cleaner bags, store well on perforated hardboard (Fig. 2). Heavy or lightweight items can find a home on a slot wall. Both are easily installed with screws and convenient to use.
