It’s almost spring cleaning time and one of the best places to start is with the garage. If you are like me, stuff just piles up and before you know it a two car garage has about enough available space for a bicycle. Maybe it’s time to consider overhead storage racks. These racks
are great ideas and come in a variety of sizes to accommodate most customer’s needs. The standard size rack is 4′ x 8′ and can be adjusted to a variety of heights to fit most overhead containers. They do offer a 2′ x 8′ and a 4′ x 4′ but for the money the larger size is the best value.
When purchasing a overhead rack, order the longer struts/legs as they will provide more flexibility to adjust to the height you desire. The smaller legs don’t allow enough adjustment for double stacking storage containers. Most standard racks are rated at 600 pound capacity but there are 1000 pound units available. The most common is the 600 lb.
The racks are attached to joists located in the garage ceiling. A stud sensor is used to locate each stud. The bolts must be screwed into the joists or the racks will collapse when weight to placed within. One problem i have seen occurs when the homeowner screws the bolt in at an angle and splinters out the side of the joist. It feels secure until weight is placed on the rack and then the bolt pulls out.
The racks most used by my customers is called Saferacks. They can be purchased from a variety of stores but i recommend Costco. They run a sale every 2-3 months and a 4 x 8 rack will run around $149.00 plus tax. A really good deal. Installation usually runs around $95.00. In fact, Saferacks usually sends a coupon along with the rack for the price of $99.00.
