If you’re like most homeowners, you use your garage to store much more than just your car. A garage is a great space to store everything from tools to Christmas ornaments to furniture and household goods that you don’t have room for but aren’t ready to get rid of. Installing garage cabinets can help you keep the items you’re storing in good condition and organized, so that they’re easy to find when you need them. Take a look at some things that you should know about garage cabinets before you install them.
Choose Hardy Materials
When it comes to choosing materials for your garage cabinets, it’s important to consider the garage conditions. Typically, garages aren’t climate controlled or very insulated. There’s a very good chance that cabinets in your garage may be subjected to extreme cold, extreme heat, and moisture, just to name a few possibilities.
That means that you need cabinets made of materials that aren’t going to be damaged by these harsh conditions. Cabinets made from thin pressboard may be sufficient for a dry, indoor, climate-controlled location, but they’re not a good idea for your garage. Heavy-duty 1″ – 1.5″ materials are a must for your garage.
The Backing is Especially Important
Not only are the conditions in your garage potentially harsh, your cabinets also have to be sturdy enough to handle the items that you’re putting inside of them. After all, garage cabinets are unlikely to be used to store paperwork or delicate knickknacks. Instead, they’re usually used to store tools, car parts, electrical items, sporting equipment, and heavy boxes full of various items.
That means that you need not just sturdy shelves, but a sturdy backing on your cabinets. You may not realize it, but the backing is the part that provides the majority of support for the items in a cabinet, not the shelves. A weak backing will eventually result in a broken cabinet, and possibly damage to the items that you’re storing as well. You need to choose a cabinet that has at least ¾” high-density condensed wood as backing. Anything less than that is a risk.
Hardware Matters Too
It’s as important to consider the small pieces of hardware holding the cabinet together as it is to consider the main building materials. After all, if the screws and other hardware are weak, it won’t matter how sturdy the wood is, the cabinets won’t be able to support your items in storage.
Beware of cam locks – these are often used to fasten build-it-yourself furniture that isn’t up to the quality standards that you need for your garage cabinets. When you need to be certain of lasting support, you can’t accept anything less than high-quality screws.
Garage Envy can help you install cabinets that are up to the quality standards you need, but won’t break the bank. For more information, Contact us.{{cta(‘4e0ca529-46da-44c8-acce-dd815d6ec4bc’,’justifycenter’)}}
