I'm working on building some garage shelves, and I've got a bit of a challenge. The design looks like this (link included), but the floor is sloped, and I'm unsure how to cut the vertical legs to fit properly. I know I need to temporarily secure everything together so it can be adjusted, but I'm not sure of the best method since I'm doing this alone without anyone to hold things in place. I'm thinking about using brad nails for temporary holds, clamps, or maybe even sacrificial boards cut to the right height along with shims. Any advice on how to approach this?
3 Answers
If the main issue is the sloped floor, try this: draw a level line on the wall at the top of the shelf. Stand your legs up, make sure they are vertical, and cut them at that line. Then attach each leg to the shelves starting from the top down. This could simplify your process a lot!
A straightforward way is to take a straight 2x4, level it on the floor, and shim one end until level. Measure the difference at each leg spot, then cut the legs accordingly. It might be more DIY than 'algorithm' but should do the trick!
That's helpful! But I worry about relying on a straight board; my shelves will be about 116" apart. Any tips for that?
It sounds like you're overthinking this a bit! If you're building directly into the wall, you could just use temporary supports to level everything up right from the start. Measure down to the flooring from your top shelf height to adjust the legs. Really, you might not need any fancy algorithms here!
So you're saying I shouldn't be using a complicated design program to map out the whole thing? I've learned the hard way that without a plan, things can turn into a real mess!
I see, I do have a stem wall which limits the design, but at least this gives me a clearer starting point. Thanks!