Garage "storage rack" use side walls or rafters?

[SumpChump]

I have a 12foot wide one car garage. It has "room" in the front for a storage shelf of sorts I'd like to put in.

Not a dinky shelf for cans... One for coolers an rubbermaid totes. It would be about 3 feet from the "ceiling" and not run to the floor... It'd be suspended.

Should I use the side walls of the garage to run my long boards across OR
should I do more if a "suspended" down from the rafters design? I won't over do the weight either way. It am wondering if one (side walls) or the other (rafters) are stronger.

 

[spasm3]

If its a truss design rafter don't suspend weight from the center. i'd use the walls.

 

[Kawiguy454]

walls

...i used 2x4's, plywood and box o 3" deck screws to make 3 shelves that hold 6 flip open containers per shelf. and 4 across stacked 2 high of the big ones on the floor at the bottom

I think it will be more difficult to suspend it and hold the weight. supporting from the ceiling wont be as good as using the floor.

 

[SumpChump]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
If its a truss design rafter don't suspend weight from the center. i'd use the walls.


It's prefab 2x4 trusses. So consensus sounds like not using the trusses for support or to run arms down from to "pull up" on the shelf run.

Just hoping the walls don't like press outward or something.

 

[Leo99]

I have a suspended shelf in my garage. It's screwed into engineered "beams". I only use it for one of those luggage carries you put on top of a car/suv. The wall 2x4s are much stronger.

Why would the walls press out or something?

 

[EdwardC]

I think it depends on the design and how much weight you want to hold. If there's enough weight and you use too small of a beam,there could be excessive sag. But the trade off is that the beam could get too wide and waste vertical space if you find that you need a 2x6 or 2x8.

I would agree that the walls are a better bet. I would run a full length cleat around the perimeter and use a 2x4 across the span and see if there is sag. If you need to, you can add a vertical in the middle later on.