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How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage | Where to Start


Which Rhino Shelf® DIY Garage Storage Kit is Right for Your Space?

You're already ahead of the game because you're considering Rhino Shelf - The best, safest, and strongest garage storage shelving ever made. To determine where Rhino Shelf DIY Garage Storage Kits can fit in your garage, grab a tape measure or laser measuring tool.

We are here to help! Call us at (919) 331-0204 or Contact Us here!

Note: If your garage is unorganized, be careful as you maneuver around the space. Take your time and move a few things if needed. Remember: That stuff will be UP and OUT OF YOUR WAY soon.

Note: If you have a stud finder, especially one that indicates the presence of electrical wires, plumbing, or gas lines, it would help to more accurately define your installation area.

Phase 1: What Will You Accomplish? Write it down!

Rhino Shelf is the industry leader through rugged engineering and thoughtful design. It can handle the job of organizing your garage and home.

Consider this:

  • Do you have bicycles, kayaks, ladders and any other stuff that can hang below the Rhino Shelf?
  • Do you intend to park one or two cars in the garage?

Document your goals and design your Rhino Shelf DIY Garage Storage Kits to fit your needs.

Phase 2: Consider the Obvious Spaces

Look for clear spaces on your walls and measure them. This could be along the back wall, the right wall, or the left wall. Typically, the back wall is the first, most obvious place for Rhino Shelf. To illustrate, here is an example scenario:

 How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

From the back/left corner of the garage to the entryway door measures 9 feet. Between the entryway door and the water heater is 10 feet.

Rhino Shelf is sold in 4-foot sections. However, neither of the lengths that were measured in the garage are neatly divisible by 4. No problem for Rhino Shelf!

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

On the LEFT side, an 8-foot Rhino Shelf and 8-foot RhinoMini (both are included in the 8-ft Rhino COMBO) would fit perfectly, leaving one foot of space between the end of the shelf and the doorway. 

  • You can purchase the 8-foot RhinoMini here. We will be adding to the Rhino Shelf later.

*Leaving a bit of space between the end of the shelf and the door is ideal to avoid the feeling of encroachment when entering and leaving the home.* 

The Rhino Shelf products on the left side of the door are installed in the "Left-Wall-Start Configuration." All Rhino Shelf, RhinoMini, and Rhino COMBO Universal Kits can be installed in the Left-Wall-Start Configuration.

  • You can purchase the 8-foot Rhino COMBO here.

On the RIGHT side of the door, the Rhino Shelf and RhinoMini are installed in the "Mid-Wall Configuration." All universal kits can accomplish this configuration as well.

Now, on to the Left Wall:

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

Be mindful here of the track on which the garage door rides as it is raised. That rail is 8 feet long in this scenario. There is another 12 feet from the end of the track to the back/left corner.

Notice that the Rhino Shelf which is already installed on the back wall takes up 33.5 inches of that 12-foot wall, leaving us with slightly more than 9 feet of useable space.

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

 

The ability to make a Rhino Shelf Corner will result in a tremendous amount of storage space. Using most of the 9-foot section that was available from the Rhino Shelf to the garage door track, the 8-ft Rhino Shelf "return" makes a very useful corner. Each side of this Corner Shelf is 8 feet in length: This is called an 8' x 8' Corner Kit.

  • You can purchase an 8' x 8' Rhino Shelf Corner Kit here.

The 8-ft RhinoMini placed near the garage door is an excellent place to store those "grab and go" items like vehicle-cleaning supplies, fuel for lawn equipment, coolers for an outdoor party, etc. 

The Right Wall:

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

The water heater's placement in the back/right corner of the garage means that a Rhino Shelf Corner is not possible. However, the space available is the same as the left wall.

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

Leaving room to service or replace the water heater, installing a 4-ft Rhino Shelf on the right side of the garage also allows tall items like ladders to be stored conveniently. Additionally, a RhinoMini is installed as a Right-Wall-Start for more grab-and-go items.

Phase 3: Storage Above the Garage Door

This is where Rhino Shelf truly shines!

No other garage storage shelving company can be installed safely over the garage door. Most manufacturers can only exist over the garage door if they attach to the ceiling. This is an engineering NO-NO! For more information on the dangers of attaching to garage ceilings, see our blog post here.

Locate all equipment and parts associated with your garage door. (Use a ladder, if needed, to locate all springs and brackets. Specifically, look for the piece of equipment that is highest on the wall. (This is typically the bracket that holds the chain that pulls the garage door up the guide rails, but not always.)

If there is at least 26 inches available above the garage door equipment, install Rhino Shelf for "hidden" storage space that is out of view. If there is less than 26 inches but more than 13 inches, select the RhinoMini.

 How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

In this scenario, there is 35 inches available above the chain bracket.

Rhino Shelf is a perfect candidate - The wall is 24 feet across and we also have the 8 feet available before encountering the garage door track support.

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

A 24-foot wall-to-wall Rhino Shelf with 4-foot returns on either side is the perfect solution!

Rhino Shelf above the garage door is an excellent place to store those once-per-year items like holiday decorations, or those treasured items that aren't used regularly but can't be thrown away.

To accomplish everything above the garage door, you will need:

Phase 4: Organize Your Stuff into Bins and Boxes

If you do not use it, need it, or love it - THROW IT OUT! There is no reason to store unwanted trash and clutter. Some items simply need to go.

Organize like items into groups so that they can fit into bins. If there are lots of decorations for the 4th of July, organize those items into totes and label them. Because these are used once per year, choose to store these totes on the Rhino Shelf above the garage door. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween - all of these decorations can be stored in totes, labelled, and stored in a similar manner.

As items are stored away, the garage will become increasingly more spacious and useable. 

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

 

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

 

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started

 

How to Measure for Rhino Shelf Garage Storage, Getting Started