Easy HEAVY-DUTY Shelving (Plus Giveaway!)

Friday, July 18, 2014

As a blogger, I have the chance to work with brands and try out new products.  Some bloggers try to hide the fact that they are working for brands. I'm not here to trick you, just being real.  I can honestly say that I only work with companies and products that I believe in and use personally. Its pretty exciting when I get an email from a big company who has been following my little blog. I probably should act cool and not tell you this, but I still freak out every time.


A few weeks back, I was going through my email. In one subject line I saw "Simpson Strong-Tie". My husband who happened to be sitting right next to me leaned over and caught a glimpse. "Simpson Strong-Tie wants to work with you!? That's awesome! They make the best fasteners." 

My husband, being a home builder, has been familiar with Simpson Strong-Tie for years and loves all of their products. They have a very strong reputation in the construction industry, but have recently decided to reach out to the average DIYer. I can't tell you how much I love the name of their website DIYdoneright.com

Fast forward a couple weeks, and I get to try one of their new products. 


I received two Workbench or Shelving Hardware Kits. One kit provides enough hardware for a workbench, but you'll need two kits to make the shelving system.



First thing you'll notice is how heavy the box is for it's size. When you open it up, you can see why. Each kit comes with 8 connectors, instructions, and all the screws you'll need. This stuff is solid.



I considered naming this post "How to Get Your Crap Off the Floor". I have a storage problem at my house. Actually, a lack-of-storage room. Case in point, our spare bedroom or "storage room". I am ashamed to admit, this is how it has looked for a long time.



You can see that we built some shelves a couple years ago, but it was a pain in the butt and we haven't gotten around to building more. So, I decided I needed to build a new heavy-duty shelving unit.



This kit is pretty dang cool. Its basically "build by numbers". You just have to add wood. If you can make a cake mix, you can build these shelves. The instructions include a cut list and diagram. That way, you can't screw up and run out of wood.




In addition to the kit, this shelving unit requires 9,  2 x 4's and one sheet of 5/8" plywood or particle board. It cost me less than $50. 


Follow the directions and start attaching the hangers to the 2 x 4's using the screws provided.



Speaking of screws. These screws rock. I know it sounds weird to be excited about screws, but when you use as many as me, good screws are exciting. Don't tell the Kreg people, but I think I have found my new pocket hole screws.



One tip I want to add. Make sure you don't attach all your connectors going the same direction. They need to face inward on both sides.





If you've ever watched a framer build a wall of a house, they build it laying down and then flip it upright. Doing this makes it easier to keep everything square.



When the frame is built, it will be 6' tall and 4' x 2' wide. Its pretty dang heavy, so unless you're an amateur body builder, you probably will need help moving it around. These are heavy, heavy-duty shelves.



Someone was really smart when they developed this system. There are 4 shelves and each one is exactly 1/4 a sheet of plywood. I had a nice guy at Home Depot cut a full sheet down for me for free, but you can actually buy quarter sheets, pre-cut, although it is more cost effective to buy a full sheet .

You just have to notch the corners of the bottom 3 shelves to fit into place. Once they're on, they get screwed into place with the longer screws from the kit and you're done!  


Not the prettiest project I've ever done, but I can't tell you how much I love my new shelves! Seriously, look at all that storage. For reference, here is the 'before' and 'after'.



Now I have room for the kitchen stuff I don't get into frequently (FIY, that is my "back-up" crock pot). The nice thing about such a heavy duty system, I don't have to worry about loading it up with super heavy things, like boxes of family photos or old text books.



I have to say, I am genuinely impressed with the Workbench or Shelving Hardware kit. I had a friend comment to me just this week, "I'm suspicious when I see a positive review of a product from a blogger. Is it really that good?". I can honestly say, yes its that good. Regardless of compensation, I would use this product again. It really is high quality and easy to use. It is available here online, or in selected Home Depot stores.


Simpson Strong-Tie is offering a chance to win over $2,000 in tools and hardware on their Facebook pageShare what you built with them for a chance to be featured in their #DreamItBuildIt Build Brag Gallery.


Do you have a bunch of crap you need off the floor too? Or maybe your garage or craft room is in need of a new workbench. Want some good news? You could could be the brand new owner of a Simpson Strong-Tie Workbench or Shelving Kit yourself.  Follow the Rafflecopter below for entries to win. 




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9 comments

  1. I love checking out your furniture ideas.

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  2. This is exactly what I was looking for and thank you for offering a just leave a comment entry. This is what a true contest should be, thanks again.

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  3. This is exactly what I have been looking for to store/hoard my things. Thanks for running a contest that you can enter by leaving a comment. It is very much appreciated.

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  4. WOW what a difference a little storage can make! I'll admit I have a room like this, too. ;)

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  5. Great project with a great product! I would love to build a work table of my own!

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  6. Oh I don't know if I could pick between the workbench or just building storage for my craft stuff in the garage

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  7. This is awesome Elisha! I could totally use more storage shelves, but the fence repair kit on their website looks tempting too! Thanks for the giveaway and congrats on the connection!

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  8. I would love to build the dog house!

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  9. I am excited to share your page today for #pageoftheday. I am really enjoying your blog and can't wait to explore more.

    Cheers!
    The 2 Seasons

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