Laurel's Adventures in Home Repair
  laurellynn.com/HomeRepair/

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Garage - Oklahoma Home

Closet with Rafter Hanger System
July - August 2018

Fold-Down Table
September 11 - 14, 2018

Hanging Cabinets and Workbench and Stealth Corner Closet
July 2019

 

It seems like just yesterday, that I was building a storage closet in a garage.  Well....I guess I am.  I built the garage storage area for the El Paso home only two years ago.  See this here....

After purchasing our larger home in Oklahoma the first thing I needed to do was build a garage storage closet to store all of our tools.  Every tool I had in El Paso, was still stored in boxes.  Every time I needed a specific tool, I had to dig through a pile of boxes to find it.  A 5 minute task would turn into 2 hours of searching.  I needed to get all of my tools out of the boxes and organized ASAP.

A pet peeve of mine is the absence of any storage space in garages. 

Reality check.  Most garages, now days, are used to store an excess of stuff, junk, seasonal items, etc.  Only a small percentage of home owners actually use their garages to park a working vehicle.  Don't believe me?  Step outside your house and look at your neighbors' houses.  Of note:  My husband and I are the only homeowners that park our SUV's in our garages at both houses in Oklahoma. Every single close neighbor does not. 

So why does one rarely find a home that already has built in storage closets or shelves in a garage???

High end homes will usually have storage areas.  Think the Vanilla Ice Project homes.  Ordinary homes?  Forget about it.  You can buy a bunch of ticky tacky shelves, which is what most folks do.  I prefer a closet where you can hide all of the stuff from view.

Unlike the El Paso house garage, which had no fancy doors or moulding, the Oklahoma garage has moulding, doors, and door knobs that match the interior of the house.  So when I designed this closet, I needed to match the existing decor so the closet "appears" as if it was built when the rest of the house was built. 


Recessed area of garage where closet will be built. 
Moulding on wall along floor was removed and will be used later on outside of closet.  Note walnut stained moulding around door openings and arched paneled doors.  These design elements will be used on the closet exterior. 

The first thing I needed to do was select the area of the garage to build a closet.  The wall between the garage and the house was the obvious place.  This area was also recessed which would help in framing the closet.

To get accurate measurements I first had to remove the moulding along the wall at the floor.  The removed moulding will be used on the outside of the closet. The length of the recessed area was 163.5". 

The next decision was deciding how deep to make the closet.  The obvious choice would be to make the closet as deep as the water heater closet which is 34".  However, this is a 3 car garage.  The 2 car side of the garage is large and we only have 2 SUV's.  Even with the SUV's parked inside, there is ample room to walk.  So I can make the closet deeper than 34" giving me more storage space.  BUT.... there is a pull down stair for the attic access that cannot be blocked.  The size I decided on would be 40"

The height of the ceiling in the garage is 9 feet.  I could make the closet ceiling height.  However, I always like large storage places for thin flat objects like scrap wood or moulding.  So I decided to make the closet only 8 feet high with a foot of storage area on top of the closet.

The image below shows the floor plan for the closet.  There will be 2 large shelving places for large items.  One section with smaller shelving and several areas for hanging items using rafter hooks.  There will be two 28" doors for easy access into the closet.


Floor plan for closet

After drawing out my plans for the closet, I made an online purchase with Lowes. 

For this project I decided to make the purchase online paying $65 extra for the delivery.  Why Lowes?  For the area that we are in, in Oklahoma, Lowes was the only company that allowed online purchase with delivery.  Home Depot, no delivery.  For McCoy's, you need to make the purchase in person in the store.  Since we live outside of the city where these stores are, Lowes was the only option for the purchase of the framing, doors, and plywood.

Also, there is the time involved picking out the materials in the store.  The Big Box store lumber can be less than desirable.  Warped, twisted, too many knots in woods, etc.  When selecting 2 x 4's or plywood, I spend hours going through the piles looking for wood that is decent enough for what I want. Also, a lot of time is spent loading my old SUV.  I also cannot haul full sheets of plywood.

With an online purchase, the store does all the picking and delivery.  Yes, I take a chance of getting a crappy piece of wood, which I did.  However, the twisted or warped 2 x 4's will be used for smaller pieces.  Worth the $65 delivery charge not having to go to the store myself.

I ordered the basic building materials and pre-hung doors (moulding and paint bought later) online on Friday, July 20, 2018.  Delivery was the next morning on Saturday, July 21, 2018.  Less than 24 hours from ordering to delivery.  Can't beat that!
Materials for Garage Closet
   
3 --  14 foot - 2" x 4" for framing $25.11
50 -- 8 foot - 2" x 4" for framing 219.00
2 -- 8 foot - 2" x 8"  for rafter hanging system 14.58
4 boxes (4 lbs) 2 -1/2" nails 15.48
6 -- 4' x 8' sheets of 15/32 pine plywood for walls, ceiling 176.70
2 -- 4' x 8' sheets of 23/32 pine plywood for shelves 79.96
2 pre-hung 28" doors 149.36
1 gallon oil based primer Ace Hardware 20.68
1 gallon semi gloss paint for inside closet 46.10
1/2 gallon egg shell paint exterior of closet matching rest of garage.  No cost.  Left by building contractors 0
Walnut colored stain for moulding.  No cost. Left by building contractors 0
Moulding - outside corner, quarter rounds, top of closet, chalk board frame 50.66
Moulding bought at Home Depot for around doors 54.54
1 box of 1 1/2" finishing nails 3.12
   
Total $855.29
The first section of the closet to build was the framing along the wall shared with the house.  Since this framing was being butted up against an existing wall, the 2 x 4's were laid long edge against the wall.  If this wall was a free standing wall, I would turn the 2 x 4's the other way.  This way allows more room on the interior.

Two of the 14 foot long 2 x 4's were cut to 163.5" and were used at the top and bottom of frame.  Ten 8 foot 2 x 4's were first cut to 93" and then attached to the 163.5"- 2 x 4's.  Spacing of the 2 x 4's is every 16" starting from the right side.  I also needed to make sure that the 2 x 4's did not hit where the two existing power outlets are.

The 3" scrap pieces of the 2 x 4's that were cut off were later used as shelf supports nailed to the frame.


Back wall sketch


Back wall of closet framed and attached to existing studs in house wall.

The back frame was nailed together with the 2-1/2 inch nails.  Since nailing for me is difficult with the nerve damage in my hands, I pre-drilled the holes first and then nailed. 

In the corner of the back closet frame, I notched both corners.  The side walls of the closet will be slid in here and then attached to the 2 x 4 on the back frame.  Since this framing is supported by the existing walls, it is silly to waste a 2 x 4 in a corner that does not need the usual support of a freestanding structure.


Corner notch made.  Side of closet wall framing will slide in here and be attached to the 2 x 4 in corner.
The next section was the wall on the left side against the water heater closet.  The horizontal 2 x 4's were placed where the shelves will be placed.  The horizontal 2 x 4's will be used to support the permanent shelves.


Left wall of corner put in place.  Horizontal 2 x 4's on this section will double as shelf supports.

The next section completed was the front wall of closet on the left side.  Horizontal 2 x 4's were placed at the same height as the side piece.  This will provide the support for the shelves on the left side.


Left front wall attached to the side.  Horizontal 2 x 4's match side to additionally support the shelves.

I then worked on the framing for the right side of the closet.

The side framing has a large open space on the bottom section that will be used to store scaffolding platforms.  Two scaffolding platforms will fit exactly into this space, held in place with a piece of wood slid into place.

The front wall framing has a rafter hook hanging system.  I just placed additional 2 x 4's on top of the horizontal 2 x 4's for the rafter hanging system.

You just move the hangers where you need them to be. 

This rafter system can handle really heavy items, if needed.


Right side and right front wall complete.  Right front wall had rafter hook hanging system.


Left and right side complete.  Right and left corner fronts complete.  Shelves for the left side cut and put in place until closet is painted.

The shelves for the left side of the closet were cut and put temporarily in place.  They will be removed when painted.  The shelves also came in handy to store my tools while working on the closet.  The support for the shelves on the right side were provided by using the 3" scraps cut from the back section's 2 x 4's.  I just nailed the 3" scraps to the back frame.

The next sections to complete was the center front and the door framing.  These three sections were completed laying flat on the garage floor and were then lifted into place.  The horizontal 2 x 4's on the center front section will support the 4 large shelves that will be in the middle of the closet.

At the top of the door frame a 2 x 4 was added providing more hanging area for rafter hangers.


Wall framing complete for the closet.

From this point on, I did not take any photographs. I was so involved with just finishing this project while the temperatures outside were in the 90's and 100's. Hot , hot, hot.

I needed to get all of the plywood off the floor of the garage so with my husbands help, the ceiling and walls were cut.  The ceiling and wall were hammered into place. 

I then built the small shelf section on the left side.  The large shelves were also cut for the center section.

I made a run to the hardware store to purchase the moulding for the top of the closet, moulding for the inside and outside corners of , the doors, and the chalk board that will be painted on.  The moulding was put in place and caulked.

One week was spent painting everything three coats of paint.  All of the bare wood got a coat of oil based primer.  Why oil based and a primer for something inside?????  Just extra protection in case anything DID get wet and because of the abuse a garage storage space will get.  After the primer, the inside got two coats of a semi-gloss.  Semi-gloss in case something spills.  Easier to clean.  The outside of the closet received 2 coats of the eggshell color that was used on the surrounding walls.

Another half of a day was spent getting the two doors hung properly.  After the doors were put up, the moulding for around the doorway was cut, stained, and put in place.

The floor moulding removed from the back wall was cut to fit the outside closet walls and put in place.

The two 2 x 8's were cut to provide additional rafter hook hanging along the right side of closet and on the front of the closet.

Four coats of blackboard paint was painted directly on the small right wall.  The moulding was cut, stained and glued onto the wall over the painted surface.


Completed closet.  Scrap lumber and moulding stored on top.

For the center wall of the closet, between the doors, I am debating whether to place a fold-up table there or not.  If I place a fold-up or fold-down table here, I will add the photos.
The photo on the right shows the right corner of the closet. 

Where the closet wall extended beyond the existing wall, quarter round moulding was used in the inside corner.  For the outside corners, I used PVC corner moulding which is cheaper than wood and a little tougher if dinged. 

At the top of the closet I placed moulding to hide where the plywood walls edges meet the plywood ceiling edges.  This moulding was painted the same color as the wall.

The chalkboard was made by first painting 4 coats of chalkboard paint.  The moulding for the frame was cut and stained.  I then glued the frame together on a flat surface.  Since the chalkboard is on a single plywood surface I glued on the chalkboard frame instead of nailing it. I used a scrap piece of moulding and wood to make the chalk and eraser tray.  It was mounted on top of the chalkboard to keep it out of the way.

The photo to the right shows the small shelving inside the left side of the closet.  Nine small shelves hold small objects like nails (using Crystal Light containers), tape, small tools, etc.

To the left and right of the small shelves I nailed on short pieces of 2 x 4's to the back frame to create more rafter hanging space. 

Since I used pre-hung doors, the frame for the doors were the generic primer white. Around the door openings, I needed to stain the door stop area to match the moulding. This matches the style throughout the house and garage. 

The doors also needed to be painted the same bright white to match the doors in the house.

 


Large shelving in left corner of closet


Large shelving in center of closet from
the left side of closet


Larger shelving in center from
the right side of closet

Rafter hanging system along back wall
 on right side of closet
Photo to the right shows the right inside corner of closet. 

As I mentioned above, the right wall of the closet would be used to store some scaffolding platforms held in place with a board. 

The rafter hanging system on right front wall of closet is currently holding a ladder and some extension cords.

If the closet looks packed you would be correct.  I have my tools. My husband has his tools.  Combined, there is a lot of duplication of tools.  Oh well, we will work this out over time.

This garage will also have a work bench and cupboards that will be built in the far right corner of the garage to the left of the water heater closet.  When I build the work bench, I will add it to this web page.
Moulding Used Around Doors

Same pattern as the moulding used on house but not as thick.  I could not find exactly what the building contractor used.

Bought by the foot at Home Depot

Woodgrain Millwork - WM 1832 9/16 in. x 3-1/4 in. Solid Pine Base Moulding
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Woodgrain-Millwork-WM-1832-9-16-in-x-3-1-4-in-Solid-Pine-Base-Moulding-10000882/206159407
Rafter Hanger System

What am I talking about when I mention a rafter hanger system?

It is simply a hanging storage system using rafter hangers.  The cheapest and strongest rafter hangers I have found can be found at the Home Depot.

The hangers are usually used in garages or storage sheds where the rafters are exposed.  However, you can still use these hangers without exposed rafters by using 2 x 4's, 2 x 6's, 2 x 8's, etc.

 


8" Everbilt rafter hangers
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-8-in-Heavy-Duty-Rafter-Hanger-in-Black-18015/202305459

Just mount a 2 x 4 on a wall with as little as a 1/2 inch behind it so the rafter hanger hooks over the top.  As your storage needs change, just move the hangers where you need them.  One hanger holds 50 lbs.  So 2 hangers can hold a 100lb object.  Just make sure your 2 x 4, 2 x 6, or 2 x 8 is mounted on studs in your wall and not just drywall. 

To create the space behind the wood, just attach a 1 x 4 on the wall on each end and some in the middle, if your wood is long, to the studs on your wall.  Then attach your 2 x 4, 2 x 6, or 2 x 8 on top of the 1 x 4's.

For the rafter hanging I created on the front of the closet walls, I did a little extra work.  Instead of a 1 x 4, I used 2 scrap pieces of 2 x 4's cut 8" long.  I then routed out a corner on each.  Mounted the 2 x 4's on the wall and then placed my 2 x 8 in the notches.  See diagram below and photograph.


Diagram of how I did rafter hanger on the front of closet wall


Rafter hanger on front of closet wall

You can paint your rafter hanging system wood with decorative colors or don't paint it at all.  If painted, it can look as fancy as those expensive less versatile metal hanging systems.

Fold-Down Table

On the center wall of the garage closet I wanted to place a folding table.  I always need a flat surface to work on or to set stuff on.  Being older, with a bad back, I hate having to bend over all of the time.

I wanted the table to lay flat against the wall when not in use.  I also wanted it to fold down NOT up.  I wanted to use the space above the table to place more hanging space.

After searching on the internet for what other folding tables have been done, I soon realized that having a folding table WITH folding legs that folded down was going to be impossible for the small space I wanted for a table.  If the table folded UP on the wall, there would be no problem.  Because I wanted this table to fold DOWN, it would be impossible.  It is hard to explain this, but with only 24 inches to place the table, the legs would not fit, if attached.

I also wanted this table strong, so if you throw something that weighs 50+ lbs on it, it will not collapse.  Therefore, the wall support needed to be attached to a stud within the closet.  The stud height that will be used is 39.25" high from the floor.  This is higher than a normal table height of say 30", but this was ok.  I am tall and my husband is 6'2".  The edge of the table will be resting on top of this wall support and not the hinge for support.

The table will fold down using a 24" piano hinge.

The legs for the table will be made from 2 x 4's and rails of 1 x 4's.  The legs that support the end of the table will slide under the table when the table is in use.

Step One - Determine size of table

The width of the table is 24" wide (width of wall) and 35" long (folding down).  I could have made the table longer, up to 39", however, I did not want the table to hit the floor moulding along the wall. 
 
Step Two - Make table top

I could have taken a piece of plywood and cut it to 24" x 35".  However, I did not have any 1" plywood on-hand, or a piece of project wood.  Both would work just fine.  You want something close to 3/4" - 1" thick for a decent table top.  I did have several pieces of 1 x 12's that I used as shelving at the old house in El Paso that I dragged with me to Oklahoma.  I did not toss them because it was good lumber!!

I ripped this lumber into 4" wide pieces and put them together to make my table top.  I used wood glue to hold it together.  No nails.  On the underside of the table I placed cross supports and screwed them into each piece of wood. 

 

 

The two cross supports at the end of the table where spaced just far enough apart to allow the table legs to slide in.

The cross support near where the hinge would be was placed just low enough to prevent any interference with the hinge.

The table top was then given a good sanding, primed, and then painted the same color as the wall.

Step Three - Mount the table to the wall

The wood support for the hinge was screwed into the stud on the wall with 3 2-1/2" wood screws.  The piano hinge was then attached to the wall support.

The table top was fitted in place on top of the wall support and the end propped up so it was level.  I then went underneath the table top and attached the piano hinge.


Wall support screwed into wall and the stud on the other side.  Piano hinge mounted onto support.


Table top screwed onto piano hinge and folded down out of the way

Step Four - Make the legs

I needed to wait until the table top was hung on the wall to make sure my legs were exactly the right height to make the table top level.  I placed a level on top of the table top and measured the height for the legs.

The 2 x 4 legs ended up being 40 1/8" inches long.  Using my old ripped shelving wood, I made the rails for the legs.  Attaching the wood on both sides of the 2 x 4's and screwing them in place with 2 1/2" wood screws.

The legs were then primed and painted the color of the table top.  Plastic 2 x 4 caps, purchased from a children's playground equipment website, were glued on the bottom of the legs.  Believe it or not, no one else sells plastic end caps for 2 x 4's.  There are metal caps for fencing, but no plastic ones for leg bottoms, unless you have a 3-D printer.  Someone has online plans to make these.


Table folded up and ready for use.  Additional hanging space added above table


Table folded down and legs resting on
table edge.


A couple of things you may wonder about......

Will the legs come out from underneath the table?  Of course, if you hit it hard enough. But you would really need to hit it hard.  Normal abuse.  Nope.  The table only lifts a couple of inches up from the level position.  This is because the wall edge of the table hits the wall and prevents the table from folding up. 

Will the legs stored on top of the table ledge fall off?  Again, yes, if you hit it hard enough.  I could also throw the legs up on the hooks above if needed.

If any of the above becomes a problem, I will just make adjustments to secure the legs better.
Hanging Cabinets and Workbench

There was one other area of the garage that had a big indented area to the left of the water heater closet.  When we moved in, it was used to store the gardening tools and equipment.  After we installed our new shed this area was now free of clutter.  Time to design the hanging cabinets and workbench.

To see step-by-step pictures of the cabinet and workbench construction, visit the garage page for the El Paso home.  The cabinets were basically built the same way.  The only difference was the size of the cabinets and style of the cabinet doors.

Cabinet steps are simply, to build a box, hang the boxes, and then make the boxes pretty.

For this overall project it took me about 2 weeks.  I was only able to work about 4 hours a day because the temperature in the garage was in the 90's.  I used my table saw outdoors wearing long sleeves and a big floppy hat to keep from getting sunburn. 
 
For these cabinets I had a wall area of 76.5 inches wide and ceilings that are 9 feet high. 

I had two choices regarding the height of the cabinets.  Go to the ceiling or stop about a foot from the ceiling which would allow small boxes to be stored on top of the cabinets.

I decided on cabinets that went to the ceiling, so they ended up being 48" high. No matter which option I chose, a ladder will be needed to reach the upper shelves.

I would be using 3/4" plywood for the cabinet frames.  Which means, that if I made a double cabinet like at the El Paso home, it would be too heavy for me to get onto the wall. 

I decided to make 4 separate cabinets measuring 48" high, 19" wide, and 16" deep.  For the area width of 76.5 inches, I left a 1/2 inch to play with, to slide the cabinets left or right in place once they were on the wall.  Any gaps would be covered by trim or moulding.

 


3 of the 4 cabinets hung in place on French cleat.
The moulding along the floor in this area was
removed before workbench was made.
One piece was used on the top of the cabinets.

For these cabinets, I wanted to make them adjustable since I would probably be living in this house until I die.  Might as well make them as flexible as I can.

After cutting the cabinet pieces, I created a jig with holes and drilled 5mm holes on the cabinet sides for a peg system for the shelves.

I also decided to not make any backs for the cabinets.  The wall will be the back.


All four cabinets lifted into place and hooked on French cleat that is attached to the studs


At this point on, I did not take any photographs.  Sorry, but I was just duplicating what I already did in El Paso which is why I referred readers there in the beginning.

After drilling the holes in cabinet sides for the peg system, I also made dados on the sides for the bottom and tops of the cabinets to slide into. I left space at the top and bottom so that there is something other than the ledge to nail moulding on.

The inside of the four cabinets were painted the wall color (Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray) before I hung them on the wall.  Easier to paint while on the floor, than on a ladder.  The French cleat and the horizontal piece of wood at the bottom of each cabinet, used to level the cabinets, were painted after the cabinets were secured in place.

The top piece of moulding on the cabinets came from the floor.  I removed all of the floor moulding in this area because of the workbench. 

For the wood between each cabinet and along the wall on the left and right, I used 1 x 3 white board. For the pieces against the wall, I ripped the trim in half. The 3" moulding along the bottom of the cabinets was the same moulding I used around the top edge of the garage closet.
 


Cabinet doors open with shelves installed on peg system

All of these trim and moulding pieces (excluding the moulding that was taken off the wall at the floor), were painted with one coat Minwax Polyshade Satin finish - Espresso which was then sanded when dry with 220 grit sandpaper and then a coat of Minwax Polyshade Satin finish - Pecan.  This color combination gives me a brown color similar to the existing moulding in the garage.

To make the cabinet doors, I used 1/2 inch plywood and furring strips as the trim on the doors.  The furring strips are real cheap. This is fine for this project because the cabinet doors will be stained too dark to matter or will be painted over with wall paint. 


1 x 3 x 8-ft Furring Strip (Common);
0.75-in x 2.5-in x 8-ft (Actual)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/1-x-3-x-8-ft-Furring-Strip-Common-0-75-in-x-2-5-in-x-8-ft-Actual/1000427903

However because all of this wood was really rough, I took an orbital sander to both sides of the doors with 80 grit sandpaper followed by 120 grit to take off all of rough edges after the trim was glued and nailed on the front of the doors.

A note about these furring strips.  You get what you pay for.  They are supposed to be used when doing rough framing of a structure.  They are not meant for fine furniture.  However, if you are wanting a rough look, they work fine.  Be prepared to go through the pile for straight boards.  There are a lot of twisted and warped boards.  You want to cut and get them attached to your project before they dry and warp more.  Use lots of glue and clamp everything down to dry.

Because the cabinet doors were so long, I gave them a barn door style trim to dress them up a bit.

The doors assembled are 1.25 inches thick around the edge, so they are heavy and solid.  Heavy duty hinges will be needed for the doors because of their size.

Since the doors will be flush mounted, I needed flush mounted hinges.  Since this is in the garage, I did not need anything too decorative but I wanted something a little different.  After looking at various rustic type hinges, I came across the H - L style hinges on the House of Antique Hardware website.

I also wanted some simple pull handles that screwed onto the surface.  With thick cabinet doors, finding machine screws the exact size needed, is a problem sometimes.  If the handles just attaches on the top of the door, there is no problem.  You also don't have to drill a hole all the way through the cabinet door.



Set of "H - L" Style Cabinet Hinges
 - 7" H x 6 5/8" W
https://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/set-of-h-l-style-cabinet-hinges-7-inch-h-x-6-5-8-inch-w


Classic Cast-Iron Handle
 - 3 1/2" Center-to-Center
https://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/restoration-hardware-iron-handle-3-1-2

The shelves were made with 3/4" plywood and use an adjustable pin system.

Shelf Pins
 

Glarks 50-Pieces 5x25mm Dowel Pin Stainless Steel Shelf Support Pegs Pin Rod Fasten Elements https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B07F3TWSBY/ref=od_aui_detailpages02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jocon SF9000 PVC Flexible Vinyl Round End Caps Shelf Organizer Tip Caps Wire Thread Protector Cover (Inner Dia 5mm, Black)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B071HBB9HR/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The completed cabinets and workbench is pictured on the right.

To build the work bench, I just used basic framing techniques using 2 x 4's.

I built the back first.  Then the two sides were built followed by the front with door framing around the door opening. 

The dimensions of the workbench area are 76.5" wide x 38" high, and 32" deep.

The area under the workbench is just a big open storage area for things like shop vacs.

I debated on whether to paint the trim around the workshop door brown but opted for a cleaner one color paint job with the exception of the trim at the floor.

The front walls of the workbench are 1/2" plywood.


Completed cabinets and workbench


Cabinet under the workbench for big bulky items


The top of the workbench is 3/4" plywood.  I painted it with two coats (making it almost black) of the  Minwax Polyshade Satin finish - Espresso.  Sanding between coats.  I then finished off the top with two coats of  Minwax Polyshade Gloss  - Pecan for a shiny finish.

A lot of the trim I used here, I had on-hand.

The trim along the front of the top was a door stop from a door frame that was not used when we needed a door for the other house in Lawton.  My husband bought the door in the frame when we only needed the door.  I took apart the door frames and saved the wood. 

Along the wall on top of the workbench I used trim that was also bought and not used for the now sold Lawton home.

The workbench edge along the wall on the sides,  I used quarter round moulding to cover the tiny gap and give the workbench a more built-in look.  Also something I was going to use at the other house but didn't.
 


Workbench surface and wall

The five Knape & Vogt 16 in. x 16 in. Diamond Plate Galvanized Steel Pegboard (Model # 203950733) squares attached to the wall between the cabinets and workbench are the same one's I had installed in El Paso.  I removed them before I moved.  I am very glad I did this.  What I bought for $7.74 each, back in July 25, 2016, is now $16.13 each on the Home Depot website.  Over double the price.  Darn...I wanted to buy 2 more for this space.  After a quick internet search, Ace Hardware had the same pegboards for $9.99.  The cheapest I could find.  I ordered it there with free store pick-up.  There is an Ace Hardware only 1.5 miles from my home.

I also removed the LED light fixture over the workbench in El Paso and reinstalled it here. I paid almost $60 for it in 2016 and it was still new. This item is now much cheaper because the market has driven LED light fixtures prices way down.

There is only one outlet along this wall which is now covered by the workbench.  While installing the workbench top, I drilled a 1" wide hole in the surface.  I had an old black power strip which I attached to the moulding along the back of the workbench surface.  The LED under cabinet light is plugged in here.  There are 4 other outlets also available on the strip.

The cost for this job and the closet below, because I bought the plywood at the same time, is around $400.  I used about eight 2 x 4's left over from my Tuff Shed shelving project.  The plywood, firing strips, whiteboard, brown stain, H-L hinges, and pulls were bought for this project. I used a lot of on-hand moulding.  If you have no materials on-hand, expect to pay a little more.


Finished garage area.  Workbench on the left.  Closet with 2 doors on the right.  Water heater closet
in the middle with the double doors.  Ladders now hung on the wall on far left.  Empty spot is
where my SUV goes, backed up against the red plush thing hanging from the ceiling.

 
Stealth Corner Closet


Between the large garage door and the smaller garage door there is a dead corner.  It is not big enough for much of anything. 

You could hang a ladder or some brooms in this corner.  That is about it.

I had a more creative solution for using this space.  Why not build a narrow little closet?  My husband kept going.... huh?  What are you talking about?

This closet will be small and will only use one 2 x 4 to support the outer corner.  Smaller lumber will be used for the shelf supports on the sides.  The closet will only measure 18.5" x 23" and will have 3 shelves.


 Small corner between garage doors.
Shelf supports screwed into studs on wall.

The first thing I did was remove the floor moulding in the corner and remove all of the staples along the edge of the garage opening frame that are for the garage opener wiring.  I wanted the wiring clear of this area.  I will remount the wires later and much neater.

On the existing longer section of wall, I found the second vertical stud in the wall.  The first is located on the outer corner.  I then mounted some scrap lumber I had, either 1 x 2 or 1 x 3 on the wall where the shelves and closet ceiling would be.

The scrap lumber was mounted on the studs on the existing wall, I then painted the bare wood.  I was using a primer which was slightly lighter, so you can see it on the wall.

On the 3/4" piece of plywood I cut for the outer wall, I attached the 2 x 4 along the outer edge of the plywood.  The shelf supports were then attached to the plywood.


Small corner between garage doors.
Shelf supports screwed into studs on wall.

When all of the wood shelf support pieces were attached to the plywood, the plywood was put into place against the edge of the right side of the garage opening.  A 2 x 10 is part of the garage door frame and the piece of closet plywood just fits against the edge.  I toenailed the plywood to this 2 x 10.  I did cut some notches in the plywood along the top so that the plywood would fit in snuggly.  I also made a notch in the bottom corner for the wiring to go through for the garage door opener.

Scraps of 1/2" plywood, left over from the workbench, were used along the left side and top of the closet.  Scrap pieces of plywood were also used for the shelves.  2 pieces of plywood make each shelf except for the top shelf, which is half-sized.

I used some polystyrene moulding along the top of the closet which is the same as the large garage storage closet.  I also placed some PVC corner moulding on the outer edge.


Outside closet wall constructed


Outside closet wall constructed

 
The door for the stealth closet is nothing more than a piece of 1/2" plywood painted.  2 simple cabinet door hinges, that I had on-hand from the other house, were flush mounted on the left edge.  A simple wood knob is used to open the door.

The entire closet was then painted the wall color.  I also painted over the hinges and pull knob.  I wanted the closet to be as invisible as possible.

The floor moulding was cut and placed along the bottom of the closet.  Note:  because of where the cement ledge is, the moulding at the front of the garage is higher on the wall.

The floor moulding was also cut for the front of the closet door to add to the stealth feature.


Stealth closet complete


Stealth closet complete


Stealth closet complete

I ended up using the closet for all of my paint and paint supplies that were previously stored in the large garage closet.

For anyone looking into or walking into the garage, this closet will not even be noticed.  Walking out of the garage someone may notice it, particularly if they notice the box on top.

I will add some hooks on the outside of the closet to a hang a broom or two.  On the inside of the stealth closet door, I will place some small hooks to hang brushes, etc.
 
 

Page last updated August 8, 2019

The Projects
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Backsplash in Kitchen
Balcony
Bench - 2 x 4 Basics Flip-Top Bench Table
Brick Replacement and Brick Accent Painting
Casper Mattress
Ceiling Tiles
Closet Built from Scratch
Column Wraps for 4" x 8" Posts
Concrete Slabs
Curb Appealing Street Numbers
Cut Paper Artwork - Kitchen
Door Knobs and Cabinet Pulls
Doors
Dry rotted wood beam repair and paint
Doggy door installed on wrought iron screen door - Repair of door
Duct Work
End Table / Cabinet - Vintage / Industrial Look
Faux Brick and Tile
- Stucco wall patio and backyard stairs
    using concrete patch

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Fencing
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Fire Place Hearth Shelves
Furniture Assembly
Garage Closet - Oklahoma
Garage Facelift - Closet, etc
Gate From Hell
GoNanas - Failed Order Attempt
Horrible Man Cave (rec room) Total Renovation
House Entrance Renovation
How to fix holes in a wrought iron screen door and replace screen
How to Make Your Own Door
- Crawl Space Door
How to Winterize a Swamp (Evaporative) Cooler
Kitchen Counter Tops - Faux Granite
Kitchen Facelift
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Laundry Room Cupboards
Main Bathroom Repair / Remodel
Master Bathroom Shower Area Stripped to the Studs
Mirror Frames
Oklahoma Home Facelift -- Aluminum Siding and Paint
OMG!  The sink was leaking the whole time we were away?
Raising the Roof - Garage Roof Replacement
Rock Wall Repair
Rolling Cabinet - Vintage /  Industrial Look
Shark Apex UpLight Corded Lift-Away Vacuum - Review
Siding - Exterior
Signage for Pine Ridge Estates
Solar Lighting Journey
Stair Door
Stairs to the Lower Level
Stencils - How to Make Your Own Stencils for Paint Projects
Storage Shed / Closet
Storm Shelter (Elgin, OK 2021)
Storm Shelter (Lawton, OK 2014)
Stucco Wall Repair and Paint
Swamp (Evaporative) Cooler Maintenance
Treadmill Table - Vintage Style
Tuff Shed
Wrought Iron Facelift Outside
Weather Stripping (doors)
Why is My Swamp (Evaporative) Cooler Blowing Hot Air?
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