Innovative Garage Cabinet Solution – Garage Cabinets On Rails

One of the newest innovations in garage cabinet storage is using a “rail” system and modular storage units that hook onto the rails.  Garage rail systems provide great flexibility and durability.  And you can easily install everything yourself.  The rails are composed of heavy-gauge steel with mounting screws set every 16 inches.  You simply find a stud, screw one end of the rail to the stud, level the rail and then screw it into the other studs.    Different kinds of brackets can clip onto the rails, including hooks, baskets, shelves, clamps and even cabinets.

Here’s a very short video that shows one rail and a couple brackets:

The most popular rail systems are made by Rubbermaid™ and FreedomRail.™   The Rubbermaid FastTrack system  (which is shown in the video) installs horizontally and claims a 2000 pound carrying capacity.

By staggering the rails, you can make room for long items like rakes or shovels and shorter items like baskets or boxes (which can fit on a shelf).

The main benefit of garage rail storage solutions, other than flexibility, is keeping everything off the floor. By keeping the floor completely free, the garage is easier to keep clean, pests are not invited to make nests and the items you are seeking are closer to eye level.  And because there’s a “system,” there is a wide range of storage components – from open mesh or solid shelves; to boxes or cubbies; to S-hooks or dual prongs; to multi-drawer units; or to complete 2-door or 4-drawer cabinets.    And the systems can support organizers of varying depths – 9”, 12” or even 16” depths, as well as those that hang on the wall.

Another approach to a rail system is to mount the rails vertically, as is shown just below. There, the rails are attached vertically, several times to the same stud, and the rails have reinforced holes where shelving, garage cabinets, storage baskets, brackets or other garage storage solutions can be attached.

Most people think of rail systems as a sort of heavy-duty pegboard – something that will support garden tools, bikes and stuff on a shelf. But they also can hold a more conventional garage cabinet, with or without doors or drawers. Even a sort of bookshelf can hang on a rail, either a rail mounted horizontally or two rails mounted vertically. We have even seen a “worktop” cantilevered off one of the vertical systems — although we wouldn’t want to load it as heavily as a traditional workbench. (Also, at 16 inches in depth, it isn’t as useful as a full workbench.) But rest assured: If you want a tall cabinet, bookshelves or other traditional garage cabinets, they all are available on rail systems.

These solutions are better than Ikea garage cabinets or Craftsman steel garage cabinets. But you can get hardware that can attach to the back of these and regular, plywood garage cabinets and then attach to the rails.  Very cool!

The systems can be a bit expensive if you have a huge space to cover, but for modest installations, or for filling in just a portion of your garage, these “rail” oriented garage cabinet storage solutions are great.