infiniteMPG wrote:
Thanks to all for your suggestions!!! Not sure if the overall space
will be enough to actually walk in to it, but then again the depth is
probably too deep for just shelves (either that or the stuff in the
back would be totally forgotten about and that wouldn't be a first for
me :O). Maybe just load the thing will all pull-out drawers? The
cleaning supplies are basically under the kitchen sink and in the
laundry room, so this will be all cooking/kitchen/food stuffs.
You have 28" of depth. If you put standard 12" shelves along the back
you'll have 16" in front of them...not really enough room to do anything
with along the sides since your door is probably at least 30" wide.
Some thoughts/suggestions...
1. Keep your most used items on shelves between knee and eye level.
2. Use the bottom shelf for TALL items so you can more easily reach the
item. Ditto for shelves above eye level but store little used items on
them. Shelves above head level could be wider if you have big stuff to
store.
3. Make a shallow shelf unit to attach to the back of the door. Shelves no
more than 3" deep. Such a unit sucks up lots of small stuff and doesn't
affect the amount of storage area within the pantry itself. Extremely
handy.
If the door is hollow core, use a nailer at top and bottom of the shelf unit
to screw to the door about 1" from top & bottom. If the door is solid, you
can use nailers along the sides of the unit. In either case, the width of
the unit must be less than the door (set back at the latch side) to
accommodate the door swing when opening. How much less than the door?
square root of ((door width squared) + (door and shelf unit thickness
squared)) = max width of shelf unit.
The shelves need to have fids at the front to keep stuff from sliding off
when the door is moved. A "fid" is just a thin (1/4" or so) piece of wood
along the front edge of the shelf sticking up about an inch above it.
_________________
Are all wood shelves better then the metal grated shelving if fixed
(sliding shelves would almost have to be all wood)?
I'd forget sliding shelves. I'd also forget wire shelves (small stuff falls
through). If it were me I'd use 3/4" melamine covered particle board. It
is inexpensive, needs no finishing (other than optionally on exposed edges)
and is easy to clean.
I would...
1. Make two uprights the same depth as the shelves, drill them at 1 - 1 1/2
intervals for KV shelf clips and attach them to the side walls. They need
not go entirely to the ceiling, just an inch or so higher than the height of
the top shelf. They would wind up sloping outward slightly from the corners
because of the drywall tape/mud in the corners but not enough so you would
have to cut the shelf ends anything other than square (unless you really,
really enjoy wood fiddling
2. I'd make the shelves of the same material taping the front edge with
either a thin strip of wood or the plastic sold for the purpose. The latter
is easier.
Someone may say that particle board will sag. I say I have dozens of such
shelves and none - not a single one - has ever sagged. Of course, add
enough weight and *anything* will sag. One of our hall closets is about the
size of your pantry and I have two 17" CRT computer monitors sitting on a
12" shelf. No sag.
--
dadiOH
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