French Cleat Lumber Rack from Scrap Lumber (Week 4)

Follow along to see how I built this mounted lumber rack for only $50! I've included detailed instructions as well as the build plans below.

Lumber prices are through the roof right now – no one knows this better than I do!

This garage renovation has been the ultimate test to see how far I can stretch my lumber pile. Challenge accepted 💪

So far, I've moved pre-existing shelving around like a game of Tetris and reused some workbench lumber to make a 2x4 shelving unit for $20.

This post is Week 4 in The Take Back My Garage Renovation Series. To catch up in the series, head over here:

Week 1: Miter Saw Station + Painting | Week 2: Easy 2x4 Shelving | Week 3: French Cleat Wall

Let's start with what my lumber pile organization looked like one month ago. Wood was propped up against the wall, the fridge – pretty much any nook or cranny where I had space.

Yep, my haphazard system was a total crapshoot, leading to warped lumber and even mold where I had plywood propped up against the fridge.

I had trouble finding what I needed when I needed it. Also, I learned to brace myself for spiders and cockroaches as I sifted through the mess.

Fast forward a few weeks, and here is the new home for all that lumber.

To test the integrity of this build, I went ahead and jumped up there myself.

The key advantage to using a french cleat system is flexibility. Brackets can be moved around depending on the size of wood being stored. I made small and large brackets so there'd be plenty of places to insert dowel rods and pipes.

The brackets were based on plans provided by Matthew Walker in Sketchup's 3D Warehouse. Matt – if you're out there somewhere reading this, you da man.

The plan is to leave the last 48" of the lower wall open just in case I need to set a full sheet of plywood at a future point in time.

I'm planning on turning an old pallet into a lumber cart by adding casters and removing some of the inner boards similar to how I made these strawberry pallet planters.

Ready to build this lumber rack? Here's how I did it.

Tools

• Table saw or circular saw
• Impact driver
• Drill
• Stud finder
• Level
• Measuring tape
• Miter saw
• Kreg Jig
• Nail Gun

Materials

• 1x4 pine @ 8' (number of boards depends on how many cleats you want on the wall)
• 1x6 pine or 3/4" plywood ripped to 5 1/2"
• 1x4 cleat with a 45-degree bevel, ripped to 5 1/2"
• 2x2 pine
• Pocket hole screws
• Wood glue
• 2" Brad nails
• 2" wood screws
• 3" wood screws

*Links included are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission should you purchase any of the items above. For more, see my disclosures.

Step 1

Build your french cleat wall. I describe this process in great detail over in this post.

The only thing I did differently this time was use a piece of 2x4 as a spacer between each level, which sped up the process immensely.

Step 2

Build your brackets, then attach each bracket to a piece of 1x6 with a french cleat attached to the back.

Cut list:

Mounting Block

• 1x6 @ 12 3/4"
• 1x4 with 45 degree bevel @ 5 1/2"

Large Bracket

• (1) 2x2 @ 12 3/4"
• (1) 2x2 @ 11 1/4"
• (1) 2x2 @ 13 13/16" with 45-degree angle cut from either end
• (1) 2x2 @ 2 1/2"

Mounting Block

• 1x6 @ 7 5/8"
• 1x4 with 45 degree bevel @ 5 1/2"

Large Bracket

• (1) 2x2 @ 7 5/8"
• (1) 2x2 @ 6 3/4"
• (1) 2x2 @ 8 3/4" with 45-degree angle cut from either end
• (1) 2x2 @ 1 1/2"

As noted, the inner supporting brace will be cut at a 45-degree angle. I secured them to the L-frame with pocket hole screws and wood glue.

The basic structure will be secured at a right angle with a 3" wood screw and wood glue.

Make as many brackets as your little heart desires; I made 18.

The brackets are 100% scrap wood, saving me a fortune on lumber and also reducing the amount of lumber needing to be stored!

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue to streamline my workshop! Here's a list of projects completed and those remaining:

• Painted the walls Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
• Custom miter stand with rolling cart storage
• Built-in shelving for rolling carts
• French cleat wall
• Custom tool cleats (mostly done, still need a few more)
• 2x4 shelving unit for kitchen pantry items
• Move smelly hockey equipment to opposite side of the room
• Sawdust collection system
• LED lighting
• Mounted lumber rack
• Rolling lumber cart for remaining scrap wood
• Raised dog food stand

At the end of the day you don't need a huge budget to overhaul your garage! I've spent about $600 thus far, and $500 of that was on lumber for the miter saw stand.

Cheers,

Erin