Plastic vs. metal shelving in a damp garage is not a debate - metal wins every time.

I put plastic shelves in my Detroit garage last spring and they started bowing within 2 months from the humidity and a few heavy totes. Swapped to a basic metal rack for $65 and it's held up through a whole year of Michigan seasons - has anyone else had plastic fail on them that fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinp8912d ago

My workshop in Portland had the same exact issue. I put up those cheap plastic units from the big box store and within a month the shelves were drooping like a sad basset hound. I switched to a heavy duty wire metal rack with 500 pound capacity per shelf and it's been solid for 3 years now. The trick for me was getting a rack with cross braces in the back, that stopped the wobble I had with the plastic ones too.

emmaking12d ago

You get cross braces with the plastic ones too or just the basic setup?

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fionafoster11d ago

You got a buddy who tried the plastic ones? My mate Dave from down the street bought a set for his garage to store old car parts. He loaded them up with some brake rotors and transmission fluid jugs, nothing too crazy. Within a week the middle shelf just collapsed, dumped everything onto the floor. He ended up tossing the whole thing in the trash and building his own wood shelves with 2x4s.