HANGING -- Alternative Storage Techniques

Hanging things reduces the need for cabinets and shelves. It helps keep the floor uncluttered and easier to clean. Nothing falls and breaks -- it just swings a bit when you bump into it.

In high-ceiling rooms, such as mine, there is normally a lot of wasted space overhead. Hanging things can help utilize that space. Hanging things also keeps them visible.

I set iron rings in my ceilings and walls and use them to hang things directly. The rings can also be used to hang pipe or chain from which to hang things.

"S" hooks and rope loops are two ways to hang things from attachment points.

My house is basically dome shaped. Domes have high ceilings. Thinking ahead, I set iron rings in the cement from which to hang things later. One can hang things directly from those rings, especially heavy things.

To give me more attachment points for hanging lighter things, I welded up some big-link chain and hung it from ring to ring. Each link provides an attachment point for hooks.

Horizontal pipes can also be suspended in the air from the rings and used to hang things.

"S" hooks can be bent out of wire, with pliers, or out of iron rebar, using two strong pins as a bending jig. I use two bolts set part way in a wood post to bend rebar hooks.

Rope loops can be used to hang just about anything that can't be hung directly with an "S" hook. Hang the object with the rope loop and hang the rope on an "S" hook.

Hanging wire baskets are useful for storing things. I especially find them useful in the kitchen, so I can look up from underneath and see what I have in them.

I quite often find electric fans thrown away. The wire fan covers make excellent baskets. One can also weave baskets using galvanized wire.

Given two attachment points on a wall, you can suspend shelves using galvanized wire. The wire makes a triangle as it goes down from the attachment point, under the shelf, and back up to the attachment point.

This design doesn't eliminate the need for wood, but it does minimize the amount needed to make shelves.

The ceiling of my main room is about 15 feet high. To hang light-weight things using "S" hooks, I made a special pole for raising them up and hooking or unhooking the "S" hooks from chain links, rings, or pipes.