The term "vertical storage" is nothing more than a term coined by someone to represent using walls as a place to store your stuff. We think it had it's origins in Florida, where Mike recently spent some time living. Most of the homes in Florida do not have basements. Attics, as we know them in the northeast, are quite different. This difference is mostly due to Florida code requiring a home be framed to better withstand wind damage (hurricanes). With no basement and little attic space, storage is at a premium.

We had a call from a homeowner who had a water problem in her basement. In and of itself, it was an easy enough fix. However, the "stuff" they had stored in the basement was in direct contact with the unfinished cement floor. Some of the wooden furniture stored there was damaged, as were the contents of a number of cardboard boxes. During the course of our conversations, we mentioned vertical storage to them. They were interested and asked for some suggestions.

We looked around and found some empty wall space on both sides of the water heating system. Some was next to and behind the water tank for the well. Since there was very little that could be done other than wall it off should they ever decide to finish the basement, we chose there as a place to start.

The photo on the right shows a 6-foot section of wall with a coat rack at the top and 2 sections of 4 foot Closet Maid shelving underneath. We suggested the modular shelving here for two reasons. It allows for air flow, plus it is easily removable should either tank require service.

We've included a link to the Closet Maid website here because they offer some tools on their site that are very helpful for helping you design and plan your own storage solutions.