Storing large, bulky insulation blankets when they are not needed in the garden can be a challenge. I solved the problem by constructing a storage rack that attaches to the back wall of my garage and swings up to store the blankets just under the roof trusses.
My storage rack began life as a pile of scrap, small dimension lumber.
First, I built a light, rectangular frame a little smaller than the dimensions of a blanket. Next, I used more scraps to form a side, 16 inches tall that I attached at a right angle to a long side of the frame. I attached the other long side to the back wall of my garage. I attached it (using strap hinges) to two wall studs of the back wall 16 inches below the top of the sill (the roof trusses rest upon this sill).
Finally, I fashioned a rope and pulley and attached one end of the rope to the top of the 16 inch side. The rope threads through a pulley mounted in the rafters, and pulling the rope raises and lowers the frame.
When the frame is fully raised, the blankets are stored overhead and out of the way until they are needed the following winter. For safety sake, I tie a rope to one roof truss, run the rope under the frame and blankets, and tie the other end of the rope to a roof truss on the other side. If anything fails, the blankets will drop onto this rope rather than onto my head.
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