How to Build a Closet

In some people’s minds, a closet is where you put things to get them out of the way and out of sight. In other people’s minds, a closet is an organizational dream or nightmare. Building a closet can be easy as long as you are honest about how you are going to use it.

Required Materials

• wood or metal

Required Tools

• hammer
• drill
• tape measure
• level
• wire cutters
• stud finder
• pencil/paper
• saw

Instructions

1. Design – If you are enlarging an existing space, tear out the walls and rebuild with your closet design in mind. Make sure that you have thought about the end layout; electrical and plumbing considerations should be addressed early on.
2. Measuring – If you are going to be putting together your own wood or metal closet system, measuring is an important step. Do some general sketching of what you would like your end result to be and include measurements. Most systems require the same hardware, so mixing, matching and changing is fairly easy.
3. Studs – Whether you are planning on using a custom wood system or a standardized closet organizer, you will need to use the studs in the walls. They will support the most weight without pulling down the wall. Use your stud finder to locate the studs. Generally, they should be 16” on center running vertically within the wall. Attach your system to these studs where possible. There are some horizontal tracks available, but the vertical is much stronger and allows for change down the road.
4. Blended Systems – Just because you are using somebody else’s design for your closet does not mean that you cannot combine wood and metal structures. The metal systems are fairly uniform. There is no reason why you shouldn’t use the metal attachment system along with a wood shelf or hanging system. All you have to do is remember the measurements of the metal system for your wood elements.
5. Painting or Staining – If you have chosen to construct shoe trays, hanging rails and flat shelves, you will need to make sure that they are painted or stained. This will not only make the décor look nicer, but it will also keep the wood from damaging your clothes or whatever you happen to put in your closet.
6. Mixing and Matching – If you choose to combine metal and wood systems, remember that the metal arms that come out of the vertical stud attachments are already slightly on an angle. This means that you just need to make a simple short-sided box for your shelving. If wainscoting is desired for a wood finish, there are many options available at home stores.

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How to Build a Closet

How to Build a Closet