Installing a closet system often takes time and preparation. For a closet system to function at its best, it needs to be well designed; the key to how well the system works is understanding what needs to be stored. Part of preparation includes removal of everything in the closet, then sorting and discarding older garments. Then your closet is ready for renovation. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Remove everything from the closet, including existing shelving, closet rods, hooks or other items. Use a hammer and pry bar. Use a putty knife to fill in any holes with spackle. Sort garments into distinct categories. If your closet was overflowing, try to reduce the amount of stuff you will return to the closet by 25 percent.
Discard worn, shabby or incorrectly sized garments and shoes. Place your remaining items away from your closet area so they will remain clean while you work.
2. Measure the entire closet using a tape measure. Mark the exact dimensions of the closet space on a piece of 1/4-inch graph paper, using a scale of 1/4-inch to equal 1 foot. Acquire a product selection guide from the store or online source that shows all of the available system options, features, dimensions and hardware. Determine your closet requirements by examining the items you will return to the closet.
3. Select cabinets from the product guide first and note where cabinetry will be placed, then select the location and height of rods, and any slide-out baskets or other containers you want to use. Draw on your closet plan where each of these items will fit; list the items (including necessary hardware) on the side of the paper so you will know what to purchase.
4. Rework your design until you are satisfied with the finished system that you want to install. Take your paper, tape measure and straight edge into the closet and draw your system onto the walls with a pencil. This will give you a real life feel for how things will fit, and it will give you an opportunity to make further adjustments if something doesn't work. Finalize your design and parts list.
5. Lay plastic sheeting on the closet floor. Tape off any trim that you do not wish to paint. Paint the inside of the closet using a paint brush, roller and roller tray. You may need more than one coat of paint if the closet hasn't been painted in a long time. Allow 4 hours between coats and 24 hours for the paint to dry completely.
6. Mount the horizontal hanging strip that is standard for most wire-style closet organizer systems sold in large home stores. There is typically a 2-inch by 4-inch stud behind the drywall at the very top of the closet. The hanging strip is mounted to this stud, through the drywall. Use a drill to pre-drill your screw holes. Screw the hanging strip to the wall with screws and a power screwdriver.
7. Hang your vertical supports or cabinet supports according to your drawing. This system is quite adjustable, with the hanging strip at the top bearing the load. Once you are certain the vertical supports are in the correct locations, use a level and screw the bottom of the supports to the wall. These screws are not load bearing, they simply keep the supports from moving around.
8. Attach your shelf brackets by sliding the brackets into the vertical supports. Trim the width on any shelves using bolt cutters and cover the sharp ends with the plastic end caps that are provided with the hardware package. Continue adding shelves, rods or other features that match your design. Most of the elements in this type of system clip or snap together easily.
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