Build & Frame a Bedroom Closet
Adding a new closet to a room can provide increased storage space, improve the functionality of the room, increase the value of the home or just give you another place to hang your coat.
For ceiling heights greater or less than 8 feet, the wall stud dimensions outlined in accompanying steps will have to be adjusted accordingly. The procedure for a simple 8-foot clothing closet is equally applicable to larger closet sizes, and the result is an improvement that will enhance any room. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Preparation & Layout
1. Detach and remove any carpeting and underpad that covers the floor area where the new closet is to be built.
2. Use a pencil to mark the outside line of the new closet walls on the floor.
3. Use a chalk line to snap a layout of the wall lines on the floor.
Framing Procedure For New Closet
4. Cut two lengths of 1½-inch by 3½ framing lumber to the dimension of the front wall line chalk line on the floor. These pieces are called "plates" and form the top and bottom of the wall. Place the two pieces flat on the floor and inside the chalked wall line, one on top of the other, with the ends flush.
5. Cut two similar lengths of 1½-inch by 3½ framing lumber to the dimension of the end wall to fit between the existing wall and the front wall.
6. With the pairs of plates in place on the floor, mark the center line and rough opening dimensions of the new pre-hung closet door according to the manufacturer's specifications. Square these lines onto both the top and bottom plates.
7. Beginning with the front wall plates, from the end that connects to the existing wall, make a pencil mark at 15¼ inches and use a hand square to transfer the matching marks onto both pieces. Then, from this first mark, mark the plates at 16-inch increments along the full length of both pieces, squaring each of the marks to insure the layout matches on both plates.
8. Place both of the plates on the floor, on edge, parallel and spaced sufficiently apart to insert the 1½-inch by 3½-inch by 92½-inch standard wall studs between the top and bottom plates.
9. Position a single wall stud, on edge, for each of the pencil lines on the plates, except for those that fall between to two outside lines of the door's rough opening. Place a single wall stud at both ends of the wall as well.
10. Attach each stud to the plate pieces on the 16-inch layout line with two 16d nails through the plate into each stud end. Be sure to attach the studs to the same side of each layout line. Repeat at other end of the studs to attach opposite plate piece.
11. Install a wall stud at the corner end of the front wall, perpendicular to the end stud and with the face flush with the top edge of the plates and wall stud. This creates an "L" corner member for the shorter end wall to be nailed to and forms an inside corner when the walls are standing.
12. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 for the plates of the end wall.
13. Position the two assembled wall sections on the floor with the bottom plates just outside their respective wall lines on the floor. (Once fully assembled, both walls will stand up in place from this position.)
14. Cut a length of 1½-inch by 3½-inch lumber to the length of the the top plate minus 3½ inches. Set aside. This is for the front wall.
15. Cut a length of 1½-inch by 3½-inch lumber to the length of the the top plate plus 3½ inches. Set aside. This is for the end wall.
16. Cut the 3½-inch by 5½-inch beam to the dimension of the rough opening width plus 3 inches. Mark the center of the beam's length and square line across face of header beam.
17.Lay the cut header beam against the bottom plate of the wall and align the center mark of the header and the center mark of the rough opening for the door. Scribe a pencil line on the bottom plate at each end of the header beam. Repeat procedure at the top plate.
18. Install a wall stud on each of the scribed lines as in step 9. These are called "king" studs. Make certain the header beam fits snugly between these two studs.
19. Measuring from the bottom of the bottom plate, mark the height of the door's rough opening on the king studs installed in step 15. Square line across the face and edge of the studs.
20. Cut two pieces of 1½-inch by 3½-inch lumber to the dimension between the bottom plate and rough opening height mark. Position one each on the inside face of the king studs at either side of the opening. These pieces, called "trimmers," create a support for the door header beam.
21. Position the header beam to span across the opening and against the top of the trimmers. Secure with 16d nails through the king studs and into the ends of the header beam. The face of header beam should be flush with the edge of the king studs and wall surface.
22. Cut 1½-inch by 3½-inch blocks for the space between the door header beam and the top plate. Cut one for each end of the header beam above the trimmers and one for each 16-inch wall stud layout line on the top plate. Nail each block on the same side of the line as the wall studs were installed. Nail with two 16d nails through the top plate and an 8d nail diagonally through corner of header beam into the block end. For added strength, run a bead of construction adhesive across each end of the blocks before nailing.
23. Secure the front and end walls of the closet. For the front wall, nail the 1½-inch by 3½-inch top plate cut in Step 13 onto top plate of the wall, keeping the board flush with the end that butts into the existing wall. For the end wall, nail the 1½-inch by 3½-inch top plate cut in Step 14 onto top plate of the wall, keeping the board flush with the end that butts into the existing wall. This will leave a 3½-inch "notch" at the top of the corner end.
24. Stand both walls up into place, front wall first. The longer top plate piece on the end wall will fit into the "notch" in the front wall's top plate. Secure the two wall sections together at the corner by nailing through the top plates where they lap.
Note that the wall framing will bind slightly at the top when it meets the existing ceiling surface and can be tapped into place with a hammer.
25. Insure that the ends of the walls and the corner are plumb with a builders level and secure with 16d nails into floor and existing wall studs where applicable.
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With the walls secured in place, use a handsaw to cut out the bottom plate of the door opening. Keep the cuts tight against the face of the trimmers.
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install interior and exterior drywall to the walls. With the drywall complete on both sides of the new walls, install the closet door according to the manufacturer's specifications. The closet structure is complete.
Tags: header beam, -inch -inch, front wall, wall stud, rough opening, bottom plate