Building shelves and a closet are not difficult projects.
Adding a closet and shelves to a bedroom can expand storage space and make it easier to organize the items in the bedroom. For example, the shelves can be used to store books, toys or shoes. You can design the closet to fit your storage needs. Building a closet is not a difficult process, but you will need to allow time for the drywall compound to dry before you paint it and hang the door. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Closet
1. Design your closet space. Determine how large you want your closet to be and the area you want your closet to occupy. You will need to attach the closet walls to the studs in the wall, not just the drywall. Use a stud finder to find the studs, and adjust your building measurements accordingly. Measure the depth of the closet. Most closets are at least 24 inches deep. Measure the top of the ceiling, and find the distance between the top of the door frame and the ceiling.
2. Cut your 2-by-4s for the project. For each wall without a door, you will need 2 2-by-4s that are the length of the wall. You will need to cut the 2-by-4s to go within the wall frame. These should be the height of the ceiling minus 4 inches. You will need enough that you can place them on each side of the frame, and 18 inches apart throughout. Cut a piece that is the width of the doorframe. Then, cut enough 2-by-4s, so you can frame the top of the door every 18 inches. These should be the distance between the top of the door frame and the ceiling minus 4 inches.
3. Frame the walls for the closet. You will need to layout the frames. Place the length pieces down, then nail the height pieces on either end. Use 2 nails for each side of the 2-by-4s. The 4-inch side of the 2-by-4 will lay flush with the ceiling or the floor. The height pieces should be 18 inches apart. For the wall with the door, nail the four outside pieces into place. Then, nail each of the inner pieces 18 inches apart, leaving a space where the door will go. Nail two height pieces into the space on either side of where you will place the doorframe. Nail the piece that is the width of the door frame into place at the height of the door. Then nail the smallest pieces between the top of the frame for the door and the top of the ceiling piece.
4. Put the wall frames up. Start with one that will attach to the wall. Nail the frame into place with nails on either side of each 2-by-4 into the ceiling and the floor. Then nail through the drywall into the stud you marked, every 12 inches from the floor to the ceiling. Do this with each door frame, nailing the corners of the closet wall into place. Using a handsaw cut out the portion of the frame where the door will go.
5. Hang the drywall on both the inside and outside of the closet walls. Use drywall screws to secure them in place. A screw should be used in each stud, and about 24 inches apart the length of the wall vertically. Use the drywall compound and drywall tape to seal seams and cover screws. Allow it to dry, then sand and paint it.
6. Install the door frame by nailing a nail in each corner and more nails along the length of the frame12-inches apart.
7. Determine how deep and high you want your shelves to be. If you make shelves higher than 2 feet, you will need to anchor them to the walls. Shelves that are 18 inches deep will allow plenty of space for storage. This design is for a shelving system with 3 shelves
8. Cut the plywood for your shelves. You will need one large piece that is the height and width of your shelves--this will be the back piece--2 pieces that are the height and depth of your shelves--these will be the sides of the shelves--and 4 pieces that are the depth and length of your shelves. If you want more shelves, you can cut more of pieces of wood that are the depth and length of your shelves.
9. Sand and paint all of the cut pieces.
10. Assemble the shelves. Begin by nailing a shelf sized piece of wood to the bottom of one of the height pieces. Then nail a shelf size piece to the top of that piece. Take your time to ensure that the shelves are level and straight. Use two nails on each side of the shelves to secure them to the wall of the closet.
Tags: will need, door frame, height pieces, inches apart, into place