Thursday, March 21, 2013

Install A Wire Rack In A Closet

Wire racks can increase storage space and improve the functionality of closets.


Installing wire racks in household closets can help keep the closets organized by increasing storage space and creating a "place for everything." Wire closet racks come in a variety of sizes and designs to accommodate the unique needs of your closets---whether they are used to store out-of-season clothing, food items, shoes or outerwear. When installing wire closet racks, it is important to evaluate the needs of each closet so that you can choose the most appropriate organizational system. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Determine precisely how you want the finished closet to look once the wire rack is installed. Factors to consider include: the items your closet will hold, how much organizational space you need and ensuring that the final design makes it easy to keep the closet well organized with minimal effort. This information will help you determine which wire rack systems you should purchase and install for each closet.


2. Measure the dimensions of your closet prior to purchasing a wire rack by determining the length, width and depth of your walk-in or standard reach-in closet. This information will influence the size of the wire racks you purchase.


3. Purchase a wire rack organizational system for your closet. These can be found at many home improvement stores and online at retailers such as Organize-It and ClosetMaid. Both Organize-It and ClosetMaid have online photo galleries and design information to help customers find the best products for their closet spaces.


4. Mark where the wire racks will be installed in the closet so that you know precisely where the hardware needs to be attached to the wall. If possible, install the wire rack into wall studs to give the shelves the greatest level of support.


5. Use bolt cutters or a hacksaw to re-size the wire shelving, if necessary. When cutting the shelves, make sure that you cut them to the appropriate size by measuring carefully. Once the shelves have been cut, place rubber end caps on the cut ends so that there are no sharp edges exposed.


6. Place a level on the closet wall in the position where the wire rack will be installed. Once leveled, make a pencil mark along the length of the wall to guide the shelf's installation.


7. Drill holes for the expanding anchor hooks if the shelf is being installed in drywall and will lack the support of wall studs. Anchor hooks need to be installed on each end of the shelf according to the manufacturer's instructions. The instructions will guide you through the installation process and will let you know precisely what size holes you should drill.


8. Screw the anchor screws tightly into the drilled holes and align the shelf so that it sits directly on top of the supporting anchors.


9. Attach the diagonal support pieces to each end of the wire rack to secure the shelf in place. Use a drill to create holes where the support pieces will be screwed to the wall. If the supports are being installed directly into drywall, you'll need to use expanding anchor hooks for additional support.

Tags: wire rack, wire rack, your closet, anchor hooks, being installed