Getting the Most
Closets are only as useful as the person using them. One way to get the maximum benefit from a closet is to build a closet wall unit. A simple wall unit for a closet is not much more than securing strips of wood to the closet walls and placing shelves on them. However, when homeowners add their personal flair to the design, it becomes much more than just another closet wall unit. For more useful information that may answer questions that arise while designing your closet unit, see "Closet Organizers" in the Reference section of this article. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure up from the floor inside the closet and make a mark in the corner of the wall at the desired height of the bottom shelf. Place the laser level on that mark and point it toward the opposite corner of the back wall. It will display a level line traveling across the wall and into the opposite corner.
2. Mark the spot in the opposite corner where the laser light hits it. If the distance between the corners is longer than 30 inches, use the laser line to make two marks 8 inches apart and about midway down the wall.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for as many shelves as you desire, then locate the studs with a stud finder and mark them on the walls. Measure the depth of the closet and subtract 1-inch. Cut the 1-by-2-lumber to this length with a handsaw. Cut two for every shelf, or three if the back wall is wider than 30 inches.
4. Next, hold the 1-by-2s on the wall under the stud marks and mark the 1-by-2s according to the stud marks on the wall. Drill pilot holes on these marks with the 1/16-inch drill bit. These holes will prevent the 1-by-2-inch material from splitting during installation. Secure the 1-by-2s to the wall with the drywall screws.
5. Measure the width and depth of the closet walls and subtract ½-inch from each of the measurements. For example, if the back wall is 36 inches wide and the side walls are 24 inches deep; your shelf would need to be 35½ inches long and 23½ inches deep.
6. Place the ¾-inch plywood on the worktable. Measure from the long edge over to the center of the plywood and make a few marks that match the depth of the closet (less ½-inch, of course). Place the framing square on the marks and connect the marks with a line.
7. Then, from the narrow end of the plywood, measure the length of the shelf and make one mark. Place the framing square on the mark and draw a line across the width of the plywood until it meets the line from Step 6. Cut the lines with a circular saw and sand the edges of the plywood with a sanding block. Install them on the 1-by-2s.
Tags: back wall, depth closet, opposite corner, 1-by-2s wall, closet wall unit, closet walls
