built in closets

[wannabewoodworker]

I am getting ready to build some built-ins for my closets. My question is basically how to "hang" the shelves to the walls. Is it the shelv supports that I attatch to the walls that hold up everything? My last house had built-ins and I have researched into other houses built-ins but of course I can only see the finished product that shows no nails/screws and is pretty much painted to the walls. Can anyone give me some pointers?

[Mike O.]

Nail or screw cleats (that will hold the shelves up) to the wall stopping them where you need a bulkhead. Nail or screw your bulkhead to the cleats and continue with more cleats on the other side of your bulkhead. Add end cleats to the wall and bulkheads. Hang your rods from the end cleats. You need a minimum of 3 1/2" wide end cleats so that you can get the hanger on the rod and not hit the shelf above it. Some guys use wider end cleats and some use narrower back cleats but we use 3 1/2" all the way around. You also need bulkheads and/or end cleats to be a minimum of 12" deep so you can mount the rod far enough away from the back wall.

We come down 12" (on an 8' ceiling) to the top rod if it's a double hanger (that's two rods above each other) and then 42" between rods. We hang a single rod (for longer clothes) 30" down on an 8' ceiling.

Mike O.

[Eric]

I recently installed a dresser/built-in for my closet with a set of cubby holes on top. The projects sound similar enough so here's what I did...

I did the project in two pieces; a dresser of 6 drawers and a set of cubby holes on top.

Both pieces are simple carcasses identical in size with matching face frames. The bottom piece is the carcass with nothing but drawers. That sits on the floor against the wall. I screwed the back into a wall stud.

The second piece is a carcass with one drawer and several cubby holes above. It sits on top of the first piece. I screwed that into a wall stud at two different locations. Think about how kitchen cabinets are installed.

Because the two pieces are identical in size, together with the matching face frames they look like one like one big piece of furniture about 3 feet wide and 7 feet high.

The system is very practical, effective, and turned out very nice.

It is very secure.

[Swingman]

Ledger strips around three sides of your shelf, screwed to studs, the shelf goes on top of that.

Make the two side ledger strips taller (and fancier/with scallops, etc) and add an additional piece with a half circle cut, facing up, to hold your clothes rod.

[dadiOH]

It depends a lot on how long the shelves are but if in the normal 30-40" range, here are some ideas...

1. Insert shelf ends indo dados in the carcase sides. That assumes you are making a box that *has* sides. It also assumes you will never want to move the shelves up or down.
2. If you are using the walls of the closet itself, fasten strips of wood about 3/4 - 1inch wide and 1/2 - 3/4 thick to the walls...two on each side and the ones on each side spaced so that the space between them is around 2" less than the width of the shelves. You can fasten them to the walls with molly or toggle bolts. Before fastening, they need to have a series of holes drilled that are 3/8" deep by 1/4" in diameter; a drilling interval of

1 1/4" works well and the holes need to line up one piece to another. Once hung, you can use KV (Knap Voght) clips to support the shelves. The clips have a round end which is inserted into the holes and a small bracket at right angles to support whatever. When you make your shelves, cut out a bit at each corner so the shelf will fit around the wood strips; that locks them into place and prevents them being pulled out.

The advantage of this is that the shelves can be moved up and down to accommodate your needs.

You can also make rods to hang in the same way. You need to make them about

1/2" thicker than the strips attached to the walls so you can cut a notch in each end of the rods to slip over the wall strips. They too are supported by KV clips. Since you can easily position any shelf or rod anywhere on the wall mounted strips, you can have two rods - one above another - to double hanging space in a given area for shorter items of clothing such as shirts/blouses/suits.

[Pat Barber]

It is harder to describe than to actually do.

Go here for closet ideas and spacing...

link will give you the "design" ideas and spacing.

Your job is to translate those ideas into a home made version that looks decent and services your needs.

You can do wire...from the Home Center (fairly expensive) You can do MDF ...from the Home Center(cheap but must be painted) You can do melamine..from the Home Center.(Cheap ...but)

The "but" in melamine is that you need to buy the pre-taped stuff to haver finished edges. Melamine makes a nice looking closet when done correctly.

The 07/99 issue of Fine HomeBuilding has a excellent article on just this subject. It shows ALL three methods and will allow you to do a excllent job.

"Outfitting a Clothes Closet" by Gary Katz

You can download it for $3.50 and it will be well worth the m> I am getting ready to build some built-ins for my closets. My question

[wannabewoodworker]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and build from scratch. I can't see paying someone to cut boards for me. Do you have suggestions on wood? I was thinking plywood but I'll need to finish the ends somehow.

[Pat Barber]

For painted finish buy birch... For stain buy birch or oak...

You can finish the edges with your own strips cut from solid stock or even easier is use iron on tape made for that purpose.

want the pre-glued wood veneer versi> Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I'm going to bite the

[J. Clarke]

Just a comment but was at Home Depot the other day and noticed that they had

8 ply poplar. Should be _very_ nice for painted work if it takes paint the way poplar lumber does.

Look carefully at each piece of birch--some can be pretty spectacular to look at.