You Can Remodel Your Closet In One Day, Part 2

Now that you have got a plan you are ready for action. Solicit some help from a few choice friends you can work well and have a good time. If you know anyone who is project oriented that can be a huge plus. These people know how to get things done. They are used to taking large projects and breaking them into smaller tasks that can be tackled efficiently.

Meet at the hardware or home store as soon as it opens. Usually this is a quieter time for stores. If you wait till mid morning, especially on a Saturday, it can be hectic and you won’t be back with your materials till after lunch and may run out of time in the day to finish your project. Take your categorized shopping list and delegate part of it to each person. Stick to your list and don’t get side tracked looking at other interesting things. You are there to pick up your closet materials, not to plan a future project. Designate a meeting time at the checkout. Double check the materials to for size and quantity. When organizing your materials at the worksite they should be out of the way, but each item should be easily accessible. Putting everything in one pile can be frustrating when trying to find a specific item. You should now be ready to for the first phase, demolition.

Demolition: Put on your gloves and safety glasses. Be judicious with your use of force. The idea is to deconstruct your closet so that the surrounding walls are left in the best condition possible. Swinging wildly with a sledgehammer is likely to put a hole in a door or send debris flying through the window. Have one person do the demolition and the others form a bucket brigade to pass the wreckage out of the house. Remove all nails and screws that might be sticking out of the wall and thoroughly clean the area before starting to build.

Layout: Referring to your plans detail the closet layout on the closet walls. Measure off the floor where each shelf will go and use your level to scribe a line across the wall. Do this for the entire plan before starting any rebuilding. Draw vertical lines at the edges of each cabinet. At this time you may be able to make limited adjustments with shelving heights if you are unhappy with the layout. Next use the stud finder to locate and mark the center of each stud wherever you have layout lines. Studs will typically be found every 16”.

Construct: Start by installing any cabinets you have decided on. Transfer the stud layout to the cabinets and drill one hole towards the top of the box for each stud. While someone holds the cabinet on the layout lines screw it to the wall. Fasten adjacent cabinets together first with clamps then with shorter 1 ¼” screws to avoid blowing through the other side. Shelving may be held up by angle brackets, wood cleats, or plastic hanger clips. Since there will be a lot of weight on shelves and closet poles make sure all fasteners are driven into studs. With brackets in place you can measure up and cut your shelving. Follow the carpenter’s mantra, “measure twice, and cut once.” Measure up the front and the back of shelves since walls may be out of square.

Spackle up any damaged walls or holes you may have created during construction and pickup some classy matching wooden hangers to finish the project off.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of clothes hangers and wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

You Can Remodel Your Closet In One Day, Part 1

Are you unhappy with your closet setup? Does it appear to be designed for tiny elves or seven foot giants with shelves too low to the ground and others you can’t reach? Perhaps your closet just does not jive with your wardrobe or personal preferences and you are in need of a place to store your collection of thigh high boots or sports jerseys. If you think your closet was built by Satan then do not put up with it another day. You don’t have to be a professional builder to remodel your closet. With just a few tools, and techniques and the help of your partner and one or two friends you can fully renovate your closet to suit your exact needs in one day or less.

How can that be possible? The trick is in the planning. You must have a well thought out plan before you even start the construction. Here’s what you will need to do.

Take Measurements: Remove all clothes from closet and carefully measure all walls and ceiling height. Check that the measurements are consistent at the floor and ceiling, since walls may not be plumb or square. If there is a small discrepancy of ¼” it won’t make much difference. If things are out by ½” or more make note on your plans.

Draw up your plans: Create a scale (relatively) drawing of the space. The better your drawings the easier the construction will be. Think about what you would like in the closet. Consider your wardrobe needs. Do you need a lot of space for dresses and suits, or more shelves and racks for shoes and things you would like to store? You may want to take a trip to a hardware or home to see what is available. Closet shelving is typically 16” or 20” wide and comes in variable lengths which you can cut to whatever size necessary. Write down and measure all items you would like to include in your closet and all the sizes they come in. Once you have an idea of what you want draw it up. You should have a top down “plan” view of the closet, as well as side “elevation” view of each wall. The elevations view is helpful when determining shelving heights. Your drawings don’t have to be beautiful, but should give you a clear concept of what you will be building.

Create a Materials List: This is a critical step. Looking at your plans add up all the components you will need. Work through systematically page by page and determine how each piece will be fastened together and to the wall taking notes as you go. Now rewrite a categorized list of all items you came up with. Allow one category for cabinets, one for shelving, one for hangers, hooks, fasteners and hardware, as well as one for any tools and supplies you expect to purchase or rent. Include a description or model name of each item if you have a preference.

Gather Tools and Supplies: Take inventory of any tools and supplies you’ve acquired from past project. You will need at least a power drill, skill saw, drill bits, and a 4’ or 6’ level. Of course you will need a hammer, measuring tape, square, and pencil as well. Include a hacksaw or angle grinder if you plan on using metal wire shelves. Don’t forget a bit of spackle paste to repair any holes in the wall. A stud finder can speed up the job tenfold and they can be purchased for around 10 dollars.

Spend as much time as necessary on planning. 1 minute of planning can save 5 minutes of work. The next part will explain how to mobilize your team to get the project done in record time.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of hangers and plastic hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.