How to Build a Closet
How to Build a Closet
Are you tired of the clutter in our house?
In need of more storage space?
These quick and easy directions will help you to build a closet in almost any existing room in your home.
Gather up the tools and materials. It’s time to get started.
Tools you will need:
Tape measure
Miter box
Masking tape
Utility knife
Straight edge
Crowbar
Hammer
Protective eye wear
Power drill
Masonry drill bit
Self-centering drill bit
Electrical tape
Socket wrench
Putty knife
Pencil
Level
Square
Nail gun
Paint roller
Paint brush
Plastic (for protecting the floor during painting)
Materials you will need:
Joint Compound
Joint Tape
2″x4″ boards,8′ long, 10.
5 to 6 pieces of drywall
10 8-Penny nails.
10 6-Penny nails.
Doorknob
Primer
Paint
Sandpaper
Spackle
3″ deck screws, 20
3″ drywall screws, 100
Door with hinges
Door trip
Baseboard
Molding strip
3″ Masonry screws, 10
Choosing your location:
If you are going to build a closet in an existing room, it is best to build it against an already-existing wall in your home. Use this wall as the back wall of the closet.
If possible, build the closet into a corner. This will decrease the amount of construction necessary. The directions included here will help you to build one additional side of a wall and add a door to the closet.
Determine the dimensions of the closet. Measure the floor to determine how long and how far out into the room the closet will extend.
Mark the dimensions of the closet on the floor with masking tape. Using the measuring tape or straight edge, score the carpet down the middle of the masking tape with the utility knife. Remove the carpet.
Remove any wall trim or wallpaper from the walls that will be included in the carpet.
Building the Walls:
Cut a 2′x4″ piece of wood to the exact footage that your closet will protrude from the wall. If the floor is concrete, use the masonry bit to drill two holes in the floor through the board at either end of the board. If it is wood, use a standard bit.
Taking care to ensure that the 4″ width of the board is flush with the wall, use masonry or deck screws to secure the board to the floor.
Cut another length of wood the same size as the first and attach it to the ceiling using deck screws. The second board should be a mirror image of the one attached to the floor.
Cut a length of 2″x4″ board that is long enough to fit exactly between the board on the floor and the board on the ceiling. Place the 4″ width flush against the wall and secure the board to the wall using deck screws.
Cut a second length of 2″x4″ board the same length as the first and secure it between the floor and ceiling boards at the other end. Use deck screws to attach it.
Cut two additional lengths of 2″x4″ boards of the same length as the first.
Insert them between the floor and ceiling boards 12″ to 16″ from the first two boards. These will serve as the wall studs. Secure them in place using deck screws.
Cut smaller 2″x4″ pieces the same length as the distance between the stud boards. Attach these to the studs to form a support brace. Attach the boards approximately 1/3 of the way down from the ceiling.
Attach an additional set of boards approximately 1/3 of the way up from the floor.
Measure the height and width of this area. Using a straight edge or measuring tape, mark the dimensions of the wall on the drywall. With the utility knife, score the drywall deeply along the mark, and then cut it carefully.
Attach the drywall to the stud boards using drywall screws.
To form the long side of the closet wall, attach a 2″x4″ board to the floor in the same manner as that used in step 2. Attach a 2″x4″ board to the ceiling to form a mirror image of the first.
The boards on the floor and ceiling should extend to just before the point where the door casing will be attached to the stud boards.
Repeat steps 3 through 10 to form the remainder of the wall.
Forming the Door Jamb:
Cut a piece of drywall wide enough to cover the distance between the ceiling and the height at which the door will hang.
Measure the ceiling to determine whether the structure is square. If the height is slightly different on one side or the other, you will have to adjust the width of the drywall accordingly.
Secure the door jamb to the ceiling with 8-Penny finishing nails. Use the nail gun for easy accessibility.
Placing the Doorstop
Measure the width of the closet door. Locate the point on the floor at which the closet door will hang when the door is secured in the latch. Then measure and cut the doorstop.
Lie it on the floor so that the inner edge of the closet door will just reach the doorstop when it is securely latched.
Secure the doorstop to the floor with 6-Penny nails.
Hanging the Door
Secure the door casing to the top and sides of the walls where the closet door is to go. Use 3″-long deck screws to secure the casing.
If you choose not to use a casing, attach the hinges to the stud board at the edge of the closet door. Measure down the board to determine where the hinges lie. Use a self-centering bit to drill the hole for the hinges more easily.
Screw the hinges into the door jamb.
Finishing Up:
Apply joint tape to the joints of the new construction. Press the tape into the center of the corners of each new joint. Use a putty knife to spread joint compound evenly over the surface of the tape.
Push some of the compound into any cracks between boards or joints. Allow this compound to dry and sand until it is smooth.
Spackle any nail holes or rough spots in the drywall. Allow it to dry completely. Sand the surface lightly to even it out.
Prime the drywall with primer. Allow it to dry.
Paint or paper the drywall. Allow it to dry completely.
Cut baseboard to fit around the perimeter of the new walls.
Cut trim to fit around the door casing.
Stain the door or use a polyurethane sealant if desired.
Add clothing rods, shelves, or other accessories to the closet space as desired.
Don’t forget to add the doorknob!
Now that construction of your new closet is fully complete, it’s time to fill it! Start cleaning the house and put away that unsightly clutter that has been gathering.