How To Install a Closet Organizer

For many people, closets are the bane of their existence. Cluttered with clothing, shoes, and personal belongings, they are typically a paragon of wasted space. For most of us, we usually put off cleaning out a closet until everything else is done. If this describes you, take heart. There is an easy solution to getting your closet’s contents under control. Install a closet organizer. Closet organizers come in a variety of styles and materials. You can install wire shelving, baskets, or drawers, or shelving units made from medium density fiberboard or melamine. You can also build a closet organizer with lumber and plywood cabinet fashion. The primary consideration is a system of storage that fits your home’s style and décor and that will accommodate the items you want to store in your closet. The first thing to do before purchasing the closet organizer of your choice is to design and lay out your closet storage.

Preparation for installing wire shelving

Closet organizers eliminate wasted space and help to alleviate clutter

1. Remove all the contents of your closet.
2. Do not forget to remove the sliding or folding closet doors.
3. Now is a good time to sort out the clutter in your closet. Separate the contents into piles you want to keep, things you can fold and place in drawers, those things that you need to hang like pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, etc., and those things you want or need to give away.
4. Repair all the holes in the walls with spackle. Sand, prime, and paint the patches.

Layout

1. For a wire shelving storage system, refer to your layout plan.
2. Mark a level line on the back wall of the closet for the location of your hanging track.

Installation

1. Find the studs in the wall with a stud finder and mark their location at the top of the wall.
2. Cut the hanging track to length with a hacksaw and smooth the cut end with a file.
3. Fasten the hanging track to the wall with wood screws at the stud locations.
4. If there are no studs in the right location for your track, install it with hollow wall anchors like toggle bolts.
5. Hang the vertical support members in the track over the wall studs.
6. Plumb the vertical supports with a level.
7. Mount the vertical support to the wall with a wood screw at the bottom of the support. Install additional screws in the vertical support as needed depending on the load you intend to place on it.
8. Hang the shelving supports in the vertical supports wherever you want to place a shelf. Make sure that the shelf brackets are placed level to one another.
9. Cut the shelving material to length with a pair of bolt cutters or a hacksaw.
10. Smooth the cut end with a file.
11. Install the shelves on the brackets. Make sure they snap into place.
12. Install the pole brackets in the shelving at the proper height.
13. Install the closet pole.
14. Install the shelf and pole endcaps.
15. Reinstall the closet doors.

Tips

Follow all the manufacturers’ instructions when installing the closet organizer system.

If you use hollow wall anchors, be careful not to overload the shelving.