Whether they serve as seasonal storage or see use every day, closets provide hidden space in which we keep the clothes, shoes and myriad other things that are part and parcel of a household. Maximizing your closets' storage space by adding wood shelving is a do-it-yourself project with a positive, practical payoff.
Shelf Location
Whether small chamber or large walk-in, a closet has several potential sites for added shelves. Typically, one easy-to-reach shelf already sits just above the closet rod, leaving room for anogther shelf or two above it. While these added shelves may seem to put items beyond easy reach, a stepstool can provide sufficient access for things not used that often.
Another convenient location for additional shelves is on either side of the closet. Four to five narrow shelves can occupy the space between the floor and the closet rod. These shelves function best for items that need to be within easy reach.
Consider building wood shelving to store shoes at the bottom of your closet. These shelves can reach as high as your lowest hanging clothing. Typically, two shelves can fit in that space, stretching across the width of your closet. If the closet has a little depth, the shelves may even be recessed a bit, to be out of sight. If you decide to build both the side and bottom shelves, they can be constructed as one unit.
Spacing and Width
Before installing your wood shelves, decide what you plan to store on them. If it will be clothing, fold and stack the items and measure the pile's height. If the shelves are intended for other items, measure their height for adequate shelf spacing.
It is also important to assess your closet's space---and your needs---to determine the appropriate shelving width. It is a good idea to go with the largest width the closet can accommodate so your shelving will be deep enough to store many different items.
Set Them Up
Once you decide on your placements, necessary shelf heights and the width of your shelves, you are ready to set them up. Gather all of the necessary tools: a circular saw or table saw, shelf brackets if wall-mounting the shelves, 1 1/4-inch screws, wood glue, inch-thick wood in your chosen width and in the length that you need for all of your shelves, a tape measure, a level and a pencil.
For wall-mounting, mark each shelf's location on the wall. Use a level to draw a horizontal line, line up the shelf brackets and mark their screw locations. Try to line up your brackets with the wall studs and drive the screws into them with a drill. If you cannot mount the brackets into studs, insert anchors into the wall and screw into these for more support.
If mounting a shelf that extends all the way across the length of your closet, draw your horizontal line to both ends and carry it onto the sidewalls. Cut two pieces of 1-by-1 or 1-by-2 lumber an inch shorter than the width of your shelf. For example, if your shelf is nominally a 1 by 10, it's really only 9 1/2 inches wide so you'll cut two 8 1/2-inch pieces. Screw them to the sidewalls, just below the pencil line. Once they're in place, rest your shelf--cut to the correct length--on top of them. You can secure the shelf with a dab of wood glue or nail or screw it into place.

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