How To Remove Wooden Closet Rod

This post was originally published on DIY Network's weblog Made + Remade in April 2022.

I've known for awhile that my bedroom closet had a lot of potential, and I knew that scheming a new organizational system in at that place was a necessity for myself (and really, it's for no 1 only myself). In hindsight, particularly looking at the earlier and after pictures in the below postal service, I can really appreciate how impacting of a change this was overall – I am so incredibly pleased with how I've reinvented this minor closet space, I desire to shout it for all to hear (and and then I want to get shopping, because I've basically granted myself permission to buy more than shirts).

If you lot're looking for inspiration for your ain easy closet makeover, check out this mail service first to become a better sense of why I was reinventing my cupboard space. And then continue on reading below, because I think you'll exist pleased with how simple and low-cost this project can be.

Step 1: Clear house.

Remove all of your clothes and shoes from the closet; hang them temporarily in other parts of the house. Photo evidence non necessary.

Step 2: Eliminate the existing storage.

In my closet, the shelf and the hanging rod would exist removed.

Removing the shelf and rod carefully left me with "brackets," equally I go along referring to them as, a.g.a. the wooden braces that surround the closet.

Go on in mind that if you can salvage whatsoever of this wood, it'll salvage you lot money along the way. The wood tin can be repainted and reinstalled in a different layout, and the existing hanging rod could also be reused likewise.

Regardless of what type of existing arrangement you lot're removing, do it all with great intendance. Work slowly and carefully and avoid damaging the drywall. My shelving "system" was nailed in place, then I used a prybar (and shim), and a hammer to remove all of it.

Comprehend whatever surprises that you may discover along the demo process; I found two unlike layers of paint dating back to the 1950′southward, and it'due south kind of endearing to think almost how this lilliputian closet has changed over the years. I realized that I was not but going to take to re-pigment the cupboard, merely I'd also need to spend some time repairing the walls with joint compound to patch some irregularities in the drywall acquired past the nails and the layers of paint.

Step 3: Make necessary repairs, and repaint your bare slate.

I spent a half an hour patching the wall, a full 24-hour interval letting it dry, and another hour sanding a fresh surface and cleaning upwardly. The outcome? A prissy, smooth base for primer and pigment.

I practise love colour in a home, but white has been our go-to when it comes to pigment, and I've grown to actually like information technology. I used a paint/primer philharmonic product, just white is surprisingly hard to coat evenly, so it still took thee coats over two days to get a overnice, consequent cease in the space.

Step 4: Build your shelving.

This is a large step. And because y'all and I have vastly different closet orientations, what works for me might not also work for yous, but information technology may give you some clever ideas.

On the righthand end of the cupboard, I planned to use the space for shoe storage and 3 open shelves, which would extend the storage space from floor to ceiling.

Along the lefthand side of my closet, the expanse that I previously couldn't reach, I planned to build hanging rods to fit between the short 24″ width of the cupboard. Meet below image. The two rods would be hung at 44″ and 76″ which is a lilliputian out of the ordinary (36″ and 72″ are more than typical), but I'g tall, and so I tin can reach that high, and past raising the lower bar a footling college off the floor, my laundry handbasket fits nicely, and I have a little extra length to accommodate my smallarray of dresses.

If y'all're doing the math, while my old closet bar was v′ long, I could really only reach 2′ of it because the closet door opening is simply that wide. Past stackingtwo2′ rods and installing them towards the previously unused back of the closet, I've created a minor walk-in changing area and simultaneously near doubled my accessible hanging space to 4′ total!

Here's a list of what materials I used to build my closet brackets and shelving:

• 2  1x3x8′ fine pino boards: cut four pieces at 13″ for the hanging rod brackets, cut half dozen pieces at 10″ for the open up shelving brackets
• one  1-5/xvi″x4′ wooden dowel
• 2 metal closet flange sets
• 7  one×six cedar boards, each 24″ in length
• three″ nails with brad heads
• cordless screw commuter
• polyurethane
• hammer

The pine boards cut to 13″ in length would be for the hanging rods; I knew that I would need to hang the rod nearly 11″ out from the wall so that the hangers had enough space behind the rod. The shelves on the reverse wall needed to be a footling shallower to avert bumping into the door trim, and so the boards were cut 10″ in length.

I used a palm router with a roundover scrap to circular one border of each board, equally a finishing detail that makes it look slightly more polished than a perfectly square mounting subclass. I'1000 leaving my boards natural wood because I actually like a calorie-free woods on white finish, only I sanded the boards down lightly, and then applied a glaze of polyurethane to seal the wood.

All of these brackets were nailed into the walls. It makes for a permanent and strong installation that will hold up for a long time (example in indicate, my old closet braces were every bit sometime as my house). Use a level throughout the installation process.

The benefit of installing the board with brad head nails is that they can exist countersunk using a nail set, whereas if you used a traditional smash head, the circular metal head would withal be visible on the surface of the lath.

Use a stud finder to place studs; y'all'll exist all-time off if you tin can land at least one of the nails into a stud. If not, you might find that two-3 nails is enough to brand it well-affixed. Consider using heavy-duty adhesive betwixt the wall and subclass for added reinforcement.

Installing a hanging rod on a wooden caryatid like this is simply more secure than installing it directly into the drywall. The flanges for cupboard rods manufactured these days come in various materials and colors, and you can find them at your local hardware store. One side holds the rod static in place, the other side has an opening at the top so y'all tin slide the rod downwards into place – ideal pattern for an everyday DIYer.

When it comes to finding a rod, yous might discover that you lot can relieve some money by purchasing a wooden dowel and cutting information technology to size. Virtually stores accept them up to iv′ in length. Dowels packaged and marketed specifically as being cupboard rods tend to be priced higher… just an observation. My 4′ dowel was $six, whereas a six′ "closet rod" dowel (shortest length in store) was over $20!

For the open shelving, I chose cedar panels for the shelf itself. I dear the odor of cedar, and if it helps to go along moths off of my sweaters, I love information technology even more. For those reasons, I kept the wood natural (no polyurethane) simply sanded it down really well to lessen the chance of information technology snagging any clothing fibers.

The boards themselves, once counterbalanced on the brackets, I nailed into the wall-mounted brackets.

If yous're keeping tabs on my materials list, note that I cutting seven lengths of cedar. half dozen were used for these 3 open shelves, and the 7th unmarried 1×6 length was placed on tiptop of the higher hanging rod, for a piffling extra storage that didn't disrupt the hanging space. Yous tin run across this in the lighting photo at the end of Pace vi.

Step 5. Create shoe storage.

To maximize footwear storage in my minor cupboard, I ditched the idea of shoe cubbies and opted to purchase and install spring-loaded tension rods.

Each rod cost $5 for the size I needed (a 20-28″ jump-bridge), and I bought viii rods for a total of $40, figuring information technology would be enough infinite to shop ~twenty pairs of shoes. I think that price is fairly comparable to the cost of most shoe cubbies (whether built or purchased), and the rods gave me the flexibility to install at increments that make sense for what I own.

Step 6: New lighting.

The porcelain ceiling lite socket is a classic and simple fixture in many homes, only I was clearly not the merely one to fiddle it with ceiling paint. With the other closet upgrades in the works, I saw it as a skilful opportunity to update the light.

I gravitated towards a lot of midcentury inspired fixtures while looking for a new product, which led me to scour local secondhand shops until I plant a solution that was appropriate for my space, authentically 1950′s, and in beautiful shape. This flush mount light was less than $50, and with three bulbs instead of one, promises to maximize the lighting potential in my new closet.

Plough off the power, and supersede the ceiling low-cal. Secure the new light in place using the hardware provided (my vintage light had all of the original hardware included – another perk that sold me on the production). On at nighttime, information technology kind of looks similar a full moon, right? Makes me very happy.

Step vii: Install finishing touches.

Finishing details might include hooks for jewelry and scarves, wall adornments to brand your piffling closet feel like an extension of your busy chamber, or a gigantic mirror that just barely fit in the dorsum of your car (seriously, it almost didn't brand it home). If you're looking for a full-length mirror, yous'll find that costs for custom cut mirror drinking glass tin can range from $80-150. Relieve yourself some money and look at secondhand and salvage shops instead – big mirrors (installed most commonly in a higher place sink areas, I'yard guessing) can cost less than $l if y'all go lucky.

Installed vertically using mirror clips and heavy-duty adhesive for good measure, this 36″ x lx″ mirror consumes the wall space on the wall opposite the door and makes for a perfect become-ready spot. Hi!

The Finished Closet

The mirror is probably the near impacting part of the whole closet. Mirrors are used ofttimes to make a room look bigger, and male child, this large mirror makes my tiny 10 sq. ft. cupboard experience very grand.

It's nice to know that I accept some closet space to abound into now, whereas before, I felt express because and so much of the space wasn't easily accessible. I moved some of my jewelry storage onto one shelf, and a few items and a photo that had previously been on a bookshelf in the bedroom.

It's difficult to believe that this is where I was but last week:

The new and improved closet volition serve me well for a long time!

Source: https://merrypad.com/2016/02/02/makeover-normal-closet-into-walk-in-closet/

Share this post