February, 2009

Closet Installation: PART II

The right step at the right time saves a lot more than a dime.  

By Gary Katz

There’s a lot of money to be made in closets, if you use a production based system to train your installed sales crew. In the last issue, I reviewed production methods for laying out closet shelving; in this article I'll cover an installation system that helps speed up the job and put more profit in your pocket.

Step 4: Install the Cleats and Dividers

Start in the first corner, nailing the cleats into the corner studs using 21⁄2 in. finish nails. Use a short level or torpedo level to check that the cleats are level before fastening the opposite end. A stud finder or strong magnet is the best way to avoid unnecessary nails and ensure that every fastener lands square in a stud. Once the cleats are secured, install the first divider, nailing into the ends of the cleats. Angle-cutting the bottoms of the dividers makes it easy to shoot a nail through the divider into the bottom plate. Next install the second set of cleats. Remember, use 1x4 cleats for shelf-and pole—rosettes require 31⁄2 in. cleats; use 1x2 cleats for linen shelving.

Step 5: Install the Shelves

Once all the cleats and dividers are secure, start installing the shelving—at the bottom! It’s easier to position a nail gun if the bottom shelves are installed first, and it’s easier to place the shelving working from the bottom up. Switch nail guns and use 11⁄2 in. bards to secure shelves, nailing down into the cleats on the wall and on the dividers. For maximum support, and to make installation easier, always install cleats on the divers. For L-shaped and U-shaped closets, cantilever the last shelf over the last divider. With 12 in. shelving and 24 in. spacing from dividers to corners, shelving cantilevers will be no more than 12 in. Reinforce shelving joinery with biscuits, tennons, or splines.

Step 6: Install the Rosettes, SupPorts & Poles

Closet shelving is available in a wide variety of materials for paint grade, stain grade, and pre-finished applications. Regardless of which material you use, install the supports and rosettes first. Secure the rosettes just beyond the front edge of the shelving, so that it’s easier to slip a hanger over the pole, then cut the pole so that it fits snug.

Close

Closet shelving exemplifies the type of preparation required for every jobsite chore. With the industry slowing down— and I’ve been through this before—sharpening your competitive advantage is critical. A systems approach to construction, which includes a manual of practice for every installation procedure, is a prerequisite. Without proper preparation, there is no profit.

GARY KATZ, with nearly 40 years experience in the industry, is a contributing editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine, a frequent contributor to the Journal of Light Construction, and produces the Katz Roadshow—Carpentry Clinics at lumberyards all over America. To learn more, visit his web site: www.GaryMKatz.com.