Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Wire Closet Organizer

By Jesse Whitehead

Intall a closet organizer yourself, and enjoy a neat, uncluttered closet where you can store and find your items quickly and easily.

If you spend too much time looking for things in your closet because it is so disorganized and messy, then you need a closet make-over.

Just like the T.V shows where people make-over someone's house or wardrobe, you can do the same for your closet.  Organizing your closet with a wire closet organizer system is a smart, sensible thing to do.  A neat and uncluttered closet will save you time and reduce the anxiety of trying to find your items. 

There are a couple of options for installing a wire closet organizer system.

1) You can pay a professional installer to come in and do it for you (expensive and may take some time to schedule installer).

2) You can "Do It Yourself" (DIY) which will save both time and money.  If you choose DIY, it's obviously more work on your part, but less costly than hiring a professional installer. This article focuses on the DIY option, and gives a brief overview of what you need to do to successfully install a wire closet organizer.

Wire organizers are relatively easy to install.  Kits come in various sizes to fit different sizes and shapes of closets.  You can buy a complete system, or individual components. There are a number of DIY kits available at online retailers and your local home improvement stores. Shop around first for selection and price.

Here are the 4 steps you need to take to install your closet organizer:

1) Clean the closet
 
No not clean as in mopping but actually clean out and remove all items from the closet.  Rip out any existing shelves and hanging rods with a pry bar or claw hammer.  When everything is removed, patch the holes with spackle.  When patch is dry, paint the repaired area. This needs to be done while closet is empty, as painting will be much harder to do after you have installed new shelves and rods.

2) Plan
 
Measure your closet space carefully. Measure length, width and heighth, and any odd shaped areas in the closet.  From your measurements, determine how wide the sections for hanging clothes need to be. This will ensure there is plenty of room to store all of your clothes and accessories without getting crowded.  On a notepad, sketch a drawing of your closet and measurements, and write down notes of any particulars you observed.  This drawing will be useful when you are ready to order the organizer.

3) Buy

Armed with the dimensions you have drawn on your notepad, find a home improvement retailer online or go to your local home improvement store. Ask a knowledgeable salesperson to help you select an organizer system that will meet your needs.  If you find something that fits the bill, then go ahead and buy it. If you don't find something that works for you, don't hesitate to keep shopping around until you do find the system that will work.  

4) Install

Make sure you have the necessary tools for installation.  You will need a pry bar, level, tape measure, drill, pencil, hacksaw, stud finder, hammer, and Phillips/Standard screwdrivers.

Next, unpack the all pieces of your kit, (shelves, brackets, rods, screws, etc.) and verify that all of the components and hardware are there.   If you are missing any items, be sure to contact the manufacturer at once for replacement parts.   Do not begin installation until you have all parts on hand. 

When you have all tools and necessary parts together, you can begin installation of the organizer.  Be sure to carefully follow the enclosed installation instructions step-by-step, and try not to jump ahead.  There is a logical sequence of installation that needs to be followed for the organizer to be installed correctly.  Missing steps or jumping ahead might force you to backtrack later and install parts you might have missed.

4. Enjoy It! 

When you have finished your installation, it's time to put back all of your clothes and other items in their new storage areas.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how much room you now have to put everything. You may even have some rooom left over.  Be proud that you installed the closet organizer yourself, and enjoy the new tidy closet that is now yours. From now on it will be a breeze keeping your closet neat and free of clutter.

For more information see Wire Closet Organizer page.

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