What type of company or should I DIY closet organizers?

9 years ago

Hi, I'm adding an addition to the house and the top floor will be a nice master closet. I have some questions. I can't seem to find pricing on say Closet Factory. What I found was someone who put down a 7500 DEPOSIT. No way do I want to spend that kind of money. I was thinking under $3k if I can help it. I was wondering people's experiences with various companies, or since everything I want seems "easy" to build, perhaps we should attempt our own?

Here's what I am designing:

double hanging racks (with pull down rods) when you walk in, on both sides. One for him and one for her. Or maybe he gets top rack on one side and I get the rest ;). So 24' of hanging space all total with 3' wide area to stand in (closet is 7' wide). Then on the right wall I'll have a window 3' wide but 2' high and under it to the floor I want a shoe rack. So 4' high x3' wide. Ditto on another wall in the back. So two shoe racks (I'm thinking 42-48 pairs of shoes held). On the left side of the right wall shoe rack, I'm thinking of putting a pull out tire rack and belt rack (say 12"). that leaves 2' for my jewelry armoir on that right wall. On the back wall I want just drawers and/or cubbys and/or shelving all along the wall (it's about 11'). In the back (it's an L shaped closet) I'll have long hanging stuff (maybe 2' I only have half a dozen items and a long coat). the rest will be just box storage on that L.

I don't see anything complicated except if I put drawers in.... and the pull out tie rack/belt rack. I want the double rods to have a pull down rod too. Should I attempt to built all this myself or pay someone? If paying, who???? Who's decent but not too expensive? I saw some sites online but there was no configuration options for an "L" shaped closet. Thanks.

Featured Answer

Fori

9 years ago

I'd at least look at some of the DIY solutions and see if it feels like something I'd be up to. Elfa, Closetmaid, and IKEA would be good places to start. Even if they had all the parts you wanted, you might still need to be creative and a bit handy.

But it could be fun!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

dahoov2
Original Author
9 years ago
I really wanted wood in there which is why I thought I'd try to build them. I mean it's just nails/screws and a little cuttings, sanding and painting right? LOL I am not a carpenter though... but we have installed crown molding and built window cornices and I kind of feel like this is on the same scale?

I have been trying to get closet maid designs but they don't have my shape ;( Our nearest IKEA is a 3 hour drive from here...
Related Discussions
Do-It-Yourself Wall-O-Water
Q
Comments (29)
For a couple of years I had a garden spot away from my house, with no water supply available so if I wanted to supplement rainfall I had to haul gallon jugs of water. To make my watering efficient, when I planted my peppers & tomatoes in the spring, I dug down and buried empty gallon plastic jugs, one between each plant. I had poked 4-5 holes in the bottom of each, of course, and left the caps on until later in the summer. Once the weather warmed, and after a good soaking rain, I mulched the beds 4-6" deep with chopped leaves, being sure to cover the tops of the (so far empty and still capped) bottles to protect them from the sun since I had found that the plastic degrades and becomes brittle when exposed to the sun. (In previous years, just cultivating around the bottles inevitably resulted in my breaking the tops off by midsummer.) When the weather reached a point where I actually needed to water, I cleared the mulch away for the moment and poured a gallon of water into each buried bottle. I set the cap loosely back atop each bottle to keep the leaf debris from falling in and clogging the exit holes in the bottom, then pulled the mulch back up to protect the plastic. I did not care about how long it took for the bottle to empty-- it seemed like a gallon or two a week per plant was sufficient, and the best part is that by burying the bottles the water went right down to the root zone where it was most effective. As for using wall-o-waters, since I had gotten some free from a friend, I tried them last year with 3 really early tomato plants I started specifically to experiment with. While they survived a good bit of frosty weather, in the end the plants I had started weeks later and planted out a month after the first ones when the weather had warmed quickly caught up to the wall-o-water ones and all the tomatoes pretty much bloomed & set fruit at the same time & rate. So my conclusion is that it was satisfying to my eager gardener's soul to be out planting early, but it really made no difference in overall plant performance. I have found the same to be true with early plantings of such things as peas and salad crops, too. Early plantings may survive, but later plantings quickly catch up and may even surpass earlier ones that have been stressed by the weather.
...See More
Interested in do-it-yourself vertical structures!
Q
Comments (28)
I use those 4' orange electic fence stakes from home depot (about $1 a piece)for lots of things in the yard & gardens. Pound it in the ground and then slide the PVC pipe over it and into the soil a bit. Set out several of these with holes drilled in the PVC pipe and string wire through them to make a fairly sturdy, portable & cheap trellis. I use these stakes to build easy fencing. I use plastic cable ties to secure wire or plastic mesh fencing to them. Because I dislike the orange and it stands out like a sore thumb, I paint my stakes black. Pound 2 rows of these stakes in the ground about 4' apart and slide each end of a flexible PVC pipe over them, making an arch. Cover this with garden cloth or plastic to protect plants. I "sew" the fabric to the pvc with fishing line. If you are using plastic, cut some flaps in it, to keep it from blowing away in a big wind. I use them to brace non secured retaining walls. At my old house I built a raised bed using them to hold the lumber together. I drilled holes in the timbers and slid them over the stakes, then I lined the interior side with heavy plastic.
...See More
reasonably priced custom sized closet organizers?
Q
Comments (13)
elfa!!!!! sjhockeyfan, the salesperson was incorrect--shelf lengths can, and often are, cut down to size, where and when needed. They can cut them for you in the store prior to pick-up, but will often leave them uncut for onsite cutting, which is usually a good idea (especially if using their installer, or if you have the tools to cut them yourself). Minor tweaks and adjustments (with regards to shelf and/or rod lengths) can come into play during installation (also 30% during the sale, BTW!). An unexpected extra inch or two of shelf or rod space could mean enough space for an extra hanger or two, or fitting a shoe or storage box on a shelf without it overhanging the edge. Shelf depths cannot be cut, but there are different depths from which to choose. A nice thing about elfa, is that you can return/exchange parts if, as you are putting the closet together (or putting away your "stuff" in the newly elfa'd closet) you realize you need more hanging vs shelf space than you'd realized (or vice-versa), or decide to add accessory items once you see your closet take shape. For ex., shortly after my closet was put together, I realized I needed more hanging space (and less shelf space) than I had originally thought so I returned a few shelves and brackets, and picked up another length of rod. I also realized it would be more beneficial to have a gliding shelf in place of one of the stationary wire shelves. I brought the wire shelf back to the store, and swapped it out for the gliding shelf (which was also 30% off; I just paid the difference in the cost of the more expensive shelf).
...See More
Should I hire an estate sale company or auction company?
Q
Comments (25)
I see this posting is now 3 years old however it is still coming up quite high on google rankings so I'll throw my two cents in. I own an estate sale company in Long Island, New York. Henry Laurent Estate Sales. I'm happy that you were able to post your concerns and then follow up with the results. As one poster said you usually read the question - which rarely paints us in a good light - and never hear the outcome. If people stumble upon this post in the future there are some things to keep in mind. Companies should provide you an itemized list. Always. My staff will write "Sheet $1". It is the only way to accurately account for every dollar in and every item out. Also we always have questions of " how much did xyz sell for?". It could have only been a $10 item but it was sentimental so they are curious. Secondly, for a normal household mixed with small and furniture the average sale is around $6k - $10k for a 2 day sale. Lower end for higher amount of smalls, high end with several nice pieces of furniture, jewelry (over $500 a piece). 35% is just around the national average right now and is what we charge. About 80% of that spent towards advertising. While one poster said that you should do it yourself because Craigslist is free ... that is true but only one site out of the 12 that we use and I'm sure others do as well. Out of the 12, 3 are free the others are subscription based with additional fees to highlight or bump your sale to the top spot. Local papers also cost around $300 - $1,000 for a proper 7 day run depending on amount of lines, bolding, placement ..etc. Finally, there is always the concern that we will under price things. Believe me we put the price at the high end of estate sale prices because we know that there will be haggling and bundling. We also know what the market will bare. While chairs might be selling on ebay for $300, it doesn't mean they sold for $300. You are seeing them because they are still available. Average dining room and bedroom sets go for around $500. All in all I'm happy that you posted and that you had a good experience. A good review for one estate sale company is always good for the industry.
...See More
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
Go to ana-white.com and look at her closet stuff. It's fabulous.

double hanging racks (with pull down rods) when you walk in, on both sides Rev-a-shelf has them as uninstalled components.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_268098-1214-CPDR-3548_0__?productId=3055169

If you can build a box for it, you are good to go. BTW, building a square box is not always easy.
talley_sue_nyc
9 years ago
It sounds like you have a good idea of what you want (getting a plan would be one of the reasons to go with a company--their design skills).

Are you anywhere near an Ikea? Because their design services for Elfa are free.
And you might find that Elfa has some components that you'd be willing to use. Or, you'd realize that Elfa has components, but so do other people, and you can incorporate them to save yourself some time.

(Do you know that you can buy drawer boxes from companies that make them? Google "drawer boxes" and shop away! Then all you have to make is the outer shell.)

I second the recommendation to go to ana-white.com; take a look at her info on the Kreg jig (and go look at Kreg jig videos on YouTube). I've made stuff w/ the Kreg jig, and it's not difficult (though I wish I had purchased a square of some sort earlier; getting a perfectly perpendicular cut to the lumber was easy since the lumberyard (not HD!) cut it for me).
But it would still have been nice to have a square, or a corner clamp.

If you've got room to work, and a table saw (or a helpful lumberyard like mine; they claim to charge $1 per cut, but when I have a whole ton of cutting to turn a 4'x8' sheet of plywood into shelving, they tend to charge m3 $5 to $10 to do it all), you could plan it out and get what you need.

You can also use "pilaster strips" for adjustable shelves.
dahoov2
Original Author
9 years ago
Wow; great post! Thank you so much for your response. I went to that site (what a phenomenal site!). I will make sure if I do it, I'll get clamps and a square. We have a great saw (circular, jig and a mitre saw but no band saw). We've made some things before. We put up a shed (but it was a kit), we built a ramp for it, built cornices for the windows and did some base and crown molding. Took a while to get crown molding though! Wasted a few pieces as it was difficult to get close cuts that lined up. But I can live without crown in the closet.

Alas, the nearest Ikea is in Fredericksburg, about a three hour ride from here. I just went to Easy Closets and had them do a free layout/pricing for me. But that's just one bid ;) I need to do cost effective for this and the laundry room cabinets because I'm splurging on a fancy shower and heated floors. I'm reusing windows also to save money and will pilfer any extra lumber from the extension build I might use in the closets. Heck, if I'm paying for it, I want it! So 2x4's and plywood-a-plenty I'm hoping.

I LOVE that you said they don't charge much for cuts at a lumber yard. I know Lowes does one or two cuts free but don't want to do a lot of cuts. Because you said that, I'll check out other yards..Thanks for that tip!!!!
talley_sue_nyc
9 years ago
Don't use a jigsaw to cut wood for this sort of application--you need a perfectly perpendicular, and a jigsaw's blade will bend. (Been there, done that.)

Your circular saw will probably work, but you should use a square of some kind to check the angle of the blade.

You probably won't need 2x4s; the bookcase-style boxes built w/ the Kreg jig are really sturdy.

If you did crown molding, the Kreg jig will be a snap (you need a drill, of course).

Buying the pocket-hole clamps (and the jig itself) will add to the cost of the project, but things will come out so much better (and go together much more quicky). Plus, you'll have them for all the other bookcases you decide you want to build, and the storage bench for the patio, etc.

I don't know how other lumberyards are about cuts, but I absolutely think it's worth asking around at the non-big-box ones.

Also, I once was going to have my lumberyard just do the ripping (since that's hard to do on your own; crosscuts are easy w/ a circular saw or a table saw). They ended up insisting that they do it all, "it will be so much easier for you," and they didn't charge more.
But if you don't find a yard like mine, consider having them to the really tough stuff (ripping the plywood lengthwise into boards all the same size) and leave you the more manageable stuff (crosscuts).

And if you end up needed (or wanting) to do that stuff yourself, Kreg has some great jigs for saws!

Kreg Rip-Cut jig
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p79/rip-cuttrade/

Kreg Square-Cut jig for crosscuts
https://www.kregtool.com/store/c47/saw-accessories/p264/square-cuttrade/

(there are good YouTube videos of these jigs in action--worth a look)
dahoov2
Original Author
9 years ago
I'd not mind having to buy the tools. Hubby loves to do that. Now that we have a nice workroom with room to spare, should be no problem. I think the savings in the long run and doing it myself/ourselves will be something to be proud about....

I'm adding a laundry room as well. I am saving money by buying my own stock cabinets. I'll buy quality but I'll need to make one shelf with a hanging pole on it, and I want to make my own "sign" and also an ironing board hanger. each room I like building or doing one crafty item so I can say "I did that!". :)

I'm spending so much on that master bathroom (I want it to be high end like my kitchen is) and the addition as a whole, I need to cut corners somewhere, so the laundry room and closet it is!

The best part about this forum is the help you get (tips). It's much appreciated!
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
A nice sliding compound miter saw is what you need. You can get adequate for home users models for cheap. Buy it, use it and sell it on Craigslist.

Same with a compressor and some nail guns.

Christmas and Father's day are the best times to tool shop.
dahoov2
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh we have those two things already! The nail gun is something we got recently (we had to install a piece of toe molding and did some moldings and my cornices).

We went to a place called Harbor Freight. Wonder how we ever did without that nail gun now. .

I guess I don't need much... just the clamps, wood, nails and square! :)
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
The clamps that hold corners in place are extremely useful.

Kreg jig ... makes assembling stuff far easier, and screws hold better than nails.

What type of company or should I DIY closet organizers?

Fori

Comments (10)

dahoov2
Original Author

Related Discussions

lazy_gardens

talley_sue_nyc

dahoov2
Original Author

talley_sue_nyc

dahoov2
Original Author

lazy_gardens

dahoov2
Original Author

lazy_gardens

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

What type of company or should I DIY closet organizers?

Fori

Comments (10)

dahoov2Original Author

Related Discussions

lazy_gardens

talley_sue_nyc

dahoov2Original Author

talley_sue_nyc

dahoov2Original Author

lazy_gardens

dahoov2Original Author

lazy_gardens

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dahoov2
Original Author

dahoov2
Original Author

dahoov2
Original Author

dahoov2
Original Author