How to Build a Free Standing Closet

Building the Closet Base

• 1

  Measure the desired area--width and length--of your free-standing closet.

• 2

  Cut pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood to frame the base of the closet on the floor. Leave an opening for the door--the door's width plus 6 ¼ inches for the wood studs and door framing.

• 3

  Cut the same length pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood, without leaving an opening for the door, for the top or roof of your free-standing closet. Set this wood aside.

• 4

  Line up the 2-by-4-inch wood on the floor and screw it into the floor with a regular power drill for wood floors or with a hammer drill for concrete floors. Pre-drill the holes and place anchors in them before screwing them securely to the floor.

Framing the Walls

• 5

  Build each side wall of the closet on the floor. Use the height measurement of your closet wall, minus 4 inches for the base and 2 inches for the top--to cut your wall studs. Cut as many wall studs that are necessary to space them every 12 inches along each wall.

• 6

  Cut a base piece and a top piece of 2-by-4-inch wood for each wall using the same width measurement as the base plates already secured to the floor.

• 7

  Lay the 2-by-4-inch wood wall studs in between and perpendicular to the top and base pieces, space them 12 inches apart and nail them into the top and base pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood.

• 8

  Lift each wall onto its base plate secured to the floor. Screw these into the base plates at several places using heavy-duty 3- or 4-inch deck screws or bolts.

• 9

  Reinforce each closet corner with an extra 2-by-4-in-wood stud aligned against each wall's end 2-by-4-inch wood studs. Screw the corner wood together, and screw the extra 2-by-4-inch wood into these studs.

Frame the Top

• 10

  Measure the length across the top of the free-standing closet from one side wall to the opposite side.

• 11

  Cut enough 2-by-4-inch wood pieces to space them every 12 inches across the top.

• 12

  Bolt them through the top framing of the side walls and screw 2-inch-wide 90-degree-angled metal plates into both sides of the ends of each ceiling stud and into the top of the side wall framing.

Insert Door Frame

• 13

  Build the door header just above the height measurement for the door by inserting a piece of 2-by-4-inch wood cut to the door's width measurement and nailing it into the side studs.

• 14

  Measure the height between the base of the door header and the closet's top plate. Cut three to four 2-by-4-inch wood pieces and evenly space them into the door header and nail them into place.

• 15

  Cut two pieces of 2-by-4-inch wood for the two sides of the doorway opening. Nail these into their adjoining wood studs.

• 16

  Insert the door framing into the closet door opening. Nail the framing into the wood studs.

• 17

  Hang the door to the door framing using hinges and screws. Bore a hole into the door framing for the door handle latch and screw the strike plate over the hole.

Finish the Free-Standing Closet

• 18

  Cut sheetrock to finish the walls and ceiling of the free-standing closet. Transfer each wall's width and length measurements to the sheetrock, draw a straight line with a straight edge and a pencil and then score the line with a utility knife.

• 19

  Bend the sheetrock on the cut line until it snaps in two, and then cut through the backing with the utility knife to separate the pieces.

• 20

  Line up the sheetrock to the wall with each end falling on a wood stud and screw along each wood stud that the sheetrock covers.

• 21

  Smooth joint compound over the screw holes and the seams. Smooth paper tape over the seams, tack corner beads over each outside corner of the closet. Feather a smooth layer of joint compound over the paper tape with a putty knife and a feathering tool.

• 22

  Prime and paint your new free-standing closet.