How to Build a Closet Under the Eaves

Measure the length of the wall you will need to complete the closet. If you are going from one end of the eaves to other, you should only need to build one wall. You will need the measurement from the floor to the ceiling and then subtract the 4 inches to find the height of your studs. If the closet is already framed in, you need to find the studs you will attach the wall frame to, since they need to be anchored to existing studs and not drywall.

Cut your studs for the walls using a circular saw. You will need a top and bottom piece for each wall frame that is the length of your wall. Cut one piece that is the width of your prehung door. Plan for enough studs to go on each end of the frame and 16 inches across the rest of the frame.

Assemble your wall frame. Lay out the studs on the floor and nail the studs to each corner of the top and bottom piece for the wall frame. You should create a square; make sure it is a perfect square and that the corners are at 90-degree angles. Nail the stud pieces in 16 inches apart from each other all the way across. Do not nail in studs where the door will go; place studs on both sides of where the door will be so that you can nail the prehung door into place once the wall is up. Nail in the piece that is the width of the prehung door at the correct height so you can nail the top of the doorframe to it.

Put up your wall frame. Nail it into the floor on each side of each stud. Nail it into the ceiling joists. Nail it along the walls at the corners every 12 inches all the way up. Make sure that the wall is straight and level as you install it. You can use a level to make sure it is. Use a handsaw to cut out the bottom of the wall frame where the door will go.

Install the drywall with screws. Screw along the top of the drywall into each stud and along the bottom. Do two rows that split the distance in the middle. Hang the drywall on both the interior and exterior portions of the closet wall and the ceiling. It may slope up around the eaves. Use the drywall tape to seal the seams and then cover it and the screws with drywall compound.

Sand the compound smooth after it dries with an electric sander. Paint the walls. Add baseboards to the floor of the exterior and interior of the closet for a finished look.

Place the door in the built wall frame. Make sure the door is level, and use a mallet to adjust the door until it can swing open and shut freely. Use the level to make sure it fits correctly. Then nail it into place at each corner and every 18 inches from the top to the bottom. Install trim around the framed door to give it a finished look.