How to Frame an Attic Closet

Closet Layout

• Before you can do a thing, you have to plan your closet. You can't simply build the walls, stand them up and expect it to work. Planning is simple: Look at your available spaces and determine where you want the closet. Look for an area where it doesn't block windows, swinging doors, light fixtures or other furnishings. A corner location is better than in the middle of a wall since it means you can use two existing walls, making less work and expense. Measure the closet depth and length, and mark it on the floor. Base your construction measurements on this outline.

Stud Wall Construction

• A closet is nothing more than a framework of stud walls, typically framed with two-by-four lumber; you can use larger boards and possibly smaller if you're not concerned with heavy duty use. To build a stud wall, find the length of the wall and cut two two-by-fours to fit. If the wall is longer than the stud length, make two walls of equal length and nail them together to form one long wall. The first two boards form the bottom and top plates, which sandwich the studs that run vertically inside the wall. To find the proper stud height, measure from the ceiling to the floor and subtract 3 1/2 inches to allow for the thickness of both plates plus a little extra clearance to allow you to erect the wall when you're done. Nail the studs through the plates into the stud ends every 16 or 24 inches, with final studs flush with the plate ends.

Angled Closet Ceilings

• One problem DIYers commonly come across when building a room or closet in the attic -- or any place with slanted ceilings -- is how to build a wall to fit. You can build a perfectly square wall that is only as tall as the lowest point of the ceiling, but it won't look as finished as a wall that follows the ceiling's angle. If the wall runs perpendicular to the angle, you cut the studs to angle slightly from the front of the stud to the back, and attach the top plate flat against the stud ends. If, however, the wall runs parallel to the ceiling's angle, cut each stud to match the height. The result is a series of studs that grow gradually taller. The easiest way to do this is to find the floor-to-ceiling height at either end of the wall run. Line up the studs, side by side and tight together, mark the tallest and the lowest on either side, then draw a straight line connecting them. This shows the perfect height for a cut guide. The top plate attaches normally to the cut ends.

Framing a Door

• Your closet won't be much use if you can't get inside it to use it. Framing a doorway -- whether or not you actually hang a door -- is necessary for any room or framed area. First leave space between studs to fit the doorway. Determine the position of the door, then draw straight lines on the bottom plate -- on either side of the proposed doorway -- equal to the door's actual width plus 2 inches. Make another set of marks, working away from the opening, equal to 1 1/2 inches; label the space with a "J" to indicate a jack stud. Repeat, making another 1 1/2-inch space labeled with a "K" for king stud. The king stud is a full-height stud just like a normal stud. The jack stud, on the other hand, measures the actual height of the door plus 2 1/2 inches. Attach the king stud, then secure the jack stud to the bottom plate and nail it to the king stud in a couple of spots.

Finishing the Doorway

• You can't hang a door or finish the wall with drywall or another sheathing without framing in the top. Measure the distance from one king stud to the opposite, cut a two-by-four to length, then slide it into the space; nail it to attach. Next, cut two or three short blocks to fit between the header and the top plate above, and similarly secure them. When complete, the doorway is slightly wider and taller than the actual door, with a header resting on the jack studs and ending at the king studs.

Erecting Walls

• At this point, you have a collection of one or more walls lying on your attic floor, but you can't call it a closet yet. Run a bead of construction adhesive along the wall guide previously marked; a little construction adhesive on each framing member attached doesn't hurt anything, either. Next, walk the wall erect into position. Hold a level against the wall and check for straight up-and-down -- called plumb. Once the wall is precise, nail through the bottom plate into the floor and through the outer studs into adjoining framing members in adjacent walls. Finish by nailing through the top plate into ceiling framing members. You likely need to find these points before you secure the wall.

Finishing the Closet

• There's no right and wrong when it comes to finishing the closet. Depending on its purpose, your taste, budget and other factors, you can sheath the inside of the closet and the outside walls with drywall, paneling or almost anything you like.