How to Deepen the Pantry

Empty out your pantry of all food and shelving. If the shelves in your pantry are built in, remove the screws that attach the supports to the wall with a screwdriver or use the claw end of a hammer if the shelves are nailed in place. Be careful, when pulling out the built-in shelves, if you plan to reuse them.

Locate the studs in the back wall of your pantry with a stud finder. Mark the position of these studs on the wall in pencil.

Sketch a template on the wall to outline the shape of the opening you plan to cut into it. You may choose to open the entire wall to maximize the storage space, or you may simply open half the wall. Use a level to keep your lines straight.

Align the tip of a drywall saw with one of the horizontal lines you drew on the wall in pencil. Gently tap the handle with your hand to push the saw blade through the drywall. Move the saw in and out of the drywall slowly to cut along the pencil line.

Cut out the entire template drawn on the wall. If there are multiple studs in the pantry wall, you may need to cut out individual panels of drywall between each pair of adjacent studs. Once finished, set the drywall cutouts aside.

Use a reciprocating saw to cut through the wall studs inside the wall opening you just made. Cut through all but the last 1/2-inch of each stud along the top and bottom of the wall opening. Finish each cut with a handsaw and gently pull the cut studs away from the wall.

Measure the distance between the inside edges of the two studs on either end of the wall opening. Use a circular saw to cut two pieces of 2-by-4 hardwood to this measurement. You will use these boards to reinforce the wall where you removed the studs.

Insert the two pieces of 2-by-4 hardwood horizontally into the wall space between the end studs. Position one board along the bottom of the wall space so it lies flat on top of the cut-off studs. The second board should be positioned flat against the cut-off studs along the top of the wall space.

Drive 3-inch wood screws through the horizontal pieces of 2-by-4 hardwood into the cut-off studs and the end studs to secure them in place. Not only will these boards reinforce the wall but they can also be used to hang your pantry shelving.

Reinstall your pantry shelving. Attach the shelves to the studs in the side walls of the pantry and use the end studs and the horizontal support beams to attach shelving to the back wall of the pantry. If you are using prefabricated shelves, follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation.