How to Install a Closet Rod

Decide how much weight you'll need this closet rod to support. Your choices may be anything from a simple tension rod for hanging a few light items in a narrow closet to a heavy wooden pole whose supports are attached to wall studs for holding heavy clothes in a wider space.

Inspect the area where you'll attach the rod supports. For a wooden pole, the rod supports are typically round plates that attach flat to the wall, with a place for the ends of the rod to fit in.

Choose appropriate hardware to attach the supports to the wall. There are different sorts of anchors to attach to plaster, drywall, wood, or even brick or masonry.

Choose a rod that can be adjusted to fit into the closet space. Or have a wooden rod cut, or cut it yourself to fit into the space.

Choose a height to hang the rod. This can vary depending on a number of factors: the length of the clothes, whether you're going to hang another rod below the first one, and whether this is a child's closet, among other things (see Tips).

Choose a depth for the rod - how far it will hang from the back wall of the closet (see Tips).

Measure from the back wall to where you'll anchor the rod. Make a light pencil mark on one side of the rod support. This is only for depth, not height.

Measure from the floor up to where you'll anchor the rod, on each wall, at the depth you just marked. Make a light pencil mark at the bottom of the rod support when you've measured.

Attach the rod supports to the walls with the appropriate anchors.

Place the rod in the supports.