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Assessing the space
Home » Home Improvement » Closet Organization » Assessing the spaceAs the costs of housing costs have gone up, it has become more important to get the maximum use from each square foot of space. There are companies and product devoted exclusively to closet organization, but the key to efficient and affordable space is planning. By planning ahead a homeowner will be able to establish the needs, design the space and select the accessories needed for a well-organized closet without a huge financial investment.
Determine the style of the space you have to work with.
There are 2 common closet styles, walk-in and reach-in. Both can vary in size so measure the space and know what you have to work with. There are 4 common closet door styles and sometimes you can access more space by simply changing your closet door. Whether you leave it or make a change, you will need to factor in the door style before planning how you will organize the space.
Bi-fold doors allow easy access to the front of the closet. They glide on recessed tracks and project into the room only half as far as side-hinged doors. These can be a good option for a reach-in style closet.
Accordion doors are usually made from a vinyl material and open up almost the entire width of the closet at one time without projecting into the room. This style will reduce the size of your opening by 6 inches and may not be as dust-proof or last as long as other styles.
Hinged doors offer the opportunity to add hanging racks, shoe bags and other storage accessories. Be careful when attaching such items to hollow-core doors and remember to allow the added space in the room that this style will need to open.
Sliding doors open without projecting into the room. However, half of the closet opening is always blocked by the door.
Once you have determined what size and style of closet you are working with, ask yourself the following questions:
• How much shelf space is needed?
• How much hanging space is needed?
• Do you need shorter or longer hanging spaces?
• How much shoe space is needed?
• How much drawer space is needed?
The following estimates are helpful to determine the amount of rod length and height that will best fit your needs:
• Average rod length needed per person: 4 feet to 6 feet.
• Amount of rod space needed per garment:
2 inches for women's clothing
2-1/2 inches for men's clothing
3 inches to 4 inches for bulky outer garments
• Average rod height needed:
63 inches for adult clothing
65 to 67 inches for a single shelf
84 inches for a double shelf
32 inches for children's clothing
rods should be 4 to 6 inches less than the child’s height
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