My wife and I just bought a new loft and I've made the questionable
decision to gut the old closet and start over. We have very limited
space so I wanted design and build hanging space and shelves that used
every inch of available space. I've got a design that we're both happy
with but now have questions about material.

Is it practical, or even safe, to build the closet (shelves and all)
out of Cedar? I was planning on using Eastern Red Cedar for its
aromatic qualities but I don't know how its going to hold up under the
weight of 2 3'5.5" bars full of clothes. Would that type of Cedar (in
2' x 6' dimensions) work?

Thanks,
- Josh

wrote in message

Is it practical, or even safe, to build the closet (shelves and all)
out of Cedar? I was planning on using Eastern Red Cedar for its
aromatic qualities but I don't know how its going to hold up under the
weight of 2 3'5.5" bars full of clothes. Would that type of Cedar (in
2' x 6' dimensions) work?

Good luck with the new space.

Cedar is fine to line a closet. As for the bars, I'd screw them into a stud
rather that just the cedar planking. If the wall is open, you can add some
extra re-inforcement if needed.

As for shelves, watch for sag. You will want to run a strip across the back
on the bottom to add rigidity, not just support the ends.

On 15 Nov 2004 11:50:09 -0800, wrote:

My wife and I just bought a new loft and I've made the questionable
decision to gut the old closet and start over. We have very limited
space so I wanted design and build hanging space and shelves that used
every inch of available space. I've got a design that we're both happy
with but now have questions about material.

Is it practical, or even safe, to build the closet (shelves and all)
out of Cedar? I was planning on using Eastern Red Cedar for its
aromatic qualities but I don't know how its going to hold up under the
weight of 2 3'5.5" bars full of clothes. Would that type of Cedar (in
2' x 6' dimensions) work?

Build normal and line with cedar. Cedar chipboard is available in
sheets, or cedar panelling.

Jeff

wrote:
My wife and I just bought a new loft and I've made the questionable
decision to gut the old closet and start over. We have very limited
space so I wanted design and build hanging space and shelves that
used every inch of available space. I've got a design that we're
both happy with but now have questions about material.

Is it practical, or even safe, to build the closet (shelves and all)
out of Cedar? I was planning on using Eastern Red Cedar for its
aromatic qualities but I don't know how its going to hold up under
the weight of 2 3'5.5" bars full of clothes. Would that type of
Cedar (in 2' x 6' dimensions) work?

Waste of wood...3/4 is fine. Or even thinner for lining. The only
place you might have a problem with 3/4 is on the shelves and that
depends on the span...3' 5.5" is fine.

For hanging, you might want to consider this...

A
1. make 3/4 x 3/4 strips, hardwood preferred
2. drill 1/4" holes 3/8" deep at 1" - 1 1/2" intervals
3. attach firmly to closet sides
B
1. make bars about 1 1/2 high x 1 1/4 wide by length as necessary;
round over tops
2. cut 3/4 wide notches in ends so they will slip over the strips
3. support the bars with #346 KV clips inserted into the holes in
the strips.

This allows you to hang bars at various heights thereby increasing
storage space. For example, shirts/blouses can be hung on two bars
one above another. Trousers/skirts can be hung from a high (or low)
bar with shelves below (or above) for shoes/purses/whatever.

The holes in the strips - and the strips themselves - need not be the
full height of the closet, just enough to allow flexibility in placing
the hanging bars for various types of clothing.

This works best if the closet is compartmentalized with vertical
dividers so that hanging sections are 3-4' wide. The KV clips are
entirely adequate to support a bar full of even the heaviest clothing.
The overlap of the bars on the sides of the strips keeps the bars in
lateral position.

http://www.knapeandvogt.com/kv/Shelv...s/Built-In+Peg
+Supports/Built-In+Peg+Supports.htm?NRMODE=Published

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico