What sheet goods to use for closets?

[Eric Larsen]

Here's the plan:

1) Buy 4x8 sheets of 3/4" thick [SOMETHING]

2) Glue 3/16" thick Spanish cedar boards onto said 4x8 sheets.

3) Route dadoes for standards and fixed shelves.

4) Glue and brad standards (with jig-it holes already drilled) and fixed shelves into the grooves and let dry.

5) Screw 4x8 sheets into the studs of my walk in. (Then cover the holes with plugs.)

6) Add shelves, drawers, rods, hampers etc. and fill with clothes (not the heaviest of loads, but not "light" either.)


So, can I get away with MDF, or should I really be looking at ply? My dimensions are (height x width) 8' x 8', 8' x 10' and 8' x 5'. I want the shelves to be rock-solid.

I've been resawing away like a madman, and I've got the 200 sq. ft. of cedar done. I just need to glue it to a substrate. I'd LIKE to go with a vacuum press, but I'm tapped out right now. I'll likely glue all the panels down, then slap another 4x8 sheet on top. I'll add a lot of cawls and a lot of clamps.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I would use plywood, Clothes can get pretty heavy and you don't really want to have to remember where the underlying studs are located. I used 3/4 plywood on a pantry a few weeks ago, it worked out great. Canned goods, of course, weigh a ton. Over the lifetime of the closet, plywood isn't much more than MDF.Sounds like a great project!

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
If you use plywood be sure to seal all 6 sides.

Unless you live in a very dry climate, the humidity will eventually get to it, and at best it will only distort. At worst, it will delaminate.

I see this sort of thing constantly in >30 year old houses my wife and I look at, as well as an older house I had 25 years ago.

[David G Baker]

My closets are lined with OSB and it looks like it is in very good condition for being there for around 15 years. It sure isn't pretty. The person that built the closets must have been poor or cheap. Closet remodels are high on the list. The sides are not sealed either so in the Winter we could store meat in the closets with out it spoiling.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Perhaps I don't understand exactly what you have in mind for the cedar panels, but... I have installed lots of closet systems for myself and many clients, so I have a few questions. First, why are you using cedar apparently over all surfaces? Would it not be satisfactory to line the walls of your closet with cedar, and use something else for the closet cabinetry? If you do line the walls, why use a backing?

Second, If you are making up sheets, I would think a 1/2" backing would be sufficient, not 3/4" as you mentioned.

You want the surfaces in your closet that will touch clothing to be smooth and easily cleaned. Is cedar the right choice?

[Ben Davis]

Perhaps I don't understand exactly what you have in mind for the cedar panels, but... I have installed lots of closet systems for myself and many clients, so I have a few questions. First, why are you using cedar apparently over all surfaces? Would it not be satisfactory to line the walls of your closet with cedar, and use something else for the closet cabinetry? If you do line the walls, why use a backing?

Second, If you are making up sheets, I would think a 1/2" backing would be sufficient, not 3/4" as you mentioned.

You want the surfaces in your closet that will touch clothing to be smooth and easily cleaned. Is cedar the right choice?
Agreed! I'm not certain how long the aromatic portion of othe aromatic ceder will last as well. You might consider lining the drawers with the ceder, but I don't believe there is a great ROI for ceder panal walls.

[Chris Padilla]

www.easyclosets.com (http://www.easyclosets.com) All melamine coated (very smooth, very easy to clean, won't snag clothes) and it is a rather nice system and goes together fast. I have used this in 3 closets in my house and the garage storage room.

Keep in mind that your closet walls are likely NOT square and you will be frustrated using them as a reference. Design the structure with this in mind.

3/16" is rather thick for a veneer and you could have movement problems and therefore delamination issues down the road. Thinner is always better with veneers.

MDF is the ultimate veneer backing material due to flatness and uniformity and stability but a cabinet grade plywood will work as well and is better for loads and is much lighter so I would go with the plywood. I think 3/4" is fine. What kind of spans are you looking at? That will play a factor, too.

[Dave Falkenstein]

...I'm not certain how long the aromatic portion of othe aromatic ceder will last as well. You might consider lining the drawers with the ceder, but I don't believe there is a great ROI for ceder panal walls.

In my own experience, the aromatic properties of cedar in a closet don't last very long. I used cedar T & G strips to line the back wall of two of my own closets. After a couple of weeks the aroma disappeared. Personally, I would not use cedar in a closet again, unless you like the look of it. Inside a chest, there is a lot less exposure to air and light, and apparently the cedar aroma lasts for years.

[Narayan Nayar]

Not sure why you want to laminate the plywood with Cedar.

I'd definitely go with melamine. If you want cedar in the closet, you can do a shiplapped paneling in the back of the closet, then using the melamine for shelves and supporting members. Cedar's not such a great surface for clothes unless you like smelling like a tree when you're out and about (I suppose that would be preferable to other things, though). Cedar in the closet, however, can be nice.

[tom tangie]

drywall, tape and mud. Then texture skip trowel or spray on.

[Eric Larsen]

The cabinetry will be made of more ergonomic and cost-effective material. The "cedar veneer" is simply because I have a lot of it, and because SWMBO wants a cedar closet.

The idea is to take a couple hundred BF of spanish cedar, slice it thin, and spread it around the closet. Should we ever sell this place, I'll hit the closet with some 220 grit paper for "marketing purposes."

I'm thinking of using oak and oak ply for the load bearing sections. It will match well with the floor.




Perhaps I don't understand exactly what you have in mind for the cedar panels, but... I have installed lots of closet systems for myself and many clients, so I have a few questions. First, why are you using cedar apparently over all surfaces? Would it not be satisfactory to line the walls of your closet with cedar, and use something else for the closet cabinetry? If you do line the walls, why use a backing?

Second, If you are making up sheets, I would think a 1/2" backing would be sufficient, not 3/4" as you mentioned.

You want the surfaces in your closet that will touch clothing to be smooth and easily cleaned. Is cedar the right choice?