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by: NA
Question:
Scenario: You are planning on building some closet shelves and you are going to use 12 inch wide MDF for the shelving and then 1-ft x1-fts or 1-ft x 2-fts for the rails on the wall (to hold the shelving). You are also going to use rods, either wooden or aluminum, for the hangers. One wall is 68 inches long the other is 58 inches. Question: Should you use a support bracket in the middle for the rod?
Diagnosis, Analysis, Solutions and other Feedback:
In the closet organizers we've built, closet rods are usually about 12 1/2" from the wall. That means the shelf either needs to be 11" (so that you can get a hanger to hook on the rod without having to contort it) OR the closet rod needs to be about 2 1/4" below the shelf (so that there is room for the hook of the hanger to go under the shelf and over the rod).
For this reason, most precut shelves are 11" wide, so that the closet rod can be mounted at 12 1/2. We generally use 1x4's to sit the shelf on. (Think about the weight that will go on 6ft of closet rod, loaded with clothes and shelf. Will a 1x1 really hold all that?) Closet rod end-caps go on either end, and for most closets that are your width, I'd put a metal shelf/hanger bracket in the center, supported behind by a piece of 1x4 that is dog-eared on the bottom.
Another option would be to divide the closet in half with a vertical piece to match your shelving. This vertical piece can serve to break the closet rod up into two halves. Some people also like to have a 2nd lower closet rod to hang shorter items pants, miniskirts or whatnot. Sometimes you can even use two pieces of predrilled shelf melamine, and turn this middle support into a skinny shelf rack for shoes. There is no end to how you can organize closets.
Home Depot and Lowes sell chrome closet rods (and end-caps) that are excellent for spanning long distances, but they are a bit pricey. We think it is money well spent -- they look super and will not bow like wood ones.
Another option would be to divide the closet in half with a vertical piece to match your shelving.
There is one drawback to this approach - storing larger objects on the floor that are longer than half the closet width. Last Christmas, we bought this HUGE Christmas wreath (42" diameter) thinking that it could be stored in our closet divided as suggested. Oops - the shallow closet was divided into two 36" sections and the wreath is a dried arrangement, not suitable for squeezing. As well, I built a lightweight crate to hold the wreath - width 45". Not even going to fit.
Most luggage will easily fit into a half closet-width space, but things happen.
A clothes rod end is larger than a 1x1, so that is out of the question. It will also split on you.
A 1x2 is not deep enough to offset the rod from the shelf above, (for hanger clearance) and may spit as you drive that extra nail while trying to find a stud in the wall.
A 1x4 offers the desired room to add hat hooks, etc. in front of the shelves. And room to drive up to 3 or 4 nails in the effort to hit a stud in the corners.
Some prefer one-piece metal closet rods because they do not want to fuss with finding a straight wooden rod at the store, nor do they want the slight bow that will occur over time with wood. Aside from that, wood rods are fine.
MDF is a good choice for shelves.
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