Most folks don’t realize how much weight a closet rod has to support. Of course, if you’re like me, your closet could do with some Marie Kondo-style decluttering, but who has time for that? Many homeowners find that the shelving and hanging rods in their closets are inadequate in a number of ways, and sagging under the weight of clothing is one of the top ones.
One of the ways Virginia Installations helps contractors and homeowners is by designing and installing residential closet shelving that is both efficient and strong. Our Organized Living closet systems are optimized for bedroom closets, linen and pantry closets, cleaning and supply closets, and even garage storage.
What factors affect the strength of shelving and hanging rods?
Structural Integrity:
It’s absolutely critical that your shelves are securely attached to the wall studs, both on the shelf itself, and on any bracing underneath. Shelves lacking the correct hardware can sag in the back, or even flip forward when pulled on the front edge, dumping everything on your head!
If your shelves are going to support significant weight, either on the shelf or on the hanging rod below it, then that weight needs to be transferred to the supporting framework of the wall studs by using some kind of bracing system. Wire shelves use angle brackets, vertical metal uprights mounted on the studs use locking metal brackets, and wooden shelves use either brackets of some kind or vertical wooden dividers.
Material Integrity:
How much bracing needs to be under your shelving depends on what thickness and density the shelving material possesses. Flimsy shelving from big box stores will need more support, which means more brackets, more fasteners, more holes in your wall, all with no guarantee that the end result will last. The Organized Living closet shelving sold and installed by Virginia Installations is significantly stronger due to thicker metal in the wire shelving and metal brackets, and denser and often thicker engineered wood shelving. Better materials matched with proper brace spacing ensures that your closet shelving and hanging rods serve your needs for many years.
Let’s talk about hanging rods, specifically. Many existing closets use some kind of wood plank shelf supported on the ends and the back with some kind of board ledge, and then the clothes rod is supported by pockets on the end, with a few brackets spaced out in the middle with hooks in which the rod lies. The first reason your closet rod may be sagging is that the rod itself is made with weak materials, such as a soft flexible wood, or a thin-walled metal rod. Secondly, there’s too much space between braces. Thirdly, the rod is just laying in the pockets instead of either snapped in or locked in with some kind of fastener, allowing the rod to flex, twist, or move when clothing is being added or removed or slid back and forth.
Installer Integrity:
This is the factor that is the least obvious, but is possibly the most critical. Your shelving and hanging rods are something that will be used everyday, all day, for years. While many contractors and home designers treat closets as afterthoughts, it’s important that these spaces are given the due consideration they deserve, given how much we depend on them. For that reason, it’s important that one doesn’t cut corners in selecting the materials used or in how those materials are installed.
You can be a DIY closet installer, but you should ask yourself how much time you’ll need to accomplish your project. At Virginia Installations, we have the personnel, tools and experience needed to complete your project in record time without taking any shortcuts that will result in problems later. We stand behind not just the products we sell, but also the quality of our work. We offer free consultations and estimates, so use our handy contact form here on our website to get in touch with our team.
