Renovating houses and home improvement projects are a very popular way to spend the weekends. With money being tight these days most home owners are choosing to put on the tool belt and get into the DYI method of renovating.
If you fancy yourself a bit handy, this is a great way to modernize your house and not have an expensive builder’s bill to pay at the end. For all those renovators out there who are thinking about how to tackle the bedroom, I thought I’d put together a step by step guide on “How To Build a Wardrobe”.
Even if you’re not the most talented Mr Fix-it in the world you will soon pick up the skills. Since you’re not paying yourself by the hour there is no need to rush, just take your time and you’ll get the job done.
The over all wardrobe size will be 2100high x 1200wide x 600deep (82.67in x 47.24in x 23.62in).
The wardrobe that we’re making today will have swinging doors on concealed hinges, this is the easiest way to apply doors to this type of cupboard. You can use the cutting list below to cut your cupboard from scratch.
Colour board = 16mm (0.62 in) thick MDF (this can come paintable or pre-finished melamine)
Seen Gables 2 @ 2100 x 600 (82.67 in x 23.62 in)
Doors 2 @ 2000 x 581 (78.74 in x 22.87 in)
Kick Face 1 @ 1164 x 100 (45.82 in x 3.93 in)
Carcass = 16mm (0.62 in) thick white hmr with edge strip to seen edges.
Gables 2 @ 2000 x 555 (78.74 in x 21.85 in)
Top and Bot 2 @ 1136 x 555 (44.72 in x 21.85 in)
Shelf 1 @ 1136 x 555 (44.72 in x 21.85 in)
Back 1 @ 2000 x 1136 (78.74 in x 44.72 in)
- Position the top in line with the very end of the gable at 90. Locate the screws in the holes through the face of the gable. Screw the top to the gable.
- Position the bottom at the opposite end of the gable. Screw the bottom to the gable.
- Position the shelf 1684 mm (or at desired height, this space is going to be hanging space) up from the bottom. Screw the shelf to the gable.
- Screw the other gable to the top, bottom and shelf.
- Flip cupboard over so it’s face down, place the back on so it’s face down over the carcass. Line the short edge of the back so it’s flush with the bottom face of the bottom. Screw the back to the bottom. Line up the long edge so it’s flush with the gable. Screw the back to the gable along the long edge. Continue screwing the back to the cabinet around the perimeter of the back and also fix screws into the shelf.
- Screw your adjustable feet to the bottom of your carcass (the large opening goes at the bottom). Stand your carcass up on the feet.
- Stand back and admire your progress, you’re nearly there!
- Screw the hinge blocks to the gable, there should be 4 per gable.
- Fix kick face to the legs with the clips provided with legs.
- Screw the seen gable on, leaving the front edge of the seen gable protrude 18mm past the carcass gable. The 18mm quirk is the door thickness plus a 2mm gap for the door to pivot without binding on the carcass. The seen gable will be flush with the top of the carcass.
- With your measuring tape, measure from the top of the carcass to the centre of each hinge plate (the centre of the hinge plate will be the centre of the hinge). Place the door face down on your bench. Hook the tape measure to the top edge of the door measuring and marking (close to the edge of the door) the centre of the hinges. Square a line out 22mm long from the edge of the door towards the centre of the door. This is the centre of the hinge cup hole.
- Drill the hinge holes with a 35mm forstner bit being careful not to drill to deep.
- Insert the hinges and screw into position. Clip the door/hinges to the hinge plates mounted to the carcass. Do the same to the other door.
- Drill and install handle at desired height (1000mm from the floor is a comfortable height) to the cabinet door.
- Install some hanging rail approximately 75mm (3 in) down from the underneath of the shelf.
Your wardrobe is now ready to be placed in the desired location as a loose piece of furniture or installed by screwing through the cabinet back into the wall studs. You can do variations on this wardrobe by adding drawers, baskets or a row of shelves inside the cabinet so you have half shelves and half hanging space.
Practice makes perfect so they say. The more of these easy jobs you do around the house the more confident you’ll get of your own skills and you’ll be tearing into the bathroom or kitchen in no time.
Of course you should always get a qualified contractor to do the electrical, plumbing and structural building work.
