How to Install a Linen Cabinet

You can gain significant amounts of extra storage space by adding a linen closet to your home. It is a fairly easy do-it-yourself project. Follow these steps.

Locate the Space

Decide where to locate your linen cabinet. Measure the space from the floor up to the ceiling. Generally, most spaces are anywhere between 7 and 10-feet tall. Build your linen cabinet from the floor to the ceiling. Doing so will give you plenty of space to store both your frequently used items and the things that you do not use regularly. You can easily put these items on the uppermost shelves.

Purchase the Wood

Take a trip to your local home improvement center. Purchase the lumber needed for this project. You will need 2x4-inch lumber or 2x6-inch lumber for the framing.

Cut the Wood Framing

Using a free holding saw or a table saw, cut the wood to size. You will need to cut four pieces for the frame. Refer to your measurements. The pieces should extend from the floor to the ceiling. Next cut the top and bottom frame pieces. There will be four pieces on the bottom and four pieces on the top. They are the stabilizers for your cabinet.

The cabinet should be at least 2-feet deep and 4-feet wide. Those dimensions will give you ample depth and length to store all of your towels and linens.

Cut the Shelves

If you have not purchased pre-cut shelves, cut the wood now. Cut the shelves to the depth and the length you have specified in your measurements. Cut the number of shelves necessary for your linen cabinet.

Connect the Linen Closet Sides

Using wood screws and wood glue, secure the sides of the linen closet in place. Secure both the top and the bottom of the linen closet sides. Use at least 4 wood screws on each side to maintain the necessary amount of support and structural stability.

Install the Shelving

Mark the wood at the locations you wish to install your shelving. Use screws to install the shelving. The shelves should be at least 18-inches apart to give you adequate room to shelve your items.

Add the Sheetrock

Add sheetrock to the exterior of your cabinet. If you have installed your cabinet against 2 sides of a wall, you will only need 1 piece of sheetrock for the exposed side. Cut the sheetrock to size. Tape the joints and putty the depressions made from the screws. Sand the surface.

Add the Trim

Trim can be added at the top of the cabinet, such as a crown molding effect, and down the sides. Add base molding to the bottom edges. Secure the molding in place with small finishing nails. Fill the holes with wood putty and sand the surface.

Attach Your Door

Attach the door to your linen closet. Secure the hinges and check for proper operation.

Stain or Paint

Finish your linen cabinet with a wood stain or paint.