A lack of wardrobe space can be incredibly frustrating in your home. While there are a number of hacks you can use to store your clothes when you run out of room, you may well have considered installing extra wardrobes instead. After all, this is the only way to comfortably find space for everything you own.
However, many DIYers fear that they’ll damage their walls and floors if they try installing their own wardrobes. These fears are not unfounded, but they should not prevent you from doing the job. There are ways to safely install new wardrobes without hiring a pro.
There is never a guarantee that everything will go right. This is why every homeowner needs to purchase a home insurance policy. Homeowners insurance will protect you from damage caused by fires and other named perils. That said, if you accidentally break through a wall while installing wardrobes, you’ll have to cover the costs yourself.
Here’s how to prevent damage from happening when installing new wardrobes in your home.
Determine the makeup of the walls
You need to know exactly what your walls are made out of before installing a wardrobe up against them. This is because the presence of the wardrobe will have an impact on the wall. If the wardrobe you build is heavy and leans against a wall made of weak materials, it could cause damage to it.
You can choose to build drywall in front of any walls you don’t want to impact with the wardrobe. This will, however, take up some of that precious space.
Consider tearing up carpeting
If you have wall-to-wall carpeting in the room where you’re installing your wardrobe, you might want to consider tearing it up in preparation. You could build the wardrobe on top of it, but this is likely to make the job somewhat more difficult.
This shouldn’t necessitate the replacement of any carpeting. Tear out the carpets where the wardrobe will stand and pull them back a bit to give you space to do the job. Then, when the wardrobe is erected, you can retouch the carpeting all the way up to its doors.
Keep your tiling
If you’re installing a wardrobe on a tiled floor, however, you may be better served by keeping your tiling in place. Tiling is difficult to uproot in a clean and precise way. Furthermore, if your tiling doesn’t line up with where you want your wardrobe to end, you’ll need to cut tiles. This can be a difficult job in and of itself.
Wooden floors
But what if you have beautiful wooden floors? Is it worth risking them by installing a wardrobe?
The reality is that wooden floors are hardy. They are classic for a reason they last. Also, while replacing your wooden flooring would be expensive if you were doing so in a full room, replacing a board or two would not break the bank. Your wardrobe is unlikely to do any lasting damage, but it would not be a major disaster if it did.
Stop short of the ceiling
Wardrobes can be striking when they go all the way up to the ceiling. If you have low ceilings, you might feel you need the space. However, it is a good idea to stop short of the ceiling. You don’t want to have to redo the ceilings. It is an extra job that can be expensive to get right.
By stopping short of the ceiling, you also make it easier to remove the wardrobe in future if you decide you want the space (or if you think of a new, better design).
Installing a wardrobe should not lead to any major damage. If you do go wrong somewhere along the way, by taking the above tips into consideration, you’ll minimize the damage.
