A drawing of your closet system is included in your order. Use the drawing as a guide to install your closet organization system. The drawing illustrates the layout and design and provides detailed measurements showing where to place vertical supports, drawers, shelves, and other pieces.
Step 1: Begin
Sort your order so that similar sized pieces, hardware, etc. are together. This will make it easier for you to find things.
Assemble the tools you will need to install your Wellington Closet system. These include: measuring tape, pencil, level, stud finder, hammer, screw gun, Phillips screwdriver, hacksaw (for hanging rods) and hang rail.
Step 2: Installing the Wall Hanger/Attaching the Verticals
This is the most important part of the installation. If the hang rail is installed correctly, the rest of the closet installs easily. The hang rail included in your shipment is ten feet long to accommodate standard wall stud locations. If the width of your wall is shorter, you'll need to cut the wall hanger to fit, using your hacksaw.
Caution! When cutting through metal, use two saw horses or some other solid support method to keep the piece steady while cutting. Wear safety glasses. Cut metal ends may be hazardous to children and animals. Avoid leaving a just-cut metal piece where someone else may unknowingly handle it and become injured.
- Starting from the floor, measure up 74" and mark a line on the wall. The wall hanger (long steel piece with pre-drilled holes) will be installed at this line and anchors the back of the closet to the wall. (Note: This is not the top of the closet.)
- Using a level, draw a straight and level line at the 74" marking the entire width of the wall. (Hint: the bubble on the level should be exactly between the two marks.)
- From that line, (using a stud sensor) mark the wall studs and the spots on the wall where the verticals will be installed. (The verticals are the shelf pieces that have diagonal notches cut into one side of the board. They attach to the wall hanger at the notches and hang lengthwise down the wall, supporting the shelves and other installation units.)
- Attach the wall hanger to the wall along the horizontal width line you drew in #2. The level line drawn earlier should be visible through the center of the hang rail's predrilled holes. (Note: If the width of your closet is shorter than the wall hanger, cut the wall hanger to fit using your hacksaw. Ideally, you want to screw the bolts into a wall stud. If there is no wall stud, use toggle bolts as close to the verticals marked in #3 as possible.)
- Hang the verticals. Simply fit the notched edge into the wall hanger. (This is a hanging system; gravity will keep the verticals in place with no additional support needed. Do NOT twist the vertical pieces from side-to-side once they are attached to the wall hanger.)
Step 3: Installing Cam Locks to Cam Shelves
Cam Shelves are permanent shelving and lock in place. Unlike adjustable shelves, once in place, they cannot be moved. The location of cam shelves in your closet system are shown on diagram that came with your shipment.
- Pound in the cams to all cam shelves. The cams are semi-circular in shape and easily fit into the pre-cut slots on the cam shelves. The straight edge of the cam should line up with the straight edge of the shelf.
- Attach the cam shelves to the verticals using cam pins (example: single cam pin or double cam pin). The top and bottom shelves of the closet system are typically cam shelves.
- A single cam pin is used when a cam shelf does not have an adjacent cam shelf on the other side. A single cam pin can be installed with a Phillips screwdriver or screw gun. All closet "end" or outside shelves will use a single cam pin.
- A double cam pin is used only when cam shelves are in the same location on both sides of a vertical. A double cam pin can be manually pushed through the predrilled holes.
- Set the shelf on the cam pins. (The cam locks pounded into the shelf in #1 should align with the cam pins attached to the verticals.)
- Using a Phillips screwdriver, tighten the locks. (This is done from the underside of the shelf.)
Once cam shelves are installed, you should now see a "skeleton" of your closet system. All that's left is the drawers and any other accessories you may have selected.
Step 4: Installing Drawers/Hampers
When installing drawers, it's best to start from the bottom of your closet system and work your way up!
Assembled drawer boxes are included in your shipment. However, drawer fronts are not predrilled for handles or attached to the drawer boxes. Using a drill, you'll need to drill the handle holes. (This lets you install other hardware of your choosing if Wellington Closets hardware was not selected.)
Drawer components in your shipment include: drawer box, drawer front, drawer glides, glide attachment screws, drawer front attachment screws, glide attachment to verticals screws (Euro screws) and drawer handles.
Attaching Drawer Fronts to Drawer Boxes
- The drawer front has a sticker marking the bottom holes to align with the predrilled holes on the drawer box. Align the drawer front to the drawer box.
- Attach the drawer front to the drawer box using a Phillips screwdriver and attachment screws.
Fasten Full-Extension Drawer Glides
Fasten drawer glides between the two verticals where the drawer will be placed.
- Using the plastic tab, pull and detach the drawer glide into two pieces.
- The smaller, narrow piece is attached first. Place this piece on the side of the drawer box to line up with the predrilled holes. The end with the metal lip should be flush against the drawer front.
- Using the #6 3/8 screw, attach this piece to the drawer box with a Phillips screwdriver. Do this on both sides of the drawer box. Do not put the drawer glide pieces together just yet. You'll want to attach the remaining piece to the verticals first.
- Attach remaining piece to the vertical. Remember, when installing drawers you are working from the bottom up. Attach the drawer glides (one on each side of the vertical where drawer will fit) to the second set of holes above the cam shelf, using the Euro screws.
- For installing a 12" height drawer - the next glide will be placed ten holes up from the first glide. (For 6" height drawer, the next glide is placed 5 holes up, and for a 10" height drawer, the next glide is placed 8 holes up.)
- For hampers, there are two sets of drawer glides spaced 13 holes apart. Then, if installing a drawer above the hamper, the next glide will be placed 5 holes from the top of the second set of glides for any drawer.
- Fasten glides between the two verticals where the drawer will go - place guides with rubber stopper at the back of the wall so that the interior piece slides toward you. Fasten to verticals using Phillips screwdriver and the Euro screws.
Now you're ready to insert the drawers.
- Line up the drawer box glides with the vertical glides. Insert the drawer box into the glide attached to the verticals. Push the drawer box all the way into the wall; the plastic clip will lock the glide in so that the drawer won't fall out.
- Install Hardware. Choose the location on the drawer front where you want the hardware installed. Drill the hole(s) and attach.
Step 5: Installing Adjustable Shelves
Adjustable shelves can be moved and rearranged to your needs at any time. To install:
- Place adjustable shelf pins in predrilled holes where you need the shelf.
- Set the shelf on the shelf pins, so that it firmly rests on the pins.
Step 6: Installing Hanging Rods
- Install rod ends to the verticals: Simply fit the rod ends into the pre-drilled holes on the verticals where you'd like the hanging rod. No drilling or fastening required.
- Measure the distance between the two verticals where the hanging rod will be placed and subtract ¼" - this will be the length of your hanging rod. For example, if there are 28" between verticals, your handing rod needs to be cut at 27 ¾".
- Measure out the hanging rod. Use a crayon to mark the rod where it needs to be cut.
- Using a hacksaw - cut the rod at the selected mark.
- Slip piece into the rod ends.
Caution! When cutting through metal, use two saw horses or some other solid support method to keep the piece steady while cutting. Wear safety glasses. Cut metal ends may be hazardous to children and animals. Avoid leaving a just-cut metal piece where someone else may unknowingly handle it and become injured.
Step 7: Installing Accessories
Valet Pole
- Place the valet pole where you would like it on a selected vertical.
- Using a Phillips screwdriver and the screws provided, attach the valet pole to the predrilled holes on the vertical.
Belt Rack/Tie Rack
- Extend the slide portion of the rack.
- Align the end hole to a predrilled hole on the vertical at a height of your choosing. The belt/tie rack should be hanging vertically at this point.
- Attach the end hole to the vertical using a Euro screw and a Phillips screwdriver.
- Push the belt rack up the glide and pull belt rack out toward you, exposing the rest of the glide, which should now be resting horizontally on the vertical. Using second Euro screw, attach back of glide to vertical using the predrilled hole.
- Attach end cap/handle to the outward end of the belt/tie rack with screws provided. (These screws are included with the belt/tie rack.)
