This Old House | Erik Kobley, Licensed Broker Associate

Fully Custom System Options when planning to redo your bedroom closet. — Photo by California Closets

Here’s how to plan for your closet remodel with all the options you need to consider from off-the-shelf systems to DIY built-ins.

Whether you are planning a major overhaul or looking for some redesign tips, here are thee steps to take when planning for your upcoming closet remodel.

1. Take Stock of What You’ve Got

Sell, donate, and whittle down. Then get out a ruler.

Start with what’s hanging. Place clothes flat, on their hangers, in two piles—one for short items, like shirts, and the other for long items, like coats and pants hung full length by their cuffs or waistband. Measure the height of each pile to get the desired lengths for short- and long-item rods. Keep in mind that hangers need sliding space.
Next up: Clothes that fold. Arrange foldables in 10-inch-high stacks—any higher and they could topple. Each stack needs 14 inches of shelf length.
Extras. Size up items like ties and T-shirts that also need real estate.

2. Dimensions You Need to Know

dimension estimates to redo your bedroom closet

The ideal reach-in closet (we’re not talking walk-ins here) is 6 to 8 feet wide and 24 to 30 inches deep. Standard double doors are best, assuming there’s room to swing them open. To prevent blind alleys, the inside of the return walls, the ones to which the doors are hinged, should be no longer than 18 inches.

3. Plan The Interior of Your Closet

Size up Your Space

Beginning with the left wall, measure everything to a T.

Sketch a to-scale layout on graph paper, with each wall’s width and height as well as details such as base moldings, chases, and receptacles.

Make note of sloped ceilings, knee walls, and other old-house oddities. If facing walls aren’t the same length, at least one angle isn’t square.

Divide and Allocate

Start with storage for your shoes. While options include slide-out racks and tilted shelves, your best bet is open shelves without dividers. To squeeze in an extra pair, alternate toes-facing-out and toes-facing-in.

Sketch in rods for shorter items, making them as wide as your wardrobe warrants, and a higher rod for longer items.

Draw shelves 4 inches above the rods plus a high shelf for less-used items, and mark their depths.

Look for Nooks

Allocate space for a folding stepladder, against the wall under the highest rod, say. See if there’s space for a robe hook on a return or side wall.

Common Bad Configurations to Avoid

Cave Closet

The spelunker’s special comes in two styles: a narrow, deep box or a deep, dark L. If opening up the front wall for double doors is out of the question, hang rods in front of the opening, where they are visible. Then build out the hard-to-reach wall with shelves for bins.

Sloped-Wall Closet

Tucked under the roofline, this variation couples lots of not-very-useful floor space with a not-very-useful shortened back wall. Position your rods front to back between the return walls and back wall. Then build out the knee wall with shelves.

Closet DIY Tricks and Tools

The Plywood Solution

To shore up walls and plaster that’s in poor shape, line the closet with ¾-inch hardwood plywood and screw it to the studs. Now you can attach rods and shelves wherever you want. Or build three- or four-sided plywood boxes, then slide them in.

Industrial Pipe, With a Twist

To overcome an odd configuration or sketchy walls, build a scaffold using commercial Speed-Rail fittings (hollaender.com) and closet rods. Use them to make a system supported by vertical rods screwed to the ceiling and floor or to make freestanding racks. The result looks like other industrial-pipe fixes but does them one better: System options include connectors with swiveling joints that can handle awkward angles for just a few dollars.

The Bifold Solution

No room for swing-open doors? Avoid sliders, which block the view, and invest in sturdy, solid-core or solid-wood bifolds and heavy-duty fittings (we like those at johnsonhardware.com). Lightweight doors with bad fittings wobble and constantly fall off their tracks.

Make it Easy to Rotate

Decide on a destination for off-season items, ideally a wardrobe in the attic or a dry corner of the basement. If you have spare room on the same floor, consider a clothes rack that can be wheeled to the closet when it’s time for a swap-out. If elsewhere isn’t an option, stash off-season items in easy-to-hoist bins and space-saving vacuum-storage bags on the closet’s topmost shelf. Label them so that you can find your bathing suit in January—you never know.

4. Consider Your System Options

Out of The Box

You measure your space, shop for the closest fit in a ready-to-go setup like this adjustable one from Rubbermaid, and screw standards to studs on the back wall. About $90–$180.

Tip: Be flexible. Wardrobes change and so do closet owners, so buy or build a system with adjustable-height shelves and rods, using easy-to-reposition screws or shelf-standard clip-ins.

Semi-Custom

An expert at a specialty store or reached through a website helps map out and tailor a wider array of accessories and components, like these from Elfa. The install can be DIY or by the dealer. About $500–$2,000.

Tip: Keep at least one shelf within arm’s reach or no higher than 7 feet. The topmost shelf is typically at least 12 inches from the ceiling. Reserve it for off-season clothing and gear that can be retrieved using a stepladder.

Fully Custom

An independent designer or franchise rep comes to your house, gauges your needs and space, offers a range of materials and features, and does all the work, as California Closets did here. About $700 and up.

Tip: Shelves 14 inches deep extend over rods and can hold men’s shoes and folded jeans. Much deeper and you risk losing things—unless they are kept in a handy bin.

No Ladder Needed

Want to stack a short-hanging rod over one that’s set up high? It’s doable with a specialty hinged pull-down fitting (find them at rev-a-shelf.com and hafele.com). Just grab the rod with the included hook to pull items within arm’s reach.

Repurpose a Chest

Drawer systems can be short on charm. Instead, see if you can slide in a small dresser or lingerie chest for socks, ties, and underwear. Top it with a dish to catch pocket change, a jewelry organizer, and a snapshot from your last vacation; as you dress for work, you can always dream.

5. Fix Your Fixtures and Floors

No Bare Bulbs, Please!

Poorly installed light fixtures are a fire hazard, not to mention unreliable. Spring for an electrician who can hard-wire a closet fixture that is activated by opening the door or flipping an exterior-wall switch. Add an outlet, too, if you want to set up a charging station, an iron, or a clothes steamer.

Use a Stick-Up Puck for a Fast Fix

Fast Fix: a Stick-Up Puck when planning to redo your bedroom closet

Here’s a solution when hard-wiring isn’t an option or you simply want a little extra light: this rechargeable LED light. Thanks to a motion sensor, it blinks on when you reach in. It lacks the warmth and ambient light of an incandescent, but it will help get you out the door with matching socks.

Hafele Loox Motion-activated LED light with magnetic plate, about $40, Rockler

Bring Order to Shoe Chaos

Keep them off the floor—it’s a pain to duck and hunt amid the dust bunnies. Instead, allocate adequate shelf space, allowing 8 inches of width per pair and extra height for boots. Tight squeeze? Find a spot for a free-standing shoe cabinet, perhaps near the front door.

Straighten Up

Sliding stacks create shelf havoc. Block the flow with dividers. We like these painted home-center wood corbels (about $2.50 each!) to add a little extra detail.

6. Decide How to Accessorize Your Closet

Here are some ways to put finishing touches on your closet that help enhance functionality and aesthetics.

Labeling and Storage Bins

Clothes Captioning when planning to redo your bedroom closet

If at first this civilized detail seems a bit OCD, think again. It’s important to put shelves to work—they are much more space efficient than rods—but it’s no fun having to plunder every running inch in search of your favorite long-sleeve T. Shelf labels not only save time but also flood the zone with a sense of control and order.

Dress it Up
Here, off-the-shelf storage bins convey color, pattern, and travel inspiration with the help of old maps, matte-finish Mod Podge glue (which becomes transparent when dry), a paint brush, and a putty knife to smooth out bubbles.

Kick Up The Walls
No one says the closet has to match the rest of the room. Capitalize on its identity as a mini room of its own by saturating it with a dramatic shade, like navy, or choose a mood-boosting hue borrowed from your favorite jacket, scarf, or shirt.

Give it a Custom Stamp
Whimsical wall decals, wallpaper, or stenciled patterns can make a small closet feel like a jewel box. Choose an oversize pattern that goes up quickly and won’t look too busy.

A Valet Hook

One Accessory That Will Change Your Life when planning to redo your bedroom closet

It’s called a valet hook because it leads a life of service, extending an arm when called upon to hold multiple hangers. Handy when:

Assembling outfits to take on a trip;
Stashing items just back from the dry cleaner, for sorting later;
Putting out clothes for tomorrow;
Airing out lightly worn clothes.

Three-Way Hook

A single hook is easily swamped. Look for three prongs, preferably swiveling ones, so that you can reach the belt or bag you want.

Nonslip Storage

Last seen in the kitchen, these slim, C-shape paper-towel holders are heavy enough to trap silky items so that they won’t slide off, yielding an easy-access scarf display inside a closet door.

See-In Storage

A magnetic spice rack with windowed portholes can organize bits like cuff links and collar stays. Mount it on a wall or the back of a door.

About $15; The Container Store

Space-Saving Hangers

Designed to discourage smooth fabrics from slithering to the floor, Mawa suit hangers also keep men’s jackets in shape.

About $7.50 each; Mawa

Pull-Out Pants Rack

Avoid having to crouch and seek with a Hafele pull-out that holds six pairs.

About $175; Hafele

Pull-Out Pants Rack

Worth The Splurge: Folding Ladder to help redo your bedroom closet

The Cosco Rockford Series Mahogany Step Stool folds flat to slide into a tight spot.

About $65; Cosco Rockford Series, brookstone.com

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/closets/21172173/read-this-before-you-redo-your-bedroom-closet

Deborah Baldwin

2020-12-25T13:26:32-05:00 2020-12-25T13:26:32-05:00

Finished homemade bookshelf made out of plywood.

Make a DIY bookcase to that is strong, fits your space, and makes for a beautiful display in your home.

If your books and photographs are still displayed on a couple of boards held up by a pile of bricks, here’s some good news: It doesn’t require a master carpenter, a workshop full of tools, and thousands of dollars to add built-in bookcases to your home. All it takes, essentially, is some sturdy veneer plywood and a circular saw. By laminating a series of short support pieces to a longer strip of wood you can create the appearance of thick boards that have been routed to accept shelves. Some solid-wood trim covering all the plywood edges hides your clever trickery, leaving you with a piece of furniture worthy of a great library.

What Kind of Wood Should I Use to Make a Bookshelf?

Traditionally, built-in bookcases are made with solid wood boards, carefully routed to make tight grooves that accept each shelf. But sawn lumber is expensive — enough oak for a 8-foot bookcase, for example, could run into thousands of dollars. Plywood that has a hardwood veneer is not only less expensive but in many cases stronger than solid softwoods like pine. Most lumberyards stock the basics: birch, maple, and oak veneer plywoods. Birch is the best wood to use if you plan to paint your bookcase, and maple lends itself to a variety of stains. But there are also special-order lumberyards that make veneer plywood from any kind of wood, including mahogany, teak, cherry, or walnut. For these, it’s best to use a clear finish and let the beauty of the wood shine through.

How Do You Make a Strong Bookshelf?

For the strongest frame, we used oak plywood and doubled its thickness for the bookcase sides, or legs, by gluing and nailing plywood shelf supports onto longer boards. (Cutting grooves in a single board would compromise its strength.) The rough ply edges are hidden by solid-wood finish trim.

The tricky part of working with plywood is ripping down the 4-foot-wide boards to the widths needed for the frame and shelves. Making a straight cut along an entire 8-foot sheet with a circular saw is difficult, and running plywood through a portable table saw is dangerous. Your best bet is to find out if your lumberyard has a commercial table saw to make clean, straight rips. Most yards will make the cuts for a dollar or so each. Calculate how deep you want the bookcase frame and the shelves to be, subtract 11/16 inches to account for the added depth of the 5/4 solid-wood trim, then have the lumberyard rip all your sheets into boards of that width. Once you get home, you can use a circular saw to cut these narrower pieces to length.

How to Build a Bookshelf in 8 Steps

Step 1: Cut the Legs, Shelves, and Supports

Have the lumberyard rip your plywood into boards to the width that matches your bookcase depth. Before you cut and assemble any parts, sand all the wood. Stain or prime it and allow it to dry.

Measure the height of the space where the bookcase will go. Cut two bookcase legs to this measurement from the ripped-down plywood

Measure the width of your space in three places. Subtract 1½ inches from the smallest measurement. Cut the shelves to this length from the plywood. (Make sure you also cut a piece for the top.)

If you want your shelves to be different heights to accommodate different sizes of books, you must mark the legs where the supports will be. Hold one leg against the wall and mark where you’d like the bottom of each shelf to fall. Try to line up the shelves with nearby architectural details, such as baseboards, windowsills, and mantels.

Lay both legs on a table, butted evenly next to each other. Use a framing square to transfer the shelf marks from one board to the other. Then place a plywood scrap on edge at each line and mark the width of each shelf.

Measure between the lines to get the sizes of the support pieces. Use a circular saw guided by a Speed Square, ABOVE, to cut the supports from the ripped-down plywood. Cut the topmost supports ¾ inch short.

Step 2: Attach the Supports to the Legs

Person holding up the kickplate while making a bookshelf.

The bookshelf has a kickplate to cover the space under the bottom shelf, so the lowest supports need to be recessed. Using a circular saw, carefully rip them down in depth by ¾ inch.

Glue and nail the supports to the legs: Starting at the bottom of one leg, squeeze an S-shaped bead of glue up to the first layout line. Align the lowest support piece with the board’s bottom and back edges. Nail it in four corners with 3d nails.

Using a scrap piece of plywood as a shelf-size spacer, position the next support. Glue and nail it in place. Continue attaching supports in this manner, left, until the top supports are in place, finishing ¾ inch from the top edge. Repeat on the other leg.

Step 3: Assemble the Box

Person using a drill to create a hole while building a bookshelf.

To make the hanging strip that attaches the bookcase to the wall, rip a 2½-inch-wide piece of plywood. Cut it to length 1½ inches shorter than the shelves.

Lay the two legs on their back edges, supports facing each other. Place the hanging strip between the top supports, flush with their tops and back edges.

Using a drill fitted with a ⅛-inch combination bit, drill two pilot holes into each leg. Drill through the leg and the support, and into the hanging strip. Screw the hanging strip to the legs with 2½-inch wood screws.

Slide the bottom shelf into place for support. Tilt the assembled frame into place. Set the top of the bookcase onto the supports and the hanging strip. Drill countersunk pilot holes along the edges of the bookcase top — two into each support and one every 8 to 10 inches along the hanging strip. Glue and screw the top in place, above.

Step 4: Level the Bookcase

Person using a hammer on a DIY bookcase.

Slide all the shelves into the frame. If some need coaxing, use a rubber mallet to gently tap them into place.

Check the bookcase for level. Place a level on each of the shelves. If one side needs to be raised up, tap thin wood shims under the foot.

Step 5: Plumb the Bookshelf

Person using a drill on a plywood bookshelf.

Hold a level vertically to check the bookcase for plumb. Add shims, as needed. Once the whole piece is plumb and level, tap shims around the bookcase anywhere there is a gap against the wall to make sure the entire frame is tight in the opening. Score the shims with a utility knife, then snap them off flush with the bookcase edge.

Use a stud finder to locate and mark where the wall studs fall just under the hanging strip.

Using a combination bit, drill a screw-shank clearance hole and counterbore hole in the hanging strip at each stud mark. Securely fasten the bookcase to the wall through the pilot holes with 2½-inch screws.

Step 6: Attach the Kick Board

Cut a piece of plywood — the same size as the lowest supports on the frame — to act as a nailer for the kick plate. Slide it under the center of the bottom shelf. Nail through the shelf into the nailer’s top edge with 6d finish nails.

Measure the opening under the bottom shelf. Cut a piece of plywood to fit tightly into the space. Put this kick plate into the opening against the nailer and support edges. It should be flush with the bookcase front. Attach it with two 6d finish nails at each of the supports and the center nailer.

Step 7: Scribe the Trim to Fit

A scribe placed on the edge of a bookshelf.

Use ½ trim to finish the sides and top of the bookcase. The trim can hang over the inside edge, or be flush.

Hold the trim over a bookcase leg, tight against the wall. Using a level, adjust the trim until it’s plumb. Tack it with 6d nails.

Find the widest gap between the trim and wall. Open the scribe to span that gap. Run its point along the wall so the pencil transfers the wall’s contours onto the trim. Remove the trim and cut along the scribed line with a jigsaw.

Attach the trim with glue and 6d finish nails. Repeat on the other leg.

Cut trim to fit along the top; glue and nail it in place.

Step 8: Apply Nosing to Shelf Faces

Person hammering a nail into a DIY bookcase.

Use 1x trim to create a recessed, finished edge on the front of the shelves. To make sure these nosing pieces will fit tightly between the side trim, hold the 1x trim against the front of the shelves and butted to one side. Mark the back of each piece where it meets the other side. Cut each strip at the mark.

Apply glue to the front of the shelf. Nail the nosing into place with 6d finish nails. Start nailing at one end and adjust the nosing as you move down its length so it’s perfectly flush along the top of the shelf. Finish each shelf with nosing in the same manner.

Set all the nail heads and fill the holes with putty or a wax pencil to match the color of the stained wood. Finally paint, wax, or polyurethane the entire bookcase.

Scribing Tips to Help With Your DIY Bookshelf

Scribing tips to help you as you build a bookshelf.

Making a tight, gap-free fit between the side trim of a cabinet and the wall — a process called scribing— is one of those critical skills that separates the real craftsmen from those of us who rely on caulk. But it’s not that difficult, once the cabinet is plumb and fastened in place.

Decide how you want the trim to cover the gap.
Set the compass to the widest part of the gap. Rest its metal point on the wall and the pencil point on the spot where you want the edge of the trim to land on the cabinet. Your trim must be at least this wide.
Plumb the trim piece. Hold the trim against the wall with a level on one edge, and adjust the trim until its plumb and still touching the wall. Tack or clamp the trim to the cabinet.
Mark the edge to be cut.Without changing the compass setting, rest the compass’ metal point on the edge where the level was. Keep that point and the pencil point level relative to each other and make a mark on the trim in the vicinity of the widest part of the gap.
Scribe the edge to be cut. Reset the compass to the widest distance between the mark and the wall. Without changing that setting, hold the metal point against the wall and the pencil point on the trim and run the compass the entire length of the trim to make the scribe line. Be sure to keep both points level the entire time.
Now take the trim piece down and cut it with a jigsaw along the waste side of scribe line. That way, you’ll have some material to sand or plane down for a perfect fit.

Tools and Materials

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/furniture/21016496/how-to-build-a-bookcase

Alexandra Bandon

2020-12-25T12:49:20-05:00 2020-12-25T12:49:20-05:00

These are the tools you need to measure, lay out, and make accurate cuts of any degree.

How is it that finish carpenters do trim jobs daily without suffering angle-induced embolisms? Easy—because they rely on miter guides, not their eyeballs, to tell them where to cut. Likewise, framing carpenters use squares to determine the angles for rafters, rakes, and stair stringers; and furniture makers consult their protractors before laying out dovetails.

What Tool Do You Use to Find Angles?

The right angle-finding tool is your protection against loose joinery and expletive-filled outbursts, whether you’re doing something big like building a garden shed, or simply tackling around-the-house maintenance tasks like measuring for a storm window.

So before you make another unsightly cutting mistake, put down that caulk tube and pick up one of the measuring tools. The old adage—”Measure twice”—still applies. But you also need to know the angles.

10 Angle Measuring Tools

1. Pivot Square

The aluminum Pivot Square has a locking, adjustable leg that firmly holds any angle from 0 to 90 degrees, so you can make repeated, consistent mark or guide your circular saw through marks or guide your circular saw through angled crosscuts. Spirit vials help you check for level, as when establishing the angle to cut siding where it meets a roofline. About $84, C.H. Hanson

2. Three-Sided Squares

A speed square is a classic angle finder tool.

Simple, durable, and full of roof-layout info, the Speed square is a carpenter’s classic. Use it to find angles, mark cutlines, and as a crosscut guide to keep your saw straight. Stick with the aluminum alloy version, not plastic: It’s more rugged, and the stamped numbers are easier to read. About $10, Swanson Tool Co.

3. Square Shooter

A square shooter with a semicircle arc and a rectangular ruler combined.

This layout weapon for wide pieces of lumber has a sliding knob along its semicircular arc. Lock the triangle at the desired degree, then press it and a fixed knob on the handle against the edge of the work. The 12-inch blade can’t wobble or pivot as it guides your pencil or your saw.

About $12, Empire Level

4. T-Bevel

Lock the T-bevel’s sliding blade against any angle, then use the tool to copy that angle onto your work or to set the angle of a saw blade. This T-bevel’s blade locks in place with a recessed bronze latch (as opposed

to the usual wing nut) so either side can lie flush as you’re marking your layout.

About $45, Lee Valley

5. T-Bevel Setter

T-Bevel setter with a guide placed in the middle.

T-bevels, which have no markings, are great for matching and transferring angles but can’t tell you exactly what those angles are. To find out, align the bar on this guide with the T-bevel’s blade and read the angle to half a degree. Or set a desired angle and align the bevel’s blade with it.

About $32, Lee Valley

6. Bevel Protractor

A bevel protractor has a protractor in the center, a bevel blade, and a ruler making it precise angle measuring tool.

Starrett’s cast-iron protractor head with chromed-steel rule, on the market since 1908, is a classic machinist’s tool for anyone who values precise layout marks. The rotating 180-degree head locks the rule at a desired angle or tells you the exact angle of an existing bevel.

About $113, Starett

7. Digital Protractor

A digital protractor is a useful angle finder tool because it shows the angle on a digital screen on the front.

Bosch’s digital angle finder is arguably the most accurate tool we tested, and certainly the most idiot proof. Press each of its legs into a corner and get a digital readout to a tenth of a degree. The tool comes with two vials so you can be sure it’s level on both sides of the corner as you take a reading.

About $130, Bosch

8. Protractor Plus

This protractor plus helps you measure angles and has a measuring table listing compound miter angles on the inside.

Starrett’s updated combination protractor takes the guesswork out of cutting crown molding. Place each leg on an adjacent wall, and arrows at the pivot show the degree setting you need to make a butt joint, or the angle to miter each piece. Comes with a table of compound miter angles.

About $90, Starrett

9. Miter Guide

A miter guide gives the exact measurements of an angle.

Press this simple tool’s legs flush against any inside or outside corner. Internal gears position a protruding metal tab to bisect the angle. Now take the guide to your miter saw, brace one leg against the fence, then line up the saw blade against the tab. You’ve just set the exact miter angle.

About $15, Rockler

10. Adjustable T-Square

Adjustable T-Square looks like two perpendicular rulers.

Improving on the old 4-foot squares that could only mark 90-degree cuts in drywall, OSB, plywood, and other sheet goods, this adjustable square has markings for 30, 45, and 90 degrees. Or you can set it to any angle between 0 and 180 degrees. Folds for easy transport.

About $40, Johnson Level

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/tools/21017623/working-the-angles

Harry Sawyers

2020-12-25T11:26:01-05:00 2020-12-25T11:26:01-05:00

A closer look at the anatomy and history of these water-saving commodes.

Low flow, or low flush toilets, are high-efficiency toilets that reduce our water consumption per flush. They are worth it because they help you save water, and money, in your home.

Low Flow Toilet History

Contrary to popular myth, plumber Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. One of his contemporaries, though, did create the first toilet that prevented sewer gases from entering the home.

Englishman Joseph Adamson’s 1853 design—the siphon flush—eventually made obsolete both the chamber pot and the outhouse. Adamson’s invention, like all modern toilets, relies on the tendency of a moving liquid to continue flowing, even in defiance of gravity: The tank is kept full, and during a flush, the water rushes into the bowl, creating a surge over the weir (or dam). The flow stops when the bowl is empty, and the tank refills in preparation for the next flush. Originally, tanks were placed high above the bowl to get water moving forcefully enough to clear the weir, but by 1915, narrower, smoother porcelain passageways allowed quieter, 5- to 7-gallon tanks to be mounted on the backs of bowls.

Do Low Flow Toilets Use More Water?

The next giant leap in toilet technology came in 1994, when federal law restricted tanks to 1.6 gallons per flush, but to those who used the first generation of low-flow toilets, this leap seemed more of a stumble. “They often needed two flushes,” says This Old House plumbing and heating consultant Richard Trethewey. Manufacturers largely fixed that problem by further modifying the passageways to move a reduced amount of water more vigorously into the bowl.

Low-Flow Toilet Anatomy

Anatomy of a low flush toilet shown in an annotated diagram.

Flush Lever: Pulls the lift chain.
Lift Chain : Opens the flapper. A chain float limits the flush to 1.6 gallons by closing the flapper when the tank has drained to a set level.
Overflow Tube: Protects against an accidental overfilling of the tank.
Float: Shuts a valve on the supply line when the tank level reaches a predetermined depth.
Flapper: Releases tank water into the bowl. When released by the chain float, drops against the flush valve seat, sealing the tank so it can refill.
Trap: Holds water in the bowl, blocking the entry of sewer gases, until the flow from the tank pushes the water over the weir.
Siphon Jet: Concentrates flow from the tank, jump-starting the siphoning effect.
Rim Holes: Release water during the flush, cleaning the sides of the bowl. (Not shown in image above)

Where to Find It

American Standard
800-223-0068
www.americanstandard-us.com

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/bathrooms/21015448/low-flow-toilets

Max Alexander

2020-12-24T13:35:05-05:00 2020-12-24T13:35:05-05:00

Build a DIY poker table friends for food and fun that turns into a dining table too with the flip of a lid.

Poker night is the perfect time to catch up with friends and show off a good hand. To provide a handsome game table that’s sure to make the guys take your bet—or bluff—more seriously, follow our free card table plans to build a table complete with a felt playing surface, insets for poker chips, and coasters. When the game is over, just fit the lid onto the surface to turn it into a dining table for the rest of the week.

DIY Poker Tables Parts

Materials

Newel post: EverTrue 56-inch stain-grade oak newel post;
Corbels: 9 13/16-inch raw maple corbel;
Stain: Jacobean; minwax.com
Felt: Padded green felt; pokertablematerials.com

Cut List

Lid

½-inch plywood lid: 1 @ 48 by 48 inches. You’ll cut off the corners to create an octagon.
Nose and cove molding: You’ll miter the ends of 8 pieces at a 22½-degree angle.

Game Table

½-inch plywood table: 1 @ 48 by 48 inches. You’ll cut off the corners to create an octagon.
1×2 outer-edge trim: You’ll miter the ends of 8 pieces at a 22½-degree angle.
1×2 inner edge trim: You’ll miter the ends of 8 pieces at a 22½-degree angle.
½x6 coasters: 8 @ 6¾ inches from straight cut to long point. You’ll miter one end at 22½ degrees.
1×4 apron: You’ll bevel the ends of 8 pieces at a 22½-degree angle to trim the edges of the table.
1×4 collar: You’ll cut 4 pieces to fit around the top of the newel post.

Playing Surface

¾-inch MDF: 1 @ 48 by 48 inches. You’ll cut it into a smaller square that will fit inside the length and width of the inner ring, then clip off the corners to create an octagon.

Stand

Newel post: 1 @ 29 inches. You’ll cut from the top and bottom to position the tapered profile.

How to Build a Poker Table in 18 Steps

Step 1: Mark the Plywood Game Table

Person holding a ruler on a DIY poker table and using a pencil to mark where they will make a cut.

On the underside of the table, measure and mark the sides 14 inches from each corner. Using a straightedge, draw a line to connect the two marks at each corner.

Step 2: Cut the Plywood Game Table and Lid

Person using a circular saw to cut the edges of the poker table.

Using a circular saw, cut the lines to lop off the corners of the table and create an octagon. Lay the ½-inch plywood for the lid on your work surface with its best side facing down. Place the table on top of the lid; position it so that the uncut sides face the lid corners. Draw the outline of the table on the lid. Remove the table, place a ¾-inch-thick board on edge along the outside of each marked line and trace a second set of lines. This outside ring represents the size the lid needs to be to cover the table once its 1×4 apron is attached. Using a circular saw, cut just outside the outer ring; leave the line to create a slightly larger surface than the table.

Step 3: Miter the Edge Pieces

A miter saw being used to create a DIY poker table.

Lay a length of 1×2 flat on the playing table flush with its edge. Mark the length of the side on the edge of the 1×2. Miter the piece at opposing 22½-degree angles so that the long edge matches the length of the table’s side. Clamp the piece in place on the table. Mark and miter the remaining pieces. To keep the 1×2 pieces organized, number each side of the table and the underside of the corresponding piece.

Step 4: Install the Outer Edge

Person applying glue to the side of the poker table.

Apply glue to the underside and ends of the 1x2s. Using a pneumatic nail gun and 1-inch nails, nail through the underside of the table and into each piece to hold it in place.

Step 5: Cut and Install the Coaster Blocks

Person using a miter to install coaster blocks to the poker table.

Miter one end of each ½x6 coaster at a 22½-degree angle. Use a combination square to mark the center point by drawing lines at a 45-degree angle from the corners of the straight-cut end of each piece.

Using two clamps, secure the coaster block to a scrap block. Center the hole saw on the crosshair of your two 45-degree marks. Use 150-grit sandpaper to smooth the inside edges of the circular cutout. Repeat to create a total of eight coasters.

Place the coasters on the playing table inside the 1×2 edge pieces so that the angled ends line up with a mitered joint and all face the same direction. Nail the coaster in place from the underside of the table using 1-inch nails. Hold the nail gun at a slight angle to prevent any portion of the nail from poking up through the coaster piece.

Step 6: Install the Inner Edge

Person carefully installing the inner edge on a DIY poker table.

Lay a length of 1×2 flat on the table inside the ring of coaster blocks so that the edge of the 1×2 sits against the top edge of a coaster block. Mark the distance between the angled ends of two coasters. Miter the ends of the 1×2 at opposing 22½-degree angles. Lay the piece in place, and mark the remaining pieces until all the pieces of the inner ring are sized. Apply glue to the underside and ends of each piece, set them in place, and nail through the underside of the table to secure them. To help position the nail gun underneath the table, cut a scrap piece of 1×2 to the distance the inner ring sits from the edge of the table and nail it to a second perpendicular block to create a T-shaped spacer. Hook the T on the edge of the table with the stem underneath, and position the nail gun at the end of the stem.

Step 7: Attach the Apron

One person holding the edge of the poker table while the other secures pieces to the edge.

Slice ¼-inch spacers off a scrap block using the miter saw, and set them on top of the outer ring of 1x2s. Position a 1×4 against the edge of the table with its top edge flush with the spacers to create a ¼-inch lip. Mark the corners of the table on the top edge of the 1×3. Using a miter saw, bevel the ends of each piece at a 22½-degree angle. Secure the pieces to the edges of the table using wood glue and 1¼-inch nails.

Step 8: Mark the Playing Surface

One person holding a ruler on the poker table while the other makes pencil marks on the surface.

Measure the inside length and width of the open center space, and subtract ⅛ inch from each measurement to account for the felt. Cut the MDF playing surface to this size. Lay the cut piece centered over the open center space. Mark the joints of the inner ring of 1x2s on the playing surface. Connect the marks on either side of each corner to create a small octagon. Using a circular saw, cut the corners off the playing surface. Label the corresponding side of the playing surface and table. This way, once the felt is wrapped around the playing surface, you’ll know which sides align.

Step 9: Attach the felt

Person stapling the felt onto the under side of the table.

Coat the underside of the felt and the top of the playing surface with spray adhesive. Allow the adhesive to dry until it feels tacky. Set the playing surface upside down on the center of the felt. Wrap the felt over one edge and secure it in place with a staple. Wrap the felt over the next side, and fold the excess under like gift wrap. Once all the edges are pulled tight and the felt is glued and stapled in place, cut off the excess with utility scissors and set the playing surface aside.

Step 10: Assemble and Mark the Collar

Two people working together to mark the pieces on a DIY poker table.

Cut two 1×4 boards to the width of the upper part of the newel post. Cut two more 1×4 boards to that width plus an 1½ inches. Apply glue to the ends of the short pieces, and sandwich them between the longer pieces to create a box. Shoot 1¼-inch nails through the long pieces into the ends of the shorter pieces to secure them in place. Center the assembled collar on the underside of the table, and mark its inside and outside perimeters.

Step 11: Drill pilot holes

A drill being used on a DIY poker table.

Remove the collar and drill three ⅛-inch pilot holes through the table on each side between the perimeter lines.

Step 12: Attach the Collar

One person applying glue to the top of the table, while the other person holds the poker table steady.

Apply glue to the top edge of the collar, and place it on the underside of the table, realigned with your previous marks. Allow the glue to dry until it holds the collar in place—or toenail a few nails around its edge to hold it—and flip the table over. Using a countersink bit, prepare the pilot holes and drive 2-inch screws through the plywood and into the top edges of the collar.

Step 13: Cut the Stand

Person using a miter saw to cut the newel post on a DIY poker table.

To position the taper of the newel post about half way between the table and the floor, cut the top and bottom of the post. First mark the cutlines 29 inches apart on all four sides of the post. Place the post on the miter saw, and cut it to size. If your miter saw can’t cut the thickness of the entire post, cut part way through, then roll the post to the opposite face to finish the cut. Repeat to cut the second line.

Step 14: Drill Pilot Holes in the Feet

Person drilling holes in the feet with a drill/driver.

Center the short face of a corbel on the post, flush with its bottom edge. Use a straightedge to mark a registration line on the bottom of the post and corbel. Apply wood glue to the corbel, and set it back in place. Using a pneumatic nail gun, shoot 1¼-inch nails through the edges of the corbel and into the post to help hold it in place. Using a drill/driver fitted with a ⅝-inch paddle bit, drill a 1-inch-deep countersink hole through the base of the corbel and angled toward the post. Angle the drill/driver upward at a steep angle to bore out the hole and create room for the head of the screw. Repeat to create a second countersink hole beside the first.

Step 15: Attach the Feet

Person attaching the feet on a DIY poker table.

Drive 6-inch timber screws through the countersink holes and into the corbel and newel post. Repeat Steps 15 and 16 of our free card table plans to secure the rest of the corbels to each face of the newel post, one at a time.

Step 16: Screw Through the Collar and Into the Newel

Person attaching the collar to the end of the poker table post.

Slip the top of the stand into the collar affixed to the underside of the table. Drive 2-inch screws through each side of the collar and into the post.

Step 17: Trim the Lid

One person holding the lid up while the other uses a glue gun to apply glue to the back side of the lid.

Mark lengths of the nose and cove molding along the edges of the plywood lid. Miter the ends of each piece at a 22½-degree angle. Apply glue to the back side and ends of each molding piece and to the edges of the lid. Attach the molding to the lid, flush with its surface, by carefully nailing 1-inch nails through the molding and into the edge of the lid.

Step 18: Assemble the Finished Poker Table Parts

Two people placing a plywood lid over the felt table to assemble a DIY poker table.

Fill the fastener holes and joints with stainable wood filler, and thoroughly sand the entire assembly with 220-grit sandpaper. Wipe on a stain finish; once dry, apply a protective coat of tung oil, wax, or polyurethane. If desired, line the inset of each coaster with adhesive-backed cork. Once the final finish is dry, fit the felt-covered playing surface inside the inner ring of 1x2s, and place the lid on the table. That brings us to the end of our free card table plans. Now that you know how to build a poker table from scratch, your next game night is sure to be a hit.

Tools and Materials

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/furniture/21016369/how-to-build-a-poker-table

Jennifer Stimpson