I remember racing my sister up the stairs, preparing to fight her over which one of us got the best room, only to be arrested mid-run by a soft red-yellow glow emanating from one of the door frames. Walking over to the light, I had my first encounter with the seductive smell of cedar wood: The fresh yet warm fragrance coated every fiber of my being and left me dazed and wanting more.
My mom then explained to me what a cedar closet was and what the purpose other than invigorating my essence of one is. For those readers who are not aware, a cedar closet is just like any regular walk-in closet, except it is built using cedar wood. Each wall of the closet is paneled with planks of cedar wood. Cedar is a kind of tree of which various species grow all over the country; however, cedar closets are made from a specific variety of cedar called Eastern red cedar, or Juniperus virginiana.
It is used for its intoxicating smell and beautiful reddish-pink color to line the walls of closets, as it is a natural insect repellant. Believe it or not, there are even more reasons to use it beyond the already obvious ones. I will explain these reasons to hopefully convince you to see the immense benefits to being the proud owner of a cedar closet. The red cedar tree is robust enough to thrive in the most desolate climates, meaning that it can often be seen in herd-like formations on dry prairie land.
They are known to invade pastures and fields, creating a massive problem for ranchers. Tongue-and-groove boards, shown in this installation, require more cuts but give a closet a smooth, custom-finished look. To use cedar to its fullest, you should line a whole closet with it. As This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers shows below, all you need is a dray to nail up the wood.
To install cedar lining, it is typical to line the three interior walls, but you might also consider continuing the coverage on the back of the door and on the ceiling.
If your closet has baseboard molding, you can leave it in place as long as the baseboard is thicker than the cedar. But you can also take the lining down to the floor by first carefully removing the baseboard with a pry bar. Then you can use cove molding against the floor to hide the cut edges. That same cove can go at the top of the wall to hide the small gap above the last course. The raw cut ends of the boards will intersect in the corners of the closet, but as long as you start your installation on the back wall and cut the sidewall boards to fit snugly, the seam will appear neat from the front.
However, if you have any trouble getting a tight fit to make an even intersection of back and side, you can always hide it with corner bead. There are several ways to get the cedar on the walls. You can nail it to the studs, or adhere it with construction adhesive. This Old House general contractor Tom Silva uses a two-pronged approach, holding planks in place with adhesive before nailing them.
Nailing can be done with a pneumatic pin nailer or a good old-fashioned hammer and 5d nails, though without a pneumatic nailer you may need to drill pilot holes to avoid splitting the thin wood. Then, once the cedar is in place, it will last for years and will only require a quick, light sanding to instantly rejuvenate it and bring back its aromatic effects. Use a stud finder to locate and mark the studs along the walls of the closet.
Or, starting in a corner of the closet, where there's usually a stud, measure the walls in inch increments to approximate the rest of the studs' positioning. Once you know where all the studs are and have marked them, use a level turned vertically to draw plumb lines at each mark.
Mark each stud position from floor to ceiling to show you where to place nails when you install the cedar. Have you been thinking about updating your closet? Many of us can recall that our grandmothers may have kept linens, wool sweaters and other valuable or natural clothing in cedar chests in a bedroom, attic or living room. Most of us can easily recognize the smell of the aromatic wood; a cedar closet adds a rustic, cozy scent to your home.
Even better than that, it is scientifically proven to repel pests like cockroaches, silverfish, moths and more. Here are some facts about cedar closets:. Old Cedar Siding Q. Cedar siding has a life expectancy of about 30 - 50 years. In it was 20 years old. If the siding is in as good a shape as your photo suggests, you can expect another years of life out of it. It does need some care but that is to be done by the homeowner. Some areas require the cedar to be refreshed every 5 - 10 years Staining cedar or adding finish to it is the most common way to go.
Painting cedar is also an option Cedar is a particular siding as it has a higher maintenance requirement than man-made materials. It has a decent life expectancy so long as the homeowner is diligent with up-keep. I would mark your calendar for every 5 years If it is in good shape, then reinspect it 2 years later.
And then 2 years after that until it requires a refresh. And so on. You will need to have the wood sent to a wood mill to have it repurposed for flooring. This would require a smooth finish and square edges. You will also want to have tongue and groove cuts added so that you can butt the wood flooring pieces up to each other for a tight seal. There are numerous sites that talk about what to do with old wood.
It would be easier to use the wood for another outdoor installation, like a new fence. If you want repurposed wood for your bathroom floor there are mills that have already taken apart old barns and fences and have it ready to install. Can you provide a few more details: 1.
What is your budget and how extensive are you wanting the work to be? Is it just the aesthetics of the closet exterior you don't like or do you feel that the interior space is also not well used? Your room is lovely, though crammed full with oversized furniture.
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