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Closet Rod Distance from Wall: What’s the Right Distance?

Tired of piles of clothes in your closet? Well, the closet should be used to save you from that mess.

However, improper closet rod height and distance from the wall can make the entire thing wreak havoc. Don’t worry! A bit of knowledge is all that is needed to fix that up.

Closet rod distance from the wall

As well as the closet rod size, the closet rod distance from the wall is greatly important to customize your closet. Though it depends on for whom you are building the closet, it is fair to have 12 inches distance from the back and side wall for the closet which has at least 24 inches of depth.

The ideal closet rod height and distance is quite a vague idea. As this vastly varies from person to person due to age and gender, coming up with a conclusion is challenging. In this case, what matters is how compatible and comfortable the user feels.

Most of the time, people like to choose closet rods of a height of 66 inches. An incredible choice, indeed. Undoubtedly, this is a perfect size, if you have lots of long suits, dresses, skirts, and pants that need to be hung.

Furthermore, this height ensures that every cloth remains wrinkle-free, tidy, and neat as new. And with this, you also get relieved from frequent ironing hassle.

On the flip side, what if you have a few lengthy clothes? For that instance, using such a high rod won’t seem a good idea. Plus, a lot of space in your closet would be unused.

The best way to avoid this is to install a double rod closet. Recently, they are the real heartthrob of the market. And, that’s totally logical.

This simple innovation enables people to hang all types of clothes – from suits to shirts. Usually, these systems have an upper rod of 40 to 42 inches whereas the lower one is 30.

Luckily, this double-rod system does not alter the distance of them from the wall. You can still install them at least 12 inches far from both the back and the side wall.

Don’t neglect this inch’s code. Not following them would surely lead to messy, unorganized, and wrinkled clothes. No one wants that!

However, myriads of closets in the market have shelves. These shelves make it harder for the closet rod to be installed. Not only this, but they also hamper the measurement of the rod from the walls and the floor.

Wait! There’s also a solution for this. In the case of shelves, users need to install the closet rod below the shelves keeping a distance of at least 2 inches from the shelf to the rod.

This would not cause any damage to the long attires. Besides, try to keep the distance of 12 inches from the back and side wall constant. That’s necessary for an ideal organized closet.

How much room do you need for a closet rod?

Typically, keeping in mind the distance required by the closet rod, you need a moderate amount of space. A space that is enough capable of holding the optimum size of the rod along with a good number of clothes is a must.

For this, the experts’ suggestion is to have a room of at least 24 inches to 40 inches to have better support. Failing to meet these criteria and space, would result in a continuous cycle of organizing clothes.

As the distance of the closet rod should be approximately 12 inches, it is necessary the whole closet has room for at least 24 inches. When the users maintain this simple measurement, the whole world of problems automatically resolves.

Having a closet of more than 24 inches is a blessing. This not only allows you to have a great room of space for clothes but also gifts you clean, tidy cloth sections.

ADA code for closet rod distance

People with disabilities have to face a hard time while using their favorite clothes. For this reason, the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) exists. This ensures no disabled person experiences any type of trouble while organizing their closet.

According to the ADA code, the distance between the rod and the wheelchair should not exceed 10 inches.

In addition to that, they also ensure that the height of the closet rod should not be greater than 54 inches. Therefore, the standard size is not optimum here.

Even though it does not satisfy the height, you are lucky that the distance of the closet rod from the wall is unchanged. Having 12 inches distance is more than enough— no worries about that.

But remember to have at least 21 inches of distance from the clothes to the user. It is strictly stated in the ADA code, and it is what users should be accountable for.

Along with this, the maximum size of the closet rod is something to be aware of. As mentioned in the code, to have the proper support, no more than 48 inches of the rod should be used. If any user wants to use it, it can be a huge risk for them.

3 factors that affect the distance between closet rod and wall

The distance between the closet rod and the walls can vary due to various reasons. Mostly, this depends on the user and how much diversifying distance would be needed.

However, having a simplified idea is important to come to conclusion about what is the best size for you. These are some of the factors that one should consider.

Height:

The height of the users is crucial to determine what would be the height of the closet rod. And along with the height of the rod changes their distance from the wall.

No tall person wants to bend to collect clothes. And again, what about the child? He won’t be able to do the work either. As a result, we need to break the conventional rules in such cases.

Gender:

Along with gender, not only height becomes an issue. The dress type also affects. As the women have long dresses more than the men, they tend to need a higher rod. But their clothes tend to be not so wide, and thus, distance from the wall is unaffected.

The opposite is true for the men; they need wider room. So, you might need to readjust the distance of the closet rod from the wall.

Amount of clothes:

More clothes need more space, and more space means less distance between the wall and the rod. Most of the time number of dresses is enormous for girls. As a result, their closet rod may need to have less distance from the wall.

However, if you have a large room for your clothes, and a lot of space is still unused, try to follow the standard height of 12 inches. That’s the best any user can have.

How to install a closet rod at a proper distance from the wall?

Tired yet? Don’t panic. Installing a closet rod at a proper distance from the wall is quite easy. If you know the tips and tricks, no professionals are needed to solve this. Follow the guide below to feed you the important step that you need to ace it.

Measure the closet: 

To install the rod, you need to have prior knowledge of the measurements of the closet. If you don’t seem to have one, take a measurement tape and measure the height and the width of the closet immediately before moving to the next steps.

Choose the right position:

For this, you need to consider the distance between the walls and the floor that you want your rod to have.

After deciding, measure with the tape and mark the right position with a pencil for both sides of the closet. Remember, this point is the combination of both height and width.

Drill the holes:

To drill the holes in the position, the users must know where to drill them. To do this, place the socket in the allocated position and mark the hole.

Now, you know where to put your machine. Drill the places with enough depth and you are ready to go.

Attach the sockets:

With the screws, now attach the sockets in the pilot position. This is, surely, one of the easiest jobs here. However, ensure proper installation. Otherwise, the rods won’t stay in place.

Insert the rod:

Finally, install the rod in the place of the sockets. In order to do this, place one end at the socket at a time.  And then go for the rest.

Final thoughts

All in all, to maintain a proper, neat, and tidy closet, the easiest way is to follow the rod measurements. Precisely, having a distance of 12 inches from the walls to the closet rod is the most favorable. Several factors might work in play, but this is still the best distance you can have.