Heavy duty wardrobe hanging space

[KatyMac]

DD's wardrobe is collapsing under the strain

It's in an alcove about 8 ft wide

Could we use something like scaffolding poles to make a multilayers hanging system? With a couple of vertices to help hold it up

I don't think ordinary ordinary wardrobe hang-y things would be strong enough

Do hangers hang on scaffolding posts or are they too thick?

you could use one or two intermediate pillars to take the weight

Or a very strong shelf above, with brackets down to the rail.

I think you need shop-fittings garment rail. I don't know trade suppliers but you may find something suitable on
IronmongeryDirect

yes, here it is garment rail

did you mean this one?

This is the sort I thought wouldn't be strong enough?

I've seen this sort of thing in theatres, stacked with costumes. I think the tube is welded but I don't know.

The "3-pole-2-bar" thing looks like it has plastic pole jointers, which I wouldn't trust.

The 25mm chrome tube thing looks better, but I'd brace each pole to brackets screwed to the wall near the top. If it ever started to lean I think it might collapse and fall over.

i don't really know how to build something like that.

the scaffold-like tube system, I think I'd put a column every 600mm (or 1000mm at the very most) to guard against the top rail bending. Winter coats and biker leathers are a lot heavier than fairy costumes and prom dresses, so it depends what's on it.

I was thinking something like this

The wheeled rail wastes half the height of the room

I need something braced/screwed into each wall I think alongside floor to ceiling (maybe wedged or maybe screwed I dunno)

Costumes mainly - a really wide range of clothes to play 'roles'

But loads!! & ballroom dresses aren't light!!!

I think you could do it with the 25mm chrome steel tube thing

find out where the joists are in the floor and ceiling so you put the feet there and screw into them, as chipboard and plaster are not very strong.

Actual scaffold pole is about two inches diameter, and the galvanising or aluminium tarnish rubs off as black or grey marks on your clothes. Steel scaffold poles are very heavy and I think not suitable.

I can work out the ceiling joists measuring the distance from the outer wall in because they run parallel - if there isn't a joist there I can put a block in between in the loft

I could maybe put in a base of thick mdf to screw the bases to?

It's not going to be pretty but it will be functional

Would it be worth putting wooden dowel inside the poles do you think?

I don't think so. it would only be able to take any strain after the pole had bent or been crushed.

But if the clamps permit it, run a single rail all the way from side to side, rather than short lengths between each column.

That would need a sort of offset bracket I guess I'll have a look

Have you looked at IKEA? They have storage systems which can be used for walk in wardrobes and in built in cupboards. They state the weight their products can hold in the additional info section.

These look good.
www.scaffolding-direct.co.uk/wall-to-wall-clothes-rail-made-to-measure-3m/

If you look at this site they do all sorts. Cut to measure too.

We've bought stuff from these guys before - their movable rails are rock solid, bit what about this?

www.shopfittingwarehouse.co.uk/fixtures-and-fittings-c4/tubes-and-clamps-display-c5/chrome-tube-kits-c399/wardrobe-alcove-chrome-tube-kit-3-m-tube-3-x-heavy-duty-wall-fix-support-arms-and-2-x-wall-sockets-p3845

You might need to trim the pole slightly but 3 arm brackets plus two end brackets will be very solid. They do other sizes so you could maybe have a shorter one lower down to create a long section and some shorter sections.

possible shorter section, comes in longer length too

Their heavy duty garment rails are also very good and they have ones with two rails, so you could do a 4ft one pole and a 4ft 2 pole version potentially if you prefer something freestanding.

I looked on ikea but I couldn't see any 'insides' did I miss them

I like those Esther, thanks

Statistically, that is exactly what I need!!

I can buy some & they look pretty sturdy - what do you think PigletJohn? With those as they fit on the back wall I could get some of them and maybe lower ones on wheels!

And unless I read wrong not horrifically expensive!!

Now I just need to decide what I need! Sorry what DD needs

Algot is one IKEA range and there was another one I can't remember the name of - if it's been discontinued it's more than likely you can buy second hand on eBay.

It was IKEA Stolmen OP.

I think the ones fitted to the wall might be better for these - but thanks for the link, that will work for another project

Shopfitings are what I was hoping for, but I'd prefer somes legs or columns as well. Because of the way levers work, weight on the rail will try to pull those brackets out of the wall.

Brackets will be fine for holding them steady, if the weight is taken on something else.

i see they do a 2-metre high double garment rail, but they probably offer something that you would find more attractive. maybe give them a call? Their range looks wide.

I think the end wall mounts combined with the back brackets should work - the end mounts will stop the pole tipping down and levering the back brackets.

The heavy duty rails are ones we have, filled with fancy dress costumes and yanked by kids daily!

Just looking again, they have extra parts which are compatible with the ones I linked to and could be used to give vertical support:

t piecw in the middle of pole, open end pointing down

floor socket

extra tubes

Yes I'd be happier with verticals too and that seems possible

So a long high one with 2 verticals down (& maybe extra bracket - 3 a metre?

And maybe a long one t shirt height from the floor then a few mid length ones leaving 1 long section for maxi dresses and catsuits (or whatever they call them now!!)

I honestly don't think you will need 3 brackets per metre, plus end brackets, plus verticals.

I've just cleared out my wardrobe. The poles are 1m long, and my dress wardrobe had over 100 dresses in it (I have some very thin hangers and far too many clothes), and those poles are only end mounted.

Over a longer length the risk of the pole bending on the middle obviously increases but once you put the verticals in then it effectively becomes like two or three poles.

If you went for the version with 3 brackets for your long pole and two uprights then you'd have:

an end wall mount (mounted in to the side of the alcove)
a wall bracket roughly 40cm in
a vertical approx 80cm in
a wall bracket at 120cm
a vertical at 160
a wall bracket at 200
an end bracket at 240
(I've rounded down a tad)

You've got support coming from 3 angles, and a support every 40cm. That does feel pretty adequate.

You could leave one of those 80cm sections (say between the wall and the first vertical) as a full length section and then buy the individual poles, brackets, end brackets etc to allow you to split the other two 80cm sections in to a variety of different heights - these would let you attach horizontals to the verticals, so the ones in the middle would be supported by two verticals, and the ones in the other end section by one vertical plus one side wall fitting. You could add a single back wall bracket in the middle of each cross piece if you wanted to, but it might not be necessary for shorter, lighter clothes.

Actually, if you wanted more flexibility it might be worth sticking an extra vertical at the very end so that those reduced height sections are flexible without having to re-drill the wall?

You are probably right

When DD gets home next I'll measure it all out