We installed some container store shelves similar to these picture except we won't have drawers at the right end:
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Except the vertical uprights on the left are about 1.5" from the wall so that all uprights are screwed to the studs. The plan is to make a couple of sliding barn doors to enclose the whole thing (The entire thing will be 12ft wide). The barn door hardware will be screwed to a 2x8. The problem is since the support brackets for the shelves and drawers are close to the left wall, a 2x4 stud will be about 1/4" too thick preventing the very left drawers from sliding open. I don't have a planer and I'd rather not etch "tracks" on the 2x4 for the drawers to pass through as I feel it just doesn't look as clean. If I use 2-1x4's together, then drawers can open without having to force it. Can I glue and nail 2-1x4'x together to support the 2x8 instead of a 2x4? It will be screwed to existing studs in the left and right walls.

Also, should I screw a 2x4x12' behind the 2x8 and screwed to ceiling joists to help with the 2x8's weight at the middle of the span?

TIA

You're putting in shelves and adding a 2x8 header for a barn door and want to know if you can use 2 1x4's tied into an existing stud to support one side of the header instead of a single 2x4? I'm no structural engineer but I would think that's okay.

And then asking if you need to use a 2x4 to tie the 2x8 header into the ceiling joist? Again, not a structural guy, but I wouldn't think that's necessary unless the barn doors are exceptionally heavy.

Yes pretty much...

Why not open the wall up and put the header into the existing wall? You could then support it in the existing walls. You could also cut the half inch out of the drywall to gain the space you need. I don't fully understand what you are asking so this may not help.

I have read three times also

If you are located in bryan college station

Pm me and I will come look and you can ask me any questions that you may have

I should stop posting after midnight...


Let me try this again:

We put up shelves similar to the first picture in the original post and plan to enclose it using sliding doors. I'm going to use a 2x8 header to hang the sliding barn doors. The left "jack stud" I'm putting upis a hair too thick and will hit the sliding baskets. But two 1x4s works, so my question is: can I use two 1x4's as a stud instead of a 2x4 to support the 2x8 header?

It's just a hair too thick that I have to assist sliding the drawers and it bends the rail a little bit. Using two 1x4s doesn't require me to nudge the drawer to slide open

62strat said:

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I'm confused, because a 2x4 is 1.5" thick and a 1x4 is 3/4" thick.. so two 1x4s is 1.5" thick..

Right?

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You're right!

He needs to first nail a 3/4"x4" to the left stud and then nail a 1"x4" onto that one to get the right dimension to work for his situation. That would solve the issue and work!

Why not just rip down a 2x4 to be the width that you need it to be...

What about the trim for the opening? Won't it be at least 1/2" tighter once you add drywall or the casing?

jaggiemaggie said:

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It's just a hair too thick that I have to assist sliding the drawers and it bends the rail a little bit. Using two 1x4s doesn't require me to nudge the drawer to slide open

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Try a different 2x4? If it's that close, just sand it down some by hand.

Two 1x4s is theoretically the same size as a 2x4.

As Tmoney asked above.. what about trim/drywall, etc? This 2x4 won't be there exposed I assume.