Cedar Closets America S Best-kept Secret

Cedar Closets: America's Best-Kept Secret

Summary: Americans are opening the door a bit wider on cedar closets. A recent survey of , adults showed that while only percent actually own a cedar closet, percent would consider installing one in their homes when informed about the benefits.

Cedar Closets: America's Best-Kept Secret

Article Body: Americans are opening the door a bit wider on cedar closets. A recent survey of , adults showed that while only percent actually own a cedar closet, percent would consider installing one in their homes when informed about the benefits.

"Our research clearly shows that the benefits of cedar closets may be America's best- kept home improvement secret," says Bev Head, CEO of Huntsville, Alabama-based Giles & Kendall, the # cedar closet liner manufacturer in the United States and makers of the CedarSafe Natural Closet Liner brand.

Those benefits include:

Repel and resist moths, roaches, silverfish and mildew

Provide a wonderful cedar scent

Safer than mothballs and smells better

Often found in expensive or older homes

A great place to store out-of-season clothes.

A study by Unity Marketing shows that percent of homeowners who make $, a year or more have cedar closets. That's about the same percentage as those who own wine cellars or outdoor hearths. According to the CedarSafe survey, percent of cedar closet owners inherited them when they bought the house. More than percent installed them on their own.

Closet Makeovers Are Big Business

In recent years, closet makeovers have become big business-a $ billion industry. The boom helped spark a new trade magazine, CLOSETS, which notes that the average price of a closet installation has increased from $, to $,. Much of that expense comes from creating custom closets with lots of shelves and drawers.

"You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy the benefits of cedar closets," says Head. "In fact, you can install cedar panels or planks yourself for $ to $ for a standard-size closet."

The planks and panels are made of percent Aromatic Eastern Red Cedar and actually line the walls of the closet. They work with standard metal bars or rods or even custom drawers.

The planks provide an elegant look to a closet in a master bedroom. It would cost about $ to line square feet of wall space with cedar planks.

The '-by-' panels are best for storage areas, secondary closets and attics. It would cost about $ to line square feet of wall space with these.