How to put up Shelves: Wall Mounted Shelving

Introduction to putting up shelving:

Before going out to buy any shelving, be aware that the construction of your walls should be considered first, as they could influence the type of fitting that you apply for your shelving.

As a general rule, if your walls are masonry, then you can pretty much fit your shelves wherever you please. If your walls are timber framed, then you should either look to fit the shelves to the studs, or use cavity fixings. Be warned that for shelving intended to support heavy loads, you should look to fitting your shelves to the studs to be safe. You should always ensure that the shelf brackets and wall plugs used are going to be adequate to support the weight of the shelf. For most shelves being fitted to masonry walls, brackets with 50mm (2in) screws and wallplugs wil suffice.

Fitting Shelf Brackets for individual shelves:

• Take one of the shelving brackets and hold it against the wall at the required height and with a pencil, mark the wall through the fixing holes (where the screws will be inserted). When you take the bracket away you should have marks on the wall indicating where you need to drill.
• Take a masonry bit and drill holes into the wall where your pencil marks are. When the holes are made, insert the wallplugs and screw the bracket firmly into place. Take your time to ensure the bracket is screwed in well and is vertically aligned.
• Use the shelf and a spirit level to work out your placement for the second bracket and using your pencil mark the wall through the fixing holes. Using your drill, fix it in the same way as you did for the first bracket.
  If you are fitting more than one shelf, it is a good idea to fix all the bracket first – this will allow you to position all the shelves and make sure they are sitting correctly before actually fixing them to the brackets

Quick Shelving Tips:

Masonry Walls: Secure brackets with wall plugs
Partition Walls: Screw into wooden struts

How to stop your shelves from sagging:

Choosing the wrong material to use for your shelving can cause your shelves to sag over time, or even worse cause them to collapse. There are many materials on the market that you can choose to buy and use for shelving. Here is a brief list of the pros and cons of each:

• Plywood
  Pros: Strong and stable
• Solid Wood
  Pros: Looks natural and attractive, good colouring
  Cons: Can be expensive and often need sourcing from specialised merchants (as opposed to on the high street)
• Glass:
  Pros: Can look attractive, but toughened glass will be needed for supporting heavy objects
  Cons: Can be expensive to get it sized ordered
• MDF:
  MDF is a man-made material and stands for “Medium-density Fibreboard”.
  Pros: Cheap, and can be painted or finished easily
• Chipboard:
  Pros: Very cheap
  Cons: Most likely to bend, warp or sag and is least suitable for supporting heavier loads. Chipboard will sag over time even with relatively light loads and should not be viewed as a long term solution for using for shelves
• Blockboard:
  Pros: Strong and sturdy
  Cons: Can be pricey as its a man-made board

Protecting your shelves against sagging is not all down to which material you choose. The strogest of materials will be susceptible to sagging over time if the supporting brackets are spaced too far apart, so consider adding extra bracket support to longer shelves. Longer shelves will last longer of thicker materials are used, and if brackets are closer together.

Table detailing recommended shelf spans to use:

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