One of the techniques for decorating a room is using shelves. But they are not only a decoration. More often than not, they are functional. Shelves are hung on the wall, placed on the floor, some are hung from the ceiling or beams. But best of all - they are easy to make yourself, with your own hands.
Types of shelves in the house
At the place of installation, shelves are wall, floor and hanging. If the floor shelf has a large height - from a meter or more, it is often called a rack. A few words about suspended ones: usually these are decorative structures that hang on a pipe or a specially hammered bracket. This option is popular in those rooms where the heating pipes run under the ceiling: they just ask to be hung on them. Shelves in the kitchen and in the bathroom are hung on the pipe: it is convenient there.
They are made of wood, fiberboard, there are glass shelves. The same materials are used as racks, but they are also made of metal, plastics and other completely incredible things - for example, pipes or bottles.
In living rooms, it is not so important what material the shelf is made of. It is important that its design is in the same style as the interior. Even the functionality is not always important: some play an exclusively decorative role. If there is one or two items on them. Their role is to give the interior of the home a special style and color.
The laconic style of apartment decoration and the same laconic shelves in a contrasting color. In this interior, they are the main element. The free space above the sofa is organically filled with shelves to match the walls.
If we talk about shelves in technical rooms - the kitchen and the bathroom, in particular, then the requirements for practicality are almost everywhere added to considerations of aesthetics. Even decorative kitchen shelves should be cleaned well. For shelves in the bathroom, the requirements are generally high: periodically there is very high humidity and materials are required that transfer it without any harm. There are not many of them. It is plastic and stainless steel. They also make bathroom shelves from MDF, but they are normally used with good ones.
Shelves on the wall
In any room on the wall there are places on which you just need to hang something. After all, most modern furniture occupies only the lower part - sofas, tables, couches. The upper part remains empty and dissonance arises: the overloaded lower part of the room and the half-empty or completely empty upper part. These voids on the walls are organically filled with shelves.
The whole system, and the most "dead" space is used - the angle
Structurally, most of the shelves consist of shelves proper and lintels. But these components are combined into so many options that it is impossible to count. A simple design is good: you can make any shelves yourself. Moreover, these products may be the first self-made things. It's really simple.
How and what to attach
It is not in vain that we start with fasteners. The design of the wall shelf largely depends on the type of attachment. Or maybe it’s the other way around. It depends on what to dance from ...
Traditional hinges
There is a traditional way - on the hinges. It is suitable for wood and fiberboard, any other material that is thick enough to attach. They are screwed onto the side parts with self-tapping screws. Then the distance between the centers of the hinge holes is measured, laid on the wall (watch out for horizontalness). At the marked points, holes are drilled for the dowel, the dowel is inserted and a dowel-nail with a small head is screwed into it, which goes into a loop or bracket (a pin slightly bent upwards). Then a shelf is hung on them.
Not all materials can be drilled. For example, glass shelves. You can't screw anything into them. Fasteners for glass shelves are special: they consist of two parts, between which glass is inserted. Often elastic spacers are installed between the holders. Bottom fasteners usually have a small clamping screw to hold them in place.
Fasteners for glass shelves
The most popular mount for glass shelves is called "pelican" - for its peculiar shape. He himself looks good, is in different colors. The thickness of the glass it can hold is between 8 and 34 mm. You can insert not only glass into it, but also any other material of this thickness. It just looks stylish with glass.
It is easy to make glass shelves on the wall with it: you buy a mount, in a glass workshop you order pieces of glass with processed edges of the required size and shape (or cut out yourself, if you can). The assembly itself remains:
- Attach the pelicans to the wall. Two dowels each. The body is collapsible - the decorative cover is removable, and there are two holes in the mounting plate. One in the case is higher, the second is lower. We fixed, put in place a decorative strip.
- Glass was inserted.
- We tightened the screw. Everything.
There are other forms of similar fasteners. There are several of them in the photo below.
Decorative brackets
Another type of attachment is brackets. They are reliable, some are decorative, and so much so that they themselves are an ornament.
Countersunk installation - shelves without support
And the most amazing device for flush mounting. It makes it possible to hide the fasteners. At the end, a seat is cut out for the pin and the holder body, and the shelf is simply put on it.
As you can see, even a simple board or a piece of glass on such mounts is already good. But there is still a sea of all sorts of ideas.
Bookshelves
Strength requirements are imposed on bookshelves: they hold significant weight. Therefore, the fastening and materials and construction must be reliable. Traditionally, book shelves are made of wood, laminated or veneered fiberboard. And then fiberboard with a long span (more than 90 cm) bends over the years.
When planning shelves on the walls for books of your own size, keep in mind that the distance between the supports should not be more than 90 cm. Then, even when fully loaded, it will not bend. And there are two types and varieties of shelves: wall and floor. Both those and others can be angular.
In the simplest case, this is a board fixed in one of the ways. Some options, especially when served correctly, look very good.
And if you have imagination, several boards turn into a very interesting thing, which can even be the main element of the decor. DIY ideas are collected in the photo gallery.
And this is a serious way to expand the space due to the corners between two windows.Nonlinearity - they are always interesting, and on such a shelf you can put books of different heights
Floor-standing bookshelves can be loaded more seriously. Here the forms are different: there are racks to which the shelves are attached. A highlight can be a broken or unusual line of shelves, as well as interesting racks.
This is more like a bookcase or even a wardrobe, but the essence does not change - the original color and interesting small shelves in the central part and the structure looks interesting 
A very interesting idea - non-linear shelves and lintels made of thick glass
Read about the manufacture of fountains (both small indoor fountains and more solid ones for a summer cottage, backyard or garden plot).
Suspended
Not very numerous, but original type. The most important thing is that it can be done easily: a few planks, four ropes or two belts and you can get to work.
This is a complex system of blocks ... and the shelves can be at any level Two planks, four ropes and half an hour of time - all that is needed to make this shelf How to make a hanging shelf - graphic step-by-step instructions
To the nursery
While the child is very small, I want functional shelves, but with children's drawings. But where to get such? Do it yourself. Any shelf of the configuration you like can be pasted over with wallpaper on a non-woven base or thick wrapping paper (glued on PVA). After drying, coat twice with water-based varnish. Such shelves can be washed, but what is most interesting is that the shelf can change with the child. Tear off the old decor, glue the new one. The idea is simple, it works perfectly.
For children, the shelves are not very different in design. If we talk about floor or racks, then they should be strong: taking into account the fact that grown-up children will definitely want to climb on them. Therefore, often even those shelves that are on the floor are attached additionally to the wall so that they do not collapse and crush young climbers. Based on these considerations, they are not made high: even if they fall, it is not scary.
The shelves in the children's room also differ in color - they are brighter, can be made in the form of letters, boxes for toys can be installed in them: this makes it easier to keep them in order. In general, functionality and security should be combined.
Drawer system - quick cleaning Combination of open and closed shelves - convenient for preschool children
Shelves and shelves in the kitchen
Whatever you say, but the main thing in the kitchen is functionality. There is not much free space even on the walls: lockers take up a large area. Therefore, one of the tasks is to make the most of the free space. There are interesting ideas for small or even very small gaps between the wall and the refrigerator or other household appliances. Strictly in size, you can make a pouch on wheels, which goes out and hides completely there. It is wide and narrow (see photo).
It is not difficult to make such a sliding shelf-rack on wheels for different jars. Everything you need is at hand and does not interfere
There are also interesting ideas for saving space. If a sink or a hundred stands near the window, you can take the sidewalls. There is an interesting hanging option - a lattice on chains, to which all utensils are hooked. But such a shelf is possible if the desktop is not placed against the wall. Another option to save space - if the kitchen-dining room is zoned with a counter, you can also make a shelf above it, which will be partially suspended. One part of it rests on the wall, the other - on the counter or "hangs" on the ceiling.
Hanging the entire wall above the desk with lockers is not the best solution. They look heavy. You can solve the problem with glass doors, but not everyone likes it. The way out is to make open shelves between the cabinets. They will give more lightness to the interior and the work area will not put so much pressure on the rest of the space.
Opened shelves and open shelves will "lighten" the interior. Another style - the same idea. Closed and open shelves in one system - convenient and non-standard
Decorative and original
Often, wall shelves play an exclusively decorative role. They are designed to attract attention and this goal is achieved by an unusual form, contrasting with the walls, color. You can't put much on it: one or two things, but how interesting they are.
Another option for "square" shelves. Two identical sets arranged in different ways.If traditional square shelves are decorated with curly frames along the edge, the style turns out to be completely different
Another interesting topic is glass shelves. Just one glass is not very interesting. Its combination with wood and steel is more attractive. The effects are sometimes unexpected. The glass is collected on rails: the material is fragile and heavy and needs to be held. Steel can do it.
Generally speaking, these systems are intended for creating interiors of shops, but also in an apartment in a modern style or look stylish.
The "vintage" style is also suitable
What shelves are not made of. Even from pipes. Metal and plastic. Remaining images from repairs? Use it in business, and get a designer thing that is interesting, collected from trash.
Such is an interesting variation of a bookshelf made of pipes.
May 26, 2017Specialization: a professional in the field of construction and renovation (a full cycle of finishing works, both internal and external, from sewerage to electrics and finishing works), installation of window structures. Hobby: see the column "SPECIALIZATION AND SKILLS"
The question of how to hang a shelf on a drywall wall has several options for the correct answer. It all depends on what kind of load the structure will have on the plasterboard cladding, and what materials will be at our disposal.
I will tell you how you can hang light shelves with minimal effort, and also describe the installation technology for heavier structures.
For lightweight structures
Method 1. Adhesive mounting
After finishing the sheathing and finishing, we may wonder how to attach the shelf to the plasterboard wall. The problem is that drywall is a rather fragile material, and therefore it will crumble under load. This means that when hanging shelves, we will have to use a variety of devices that will allow us to compensate for this lack of drywall.
The choice of mounting method directly depends on two parameters:
- The weights of the shelf itself.
- The planned load on it.
We will build on them when planning our work.
For decorative shelves, stands for small photographs or keys in the corridor, you can use glue mounting. This is the easiest way to implement:
- We apply markings on the wall for the installation of a decorative object.
- According to the markings on the surface sheathed with gypsum board, we apply a thin layer of contact glue.
- Apply the same layer of glue to the back of the shelf.
- We withstand the glue for some time (depending on the type of composition) and press the shelf against the wall. The clamp should be tight, but not too much: it is advisable to dose the effort so as not to crush the drywall.
The described technique practically does not require labor costs, but its reliability is also low.
Method 2. Fastening with self-tapping screws
If we are dealing with a structure, the mass of which is small, but does not allow the use of the glue method, we can simply fix the shelf on self-tapping screws. The choice of fasteners depends on where we will carry out the work:
- if the shelf will be installed simply in drywall or in a wooden frame element, then we use wood screws (black);
- if the position of the shelf can be adjusted so that the fasteners fall into the metal profile under the sheathing - we take self-tapping screws for metal with a drill.
The length of the self-tapping screw must be sufficient to completely pass the gypsum board and sink into a wooden beam or steel profile. For single-layer cladding, it is advisable to use elements from 25–35 mm.
The instructions for performing the work are extremely simple:
- Choosing an installation location. As I noted above, it is desirable that the fasteners fall either into the vertical struts of the frame, or into the horizontal cross members.
- We put marks on the wall.
- We attach the shelf to the wall and tighten the screws according to the marks. It is advisable to use a screwdriver: this way the hole will not "break".
If tightened too much, the reliability of the fastening may decrease due to the violation of the integrity of the cardboard layer. And it is also undesirable to unscrew the screws and re-tighten them back: the thread destroys the gypsum, and when it is re-fastened, it will hold much worse.
For heavier shelves
Method 3. Spacer and expanding dowels
Now let's figure out how to hang a heavy shelf. Here, ordinary self-tapping screws cannot be dispensed with - it is advisable either to use special dowels, or to solve the problem in other ways.
Let's start with a description of special fasteners - fortunately, it is present on the market in a fairly wide range:
| Illustration | Name and principle of operation | |
 |
6–12 | Butterfly.
A lightweight two-blade dowel that fits into a pre-drilled hole. When tightening the locking screw, the blades open and press against the skin from the inside. |
 |
20–30 | Driva
Deep threaded plastic or metal dowel. It is installed by screwing it into drywall along the starting hole with a diameter of 5–6 mm. The fixation is ensured by spiral blades, which, when the locking screw is screwed in, expand inside the plaster layer. |
 |
15–16 | Fischer Pd
Made of plastic, consists of a sleeve with a massive end piece. When tightening the fasteners, the end stop is pressed into the sleeve, opening it and bursting into the drywall. |
 |
Up to 50 | Molly
Probably the most popular type of fastener. It is installed in a hole with a diameter of 8-10 mm, while the teeth on the neck are stuck into the drywall. When the locking screw is tightened, the inner part of the dowel opens, tightly pressing against the gypsum board and distributing the load from the hung shelf over a fairly large area. |
Perhaps the described mounts have one significant drawback - a rather high price. But if we consider that for hanging the shelf we need only a few such dowels, then this drawback can be considered insignificant.
Method 4. Through anchor
However, sometimes you have to decide how to screw the shelf to the drywall, if the load on it is high, and you cannot use a special dowel. This situation occurs, for example, with a minimum gap between the sheathing and the wall, which does not allow the installation of a spacer sleeve.
Here's how you can handle it:
- First, using a drill or screwdriver with an installed drill, we make holes in the plasterboard sheathing. The diameter of the holes must be the same as the diameter of the fastener being used.
Here the rigidity of the entire system comes to the fore, therefore I recommend working with dowels of 8–12 mm or more, even if a thinner product is enough for reliable fixation. The thing is that a thick dowel will not bend under the weight of the shelf, and the load on the edge of the hole in the gypsum board will be minimal.
- Then we change the drill to a perforator and drill a socket for the anchor sleeve in the bearing wall with a drill. The depth of the nest should be no less than the distance from the load-bearing wall to the outer surface of the gypsum board.
- Insert an anchor sleeve made of durable plastic or metal into the drilled hole.
- We fix the sleeve with a locking screw with a cap or a hook. When screwing in, the sleeve will gradually open, and most of the load will be on the main wall.
When implementing this method with your own hands, it should be borne in mind that when drilling a nest with a perforator, and when hanging a shelf, the hole in the gypsum board will slightly increase. So it is worth installing the fasteners in advance - then at the finishing stage we will be able to mask the defects that have arisen.
Method 5. Mortgage
And, finally, a universal answer to the question of how to fix the shelf on drywall . If you want the suspended structure to be held "tightly", it is better to foresee its installation in advance:
- When installing the frame for plating the gypsum board, we select a place on the wall for installing the shelf.
- In the chosen place, we fasten a wooden beam or a thick board with anchors to the main wall. We select the thickness of the element so that the gap between its surface and the inside of the plasterboard sheathing is minimal.
Tip: be sure to mark the level of the mortgage on adjacent walls, floor and ceiling. So you make it easier for yourself to find it!
- After sheathing, we find the mortgage (by marks or by tapping drywall). We hang the shelf on ordinary self-tapping screws, twisting them through the gypsum board into a tree to a depth of at least 40 mm.
- If the shelf is heavy, use the method described in the previous section. The use of a foundation beam will not only not interfere with the installation of through anchors, but will also strengthen the fastening assembly.
There is nothing better than shelves for organizing space in rooms, as well as for decorating the interior. Comfortable, functional, original form, they help to conveniently arrange a lot of things and give the rooms a more comfortable look. Making shelves on the wall with your own hands is not at all difficult, and you can use a wide variety of materials - wood, fiberboard, glass, pieces of tin, plywood.
| Types of wall shelves | Description |
|---|---|
| Classic | This type of shelves is the most common because of its simplicity, aesthetic appearance and ease of installation. They represent a huge flight of fantasies: from simple square to creative asymmetric shapes. |
| Corner | This type of wall shelves differs in the way of fastening - it is carried out on adjacent adjacent walls. Most often they are mounted in utility rooms and bathrooms. |
| Suspended | This original way of creating a shelf involves attaching a simple structure to the ceiling using cables or vertical posts. |
| Floor | This wall shelf is a floor support structure. This type of product is especially relevant in hallways, as well as large rooms where you do not have to think about the loss of space. |
| Open and closed shelves on the wall | Wall-mounted shelves can be designed, for example, with or without glass |
Making a simple wooden shelf
Wood is the most convenient material for work. Wooden shelves are simple, complex shapes, open and closed, vertical, horizontal and corner. Taking the basic version as a basis, you can assemble a shelf from several modules and give it the most incredible look. For the product to serve for a long time, you should choose the right wood: the boards must be perfectly flat, completely dry, without cracks, voids and traces of mold.
During the assembly process you will need:
- hacksaw;
- drill;
- building level;
- pencil and ruler;
- boards 16 mm thick;
- stain;
- wood varnish;
- grinder;
- screws, brackets, dowels.
As an example, a simple rectangular shelf 250 mm wide, 300 mm high and 1100 mm long is used.
Step 1. Markup
The boards are laid flat on the table and the measurements are transferred from the drawing. The height of the side walls should be 268 mm, since they will be located between the top and bottom: wall height + board thickness x 2 = 300 mm.
Step 2. Cutting the boards
If the markings exactly match the pattern, you can start sawing. It is best to use a jigsaw for this, then the cuts are perfectly even and neat. You should get 2 long blanks and 2 short ones.
Step 3. Processing blanks
Before proceeding with the assembly, each workpiece must be sanded, covered with wood stain and varnish. If you plan to simply paint the shelf, the workpieces are processed - this way the service life increases, and the paint lays down smoother.
Step 4. Assembling the product
The bottom board is laid flat on a flat surface. From the ends of the workpiece, 8 mm retreat and 2 straight lines are drawn parallel to the cuts. Now, on these lines, you need to mark two points at a distance of 5 cm from the edge, and drill holes there for self-tapping screws. Do the same with the upper workpiece. When all the holes are ready, side blanks are installed on the lower board and screws are tightened. A second board is applied from above and the side walls are also fixed with self-tapping screws.
Brackets are fixed at the ends of the side walls, holes are drilled in the wall for dowels, self-tapping screws are inserted and tightened so that they protrude by about 5 mm. The dowels should be located strictly horizontally, therefore, before drilling, outline a line using a level. Now all that remains is to attach the brackets to the fasteners and hang the shelf. If desired, the back wall of the product can be hammered in with a piece of plywood, and glass can be inserted in front.
To make such a simple shelf more original, you can replace one side wall with a stump of a thick branch. To do this, choose an even branch with a diameter of about 7-8 cm with a smooth clean bark, saw off a piece 28 cm long, cut off all lateral processes. The chock is treated with a primer, dried and varnished. You do not need to remove the bark. After the varnish has dried, the workpiece is inserted between the upper and lower boards and screwed tightly with self-tapping screws.
Based on this drawing, you can make various variations of the wall shelves. For example, reduce the length to 400 mm and make 3-4 blocks at once. Then set them on top of each other in a checkerboard pattern and fasten them together with metal plates. Or just fix them on the wall separately, placing them at a short distance from each other.
Often, to save space, the shelves are made corner, and they can be mounted both in the inner and outer corners.
The workpieces are made according to the scheme described above, only the upper and lower boards consist of two elements, with the ends sawn off at an angle. The manufacturing process for such a shelf is quite simple:
- the halves of the top board are coated with glue at the ends and clamped with clamps;
- repeat the same actions with the lower board;
- when the glue dries, all the blanks are covered with a stain or primed;
- fastening lines are marked on the upper and lower workpiece and holes are drilled;
- insert the side walls and fix them with self-tapping screws.
| Wall Shelf Materials | Advantages and disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Wood: plywood, chipboard, MDF and others | It is relatively easy to work with this material, it looks beautiful, natural and effective, its service life is quite long, especially if pre-processed |
| Plastic | This material is the most versatile, it can imitate both wood and stone, while removing their shortcomings. |
| Metal | Such wall shelves will be very strong, reliable and durable, but they will hardly fit into a classic interior. In addition, corrosion can also become a problem, so special processing and conditions will be required for metal products. |
| Glass | Transparent wall shelves will create an atmosphere of lightness and comfort in your home. Of course, it will be difficult to make a glass structure with your own hands, but if you, nevertheless, decide to do all the work on your own, then you will have to work with the glass for a long time and very carefully, especially if various cutouts are planned in the design of the shelf |
Original shelves for books
Non-standard shelves are in great demand, so if you wish, you can try to assemble something original. For example, I used a bookshelf in the form of a simplified maze.
For manufacturing you will need:
- edged board 20 mm thick;
- joiner's glue;
- clamps;
- roulette;
- hacksaw;
- miter box;
- Sander;
- stain;
- furniture screws, self-tapping screws;
- decorative shelf supports.
If you have everything you need, you can start making the shelf.
Step 1. Markup
On the prepared boards, cut lines are marked with a pencil under the ruler. Measurements should be transferred very carefully, since all horizontal parts have different lengths.
Step 2. Cutting blanks
The ends of each workpiece are cut at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees. The diagram shows the first option, so you need a miter box for sawing off. It is very important to place the miter box correctly on the board so that the cuts are symmetrical. If you saw off the ends incorrectly, you will not be able to fold the shelf.
Step 3. Assembling the structure
The ends of the parts are smeared with glue, squeezed tightly and additionally fixed with slotted furniture screws. Regular self-tapping screws do not fit here. Each joint requires at least 2 screws. Both parts of the shelf are applied to the wall, set in level and the attachment points are marked with a pencil. After that, holes are drilled for dowels, brackets are screwed to the shelf with self-tapping screws and the structure is hung on the wall. Instead of brackets, decorative shelves "pelican" are often used.
Hinged shelf with belts
If you need a decorative shelf for small items, the next option is perfect - a board suspended from straps.
To make a shelf you will need:
- 2 edged boards 300x750 mm, 30 mm thick;
- 4 leather belts 75 cm long;
- 4 long screws with plastic dowels;
- 4 short self-tapping screws;
- building level;
- ruler;
- sharp knife;
- drill.
Step 1. Prepare the belts
The cuts of the belts must be perfectly even, so if necessary, cut them with a knife. Fold each belt in half, press the ends against the table, retreat 2 cm from the edge and drill a neat through hole with a drill. Do the same with the remaining three.
Step 2. Attaching the straps to the wall
On the wall, using a level, two points are determined at a distance of 60 cm. Holes are drilled and plastic dowels are inserted. The belt folded in half is applied to one of the holes and fixed with a long screw - a large loop is obtained on the wall. Another such loop is attached next to it.
Step 3. Installing the shelf
A polished board is pushed into the hinges and aligned horizontally. To prevent the shelf from moving, the parts of the belts adjacent to the wall at the board itself are screwed with short self-tapping screws. Now, another shelf is suspended under this shelf, exactly repeating the steps described above. The result is a lightweight and tidy two-tiered shelf. If you wish, you can add another 1-2 tiers.
For the manufacture of the shelves described above, you can use not only wood, but also plywood, as well as chipboard sheets. The latter option is used most often, since chipboard is lightweight, high strength, practicality and durability. When assembling shelves from this material, all sections must be pasted over with a melamine edge to match the color of the sheet.
Glass shelf making
Glass shelves blend harmoniously into any interior, and the installation process does not take much time. For work you will need:
- strained glass;
- hammer;
- electric drill;
- building level;
- aluminum profile;
- dowels;
- adhesive tape;
- ruler;
- pencil.
Not everyone knows how to cut glass correctly, and therefore it is better to order cutting of blanks in a workshop. They will also perform grinding and polishing of the edges so that you do not cut yourself on sharp edges when installing the shelf. Everything else can be done by yourself.
Step 1. Marking for fasteners
The section of the wall where the shelf will hang should be as large as possible. With the help of a building level, a horizontal line is drawn on the wall with a pencil. The locations of the fasteners are marked on the line, holes are drilled.
Step 2. Installing Profiles
An aluminum profile is applied to the wall surface and the conformity of the fixing marks is checked. Then they insert dowels into the holes, screw the profile with one screw and level it horizontally. After that, tighten the rest of the screws.
Insert the bracket screw instead of the drill 
Screw in the bracket screw 
Leave the bracket screw to protrude from the wall 
Checking the position 
We arrange the shelves Step 3. Attaching the shelf
The rear edge of the glass shelf is closed with adhesive tape. You can use separate tape spacers, positioning them where the glass will touch the screw heads. The shelf is inserted into the profile, the edges of the profile are covered with protective caps. If two shelves touch on the sides, their edges are fastened with metal fittings.
If you have free time and a desire to experiment, you can create very unusual shelves on the wall from scrap materials. For example, a corner shelf made of plastic pipes looks original. To make it, you will need sewer pipe sections and corner beads. The shelf is fixed to the wall with screws and dowels.
Old suitcases and diplomats can also make great wall shelves. To do this, they are cut in height to half, the back part is covered with plywood and fixed to the wall with screws or on brackets.
Drawers from unnecessary bedside tables are quite suitable for the manufacture of shelves. To give them an elegant look, the boxes should be carefully sanded, primed and painted in bright colors. Then they are leaned against the surface with their back wall, the attachment points are marked and holes are drilled for them. Even one such shelf looks very original, and a composition of 2-3 drawers will become a real decoration.
Video - DIY shelves on the wall
Interesting shelf made of wood. Master Class
You will need:
- Rope;
- Board with a thickness of at least 2 cm;
- 2 corners (fasteners) for shelves;
- Steel washers;
- Lighter;
- Drill;
- Saw.
(Last Updated On: 21.01.2018)
Shelves make our homes and offices much more convenient, because they can accommodate a bunch of different small rubbish, put fragile and valuable items, add variety and volume to a simple wall. However, the shelves often have one big drawback - with their fasteners they spoil the whole picture, do not fit into the interior, visually make the structure heavier, etc. Therefore, in many cases, the practice of hidden fastening of the shelf to the wall, in this case, an ordinary wall shelf looks like it is hanging in the air. Of course, such a solution is very, very attractive, but today not everyone knows how and with what accessories such a fastening can be performed.
Preparing for concealed shelf fixing
It is best to perform such fastening in stages, until the sequence is worked out to automatism. Otherwise, due to the omission of this or that moment, all the work can go down the drain.
The first step is to make sure that the wall can support the weight of the shelf and the items placed on it. The main parameter by which such an assessment is performed is its thickness. If the walls are made of 25-centimeter brickwork or 10-centimeter reinforced concrete slabs, then you can safely mount hinged shelves with hidden fasteners. If the wall thickness is less than the indicated values or if the fastening is carried out to a plasterboard cladding, then the installation of a shelf with hidden fasteners will also be possible, but the shelf can only be used to store light small things.
Now you need to decide on the thickness of the shelf. This can be done without any complicated calculations - just place a load of a certain mass evenly on the shelf and see how the shelf behaves. If it bends, then you need to make it thicker or reduce the planned load. In general, it is better to make the shelf thicker - excess thickness may be superfluous only in rare cases when it violates the concept of the interior, but too thin will make them inconvenient to use.
Shelf with hidden fastening (photo):
Also, the depth of the shelf depends on the mass of things stored on the shelf. The greater the mass, the shallower the depth should be. For example, if no more than 10 kg of cargo will be placed on the shelf, then you can make a shelf up to 35 cm deep.And if you want to store items weighing up to 30 kg on the shelf, for example, 10 cans of apple compote, then the shelf should be no more than 15 cm. True, in this case, cans with compote will not fit on it.
Fastener options
Hardware for hidden fastening is presented today in many options, so choosing and buying a suitable one will not be difficult.
The most popular option is special hidden hinges, which are placed on the surface of the shelf pressed against the wall. Working with them is done as follows:
- the gap between the center points of the loops is measured;
- along this gap, using a ruler and a level, the points of attachment of the hinges to the wall are marked;
- holes are drilled in the wall, then they are clogged with a cork, and screws are screwed into the cork;
- the screws must be screwed in as close to the wall as possible, but without forgetting to leave space for hanging the shelf;
- the hinges are screwed to the back of the shelf, after which it is hung on the screws.
A safer option is to use metal pins:
- a line is drawn on the wall along the level of hanging the shelf and along the width of the shelf;
- segments equal to the threefold thickness of the shelf depart from the edges of the line; holes are drilled at these points for the extreme pins;
- between the extreme pins, central pins are mounted, the heavier the shelf, the more pins you need;
- the pins enter the body of the wall strictly perpendicular to a distance of about 10-15 cm, therefore this method is suitable only for houses with brick walls;
- the pins must enter the body of the shelf to a depth of at least three times the thickness of the shelf, but not more than 2/3 of its total depth.
Also, the hidden fastening of the shelf to the wall can be performed in other ways, however, the above methods are the most common and reliable.
They are ideal for placing a whole mass of small household items. The presence of shelves allows you to create not only an additional useful surface in the interior, but also to add additional decorative decoration to the design of the room.
Ways of attaching shelves to the wall
There are many ways in which you can attach the shelves to the wall. However, it is worth dwelling on only a few of the simplest, most affordable and convenient methods. Among them should be highlighted:
Traditional shelf fixing involves the installation of various brackets, wood and metal racks. However, the installation of shelves on racks in this case looks rational only if the design of such supporting elements matches the interior features.
Notable progress in translating the most daring design ideas into reality, along with the development of the construction industry, allows not only to quickly select suitable fasteners for installing wall shelves, but also to create the illusion of their "floating" in space, carefully hiding the fasteners. So, hidden fastening of the shelf is possible if there are brick, plasterboard or cinder block walls with a thickness of at least 10 cm. Otherwise, the shelves can be used exclusively as a decorative element.
How to install a shelf mount: basic nuances
Before proceeding with the installation of the fasteners, it is worth making sure that the support is sufficiently thick, which must correspond to the weight and dimensions of the shelf being installed. You can use it as a template for fasteners. Place it on the back of the shelf, making small holes in the places where the fasteners are installed. In this way, mistakes can be avoided when creating holes for fasteners in the wall.
Then you can proceed directly to drilling. It is extremely important here to remain as accurate as possible, especially if the drilling takes place in several stages. The initial holes should be made with a drill of the minimum diameter, and only then expanded to the required size.
If the mount for the shelves requires screwing in a large diameter, in this case it is better to do such work with an electric screwdriver. Threaded couplings are an excellent tool for securing bolts securely. The installation of such fasteners contributes to the maximum long-term operation of the wall shelves without the need for repair.
Tools and materials
For reliable fastening, you will need the following arsenal of materials and tools:
- template rail;
- hand or electric drill;
- wood glue for fixing the shelf to the fasteners;
- mounting set;
- threaded rods and couplings;
Shelf mount: installation features
Wooden round pins, previously lubricated, are driven into the holes drilled according to the prepared template. Next, the wide side of the shelf is pushed onto the pins. In order not to damage the surface of the shelf when placing it on the pins, it is enough to use a rubber hammer, gently tapping on the outer edges of the structure.
Alternatively, you can use the shelf mount in the form of hidden hinged hinges, which are located on the rear, hidden side of the shelf. In this case, replacing the wooden pins can be the installation of the shelf on bolts and screws, set on dowels, and other fasteners.
- Before finally fixing the structure on the wall, you need to check how secure the mount for the shelf is.
- It is worth making sure that the wall surface is thick and strong enough to withstand it.
- It is best to select fasteners according to the type of specific shelf.
- When selecting a mounting kit, one should proceed from the purpose of the structure, the expected loads, the weight of the items that will be stored there.
- When ordering shelves, it is necessary to make sure in advance that the walls are sufficiently thick, the strength of the fasteners, the availability of suitable fasteners, check the measurements and calculations.
Finally
In the absence of experience in fixing wall shelves, it is better not hesitate to seek help from specialists. Naturally, the call of the foremen requires additional costs, but the quality of the work will certainly be an order of magnitude higher.
If you have the skills to work with plasterboard, brick, cinder block and other surfaces, then you can start installing fasteners under the shelves without putting it off.
Reliable fastening of wall shelves, all kinds of pedestals, small interior accessories can be done using a number of fasteners. The main thing is to be smart about their selection and the choice of mounting method.