Wall shelves are an inexpensive way to add a touch of personal style to your room. Books, photos, souvenirs – the possibilities are endless. But many of our customers worry, how hard is it to put up a shelf?
We’ll share detailed instructions on how to put up a shelf by yourself. You’ll also discover shelf brackets, the best available for putting up a safe and durable shelf.
Our strong and stylish shelf brackets make it easy to install shelving. Our shelves, like our hooks and furniture legs, combine form and function. They are visually appealing yet sturdy enough to hold heavy books or vases securely. You can trust The Hairpin Leg Company for all your shelving and wall hanging needs.
How Hard is it to Put Up a Shelf
How hard is it to put up a shelf? The greatest challenges come in finding wall studs and making certain your new shelf is level. But these issues can be overcome easily if you have the proper tools and prepare adequately beforehand.
Follow our instructions and you’ll have no trouble putting up a secure, stylish, and sturdy shelf.
Can You Put a Shelf Up Without Nails or Drilling?
Can you put a shelf up without nails? As you’ll see soon, yes. But putting up a shelf properly requires a drill. You can use an electric screwdriver to affix the shelf brackets to the wall. You’ll need a drill to create pilot holes for your screws, though.
You’ll find instructions online for putting up a shelf with adhesive wall strips or tension rods. But what you gain in convenience you lose in strength. Installing a secure shelf requires proper mounting. That means it must be affixed to masonry or a wall stud with screws.
Do You Need Nails?
Can you put a shelf up without nails? Yes - in fact, you should never use nails to put up a shelf bracket. Nails are prone to pulling out under tension. They will slowly wriggle loose, causing your shelf to fall unexpectedly. Use nails to hang photos and light paintings, not shelves.
Why Drilling is Essential for Pilot Holes
Pilot holes provide space for your screws to enter. This prevents wood studs from splitting and masonry or brick from cracking. Pilot holes support anchors to prevent plasterboard damage and they also guarantee that your screw enters straight.
Find the Perfect Shelving at The Hairpin Leg Co.
Our Prism shelf brackets are designed for DIYers, makers, and professionals. They fit shelves of over 20cm depth. Choose between raw steel or powder coat finishes to suit your decor.
Suspense shelf brackets let you create beautiful, unique wall furniture for a fraction of the cost of a designer piece. Choose between our 26cm model or our Suspense scaffold brackets that hold a single-thickness standard scaffold board.
Want a gorgeous and memorable wall desk? Our Wall Desk brackets have been tested for up to a 200kgload, so you can use any material you want for your new desk. Mount them higher for a breakfast bar or worktop support counter.
All our shelf brackets come with a 60-day no-questions-asked refund. Their design blends perfectly with other The Hairpin Leg Company items like desk legs, table legs, and cabinet feet.
What Else Do You Need for Putting Up a Shelf?
In addition to our shelf brackets, you’ll need:
- A drill or an electric screwdriver
- A tape measure
- A spirit level
- A pencil for marking your positions
- Size M5 (5mm dia.) countersuck screws of at least 40mm length
- A detector to check for pipes, cables, and vertical studs
- Rawlplugs for brick or masonry installations or hollow anchors for plasterboard.
How to Put Up a Shelf By Yourself: Step-by-Step Guide to Putting Up a Shelf
Many of our customers worry that they’re not capable of putting up a shelf. They fear the shelf will be crooked or that they will damage their wall. Don’t worry - we’ll show you every step of how to put up a shelf by yourself.
Envision How You Want Your Shelf to Look
Generally, you should hang a wall shelf between 4 and 5 ft from the floor. You can use a single shelf as a focal point. Or you can use multiple shelves on an otherwise blank wall.
Choose a Wall and the Right Fixing
Will you be mounting your shelf on a solid wall made of brick or block? Or do you want to put it on a stud partition wall covered with plasterboard? If you’re not sure, knock on the wall. A solid wall sounds dense. A plasterboard wall sounds hollow.
Rawlplugs, also called wall plugs, expand when screwed into a solid wall. They provide a powerful grip that fixes your shelf in place. You must use rawlplugs to mount shelves on a masonry wall.
If hanging on a stud / plasterboard wall, we highly recommend screwing both shelf brackets directly into the wooden studs. Use a stud finder for the strongest hold. If you must screw one bracket directly into plasterboard, use a spring toggle or butterfly anchor for fixing, and only place lightweight items on the shelf.
Be Sure to Check for Pipes or Cables
Your stud detector won’t just help you find vertical studs for bracket mounting. It will also help you spot pipes, cables, and live electric wires. You should purchase a proper detector, as cheaper models will give you unreliable readings.
Calibrate the device against a clear part of the wall, then move it slowly across the wall horizontally or vertically. Place a pencil mark on each area where the detector lights up. Scan a second or third time to make sure before drilling.
Mark Where the Shelf Brackets Should Go
Mark the planned location of each bracket using a pencil or masking tape. Ensure the bracket locations line up with the market wall studs if you are installing your brackets on plasterboard.
Measure the distance between the brackets. The shelf must fit properly and be correctly centred.
Use a spirit level to make sure your planned bracket locations are along a straight, level line. Place your level at the desired height. Draw a perfectly horizontal line to use as a bracket guide. Mark the top screw hole of one bracket first, then use that point as a guide for the other holes.
Drill Guide Holes in the Wall
You must drill guide holes, also called pilot holes, before putting up a shelf. A screw’s threads act like a wedge when you drive a screw directly into the wood. A pilot hole creates a clear path. The screw threads can grip the wood without splitting the wood.
Guide holes make it easier to drive the screw, which can save wear on your drill bits. And a pilot hole ensures that your screw goes in straight and in the location you marked. You’ll need a masonry drill bit if you’re installing on a solid wall. You may also need to use your drill’s hammer setting.
Insert Wall Plugs (if Applicable)
You’ll need rawlplugs if you’re installing shelf brackets on masonry or brick walls. Tap gently with a rubber mallet to ensure the plug is secure within the pilot hole.
You can use a wall plug to affix your shelf bracket more securely to plasterboard if you can’t find a stud. But we advise against it. Always affix each shelf bracket to a wooden stud when you’re putting shelves on a plasterboard wall.
Screw the Brackets in Place Using a Screwdriver
Screw the first bracket to the wall using a drill or electric screwdriver. Check your second bracket to confirm it is level with the first. Then screw the second bracket to the wall.
Double-check that each bracket is securely affixed. There should be no give or wriggle when you tug firmly.
Place the Shelf on the Brackets
Place the shelf on the brackets and ensure it is centred and positioned properly. Mark each mounting hole with a pencil.
Using a drill bit slightly smaller than your screws, drill shallow pilot holes at each marked location. Be careful to use screws that are shorter than the shelf thickness, and don’t drill your guide holes through the wood.
Do Final Checks for Stability and Levelness
Make a final test with your spirit level to ensure your shelf is level. Check to see that it is level both side-to-side and front-to-back. Make any necessary adjustments and tighten any loose screws. Cheers! You’ve succeeded at putting up a shelf!
Choose attractive items for your shelf, but leave some space so your pieces don’t get lost in the clutter. Varied shapes and textures provide maximum visual impact. You’ll find more information about wall decor in our guide to how to hang hooks on the wall.
How Much Weight Can a Wall Shelf Hold?
We usually recommend that our Prism and Suspense wall shelf brackets can hold up to 20kg per bracket. Our Wall Desk brackets can hold up to 200kg as a pair. But that number depends on proper installation. Here are some pointers to ensure your new shelf and brackets stay stable for many years.
Distribute your heaviest shelf items close to the brackets where the support is strongest. Avoid placing your heaviest items in the middle. This can cause your shelf to sag over time.
A shelf bracket screwed into a wall stud or masonry can hold considerably more weight than one that is simply affixed with heavy-duty drywall anchors. Solid hardwood shelves are stronger and less prone to sagging than MDF or particleboard shelves.
Consider adding a third or fourth bracket to longer shelves or shelves that hold heavy items. Extra brackets prevent sagging and can dramatically increase your shelf’s overall weight capacity.
Final Words on How to Put Up a Shelf
How hard is it to put up a shelf? It shouldn’t be difficult at all now - installing our shelf brackets is as fast and easy as installing our furniture legs.
The Hairpin Leg Company offers many stylish items to beautify your space. You’ll also offer useful pointers on everything from how to make a desk less wobbly to standard dining table leg height here in our blog
We have everything you need to create stylish designer furniture at a fraction of the boutique cost. Make your space more beautiful than ever with accessories from The Hairpin Leg Company.
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