The wall shelf is fixed to the wall, takes up little space and is easily fixed. You can put your dishes, your books, your trinkets, and many other things there. You can put wall shelves everywhere, in the bedrooms, in the living room, and in the bathroom.
The wall shelf will always have its uses. But to mount a wall shelf, there are a few steps to follow to make it as functional as it is beautiful. You won’t need a lot of tools, just the essentials for a basic DIYer, and most of all a little concentration for the perfect alignment of your shelf.
First step: choose the tablet
You have the choice between a shelf in wood, glass, and why not metal for a design side, it’s all about knowing what you want to put there. Wood is a classic and also the cheapest. If you want it to be more contemporary, you can opt for a glass shelf, but be sure to opt for a size thick enough for it to be sturdy.
Allow at least 5mm and do not hesitate to go up to 10mm if your shelf must accommodate fairly heavy items. For wood, you can choose a board of more than 10mm so that the shelf is solid. The length and width will depend on the space you have, but above all on the use you plan.
Second step: choose the brackets
These are the brackets that will support the entire weight of the shelf and everything on it. Choose the brackets according to the size of your shelf. The two sides of the square do not have the same length. Be aware that the long part goes against the wall and the shorter part supports the shelf.
This short part should not be less than half the width of the shelf. You’ll have more grip and the shelf won’t tilt over time. There are wooden brackets and steel brackets. If you take steel brackets, test their strength. The best is the reinforced steel brackets. Your shelf will be more solid and well balanced.
Finally, the special glass and clamp squares will be intended for light things. These shelves with clamp brackets are often used in the bathroom.
Third step: Determine the height of the shelf
This is where you need to pay attention. You will need to do some measurements and accuracy is key. Bring a meter, a level, laser or classic it does not matter, a drill, a hammer and a screwdriver.
You will also need dowels and the screws that go with them to fix the brackets to the wall. Identify beforehand the place where you want to put the shelf. Then take the tape measure and measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the shelf and mark a small dot with a pencil. Do the same at the other end. You will therefore have two points. With these two points, draw a straight line always with a pencil. This will be the height of your shelf. Below this line will be fixed the brackets.
Fourth step: Attach the brackets
You will now determine the fixings of the brackets. To do this, place the square below the line as if this line were the shelf. Hold the bracket firmly against the wall and mark the holes for the screws with the pencil. Take the drill and a drill bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the dowel. It’s easy, you compare by eye.
Drill into the wall to a depth of dowel length. Repeat for each hole. In general, for each bracket, you will have three screw holes. With the hammer, gradually drive the dowel into the wall until it is fully embedded in the wall. Your bindings are now ready. All you have to do now is put the square and place the screws in the slots of the dowel using the screwdriver.
To arrange the other brackets, take a level and make sure everything is lined up neatly. Then repeat the fixing operation above for each bracket. If your shelf is long, it is advisable to put a bracket every meter, it will be more solid. But you can also put more spaced brackets. It is according to the use of the shelf.
Fifth step: attaching the tablet
You are almost done. All you have to do is take your tablet and place it on the brackets. Normally, if you followed all the steps carefully, everything should line up perfectly. But to check, put the level on the shelf to see if it’s level. Now it’s the shelf that needs to be fixed.
If this is a wooden shelf and a wooden bracket, you can fix them together either with glue or with screws. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you. With the glue, just coat the two parts and stick them together. With a screw, identify the right place to put the screws and voila. For a glass shelf, simply place the shelf on the brackets. Special glass brackets exist with special fixings for the glass shelf.
Voila, you have successfully manufactured and installed your shelf. All you have to do is arrange your things as you wish. As a precaution, do not overload your wall shelf and if necessary, add one or two brackets if you put more things there over the years. Also be careful not to grab onto the wall shelf at the risk of breaking everything and injuring yourself at the same time.