Shelf how many brackets

It's definitely not dry wall. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Improve this question. Claire Claire 11 1 1 silver badge 3 3 bronze badges. How much weight is each shelf going to carry?

Are you sure that isn't plaster-over-lath? How old is the building? They will be for books so there will be a good amount of weight on them. The shelves are 1 inch thick, and there are no front pieces. The building is very old, a brownstone built in I actually have no idea what kind of wall it is — Claire.

Find out for sure what's behind wall first, use the smallest drill but you have and drill out hole, slowly remove bit and inspect for wood or concrete. In any case you want to use a toggle bolt if it's concrete block, or wood screws if there studs. I would not use dry wall anchors for book shelves, — rhill Add a comment.

Active Oldest Votes. So I think the real question here is only how well you can affix the brackets to that wall. Check there aren't any hidden hazards behind the wall before you start drilling for more about this, read our Safety First section.

Then, hold the metal bracket strip on the wall. Mark the length of your wall plugs on the drill bit using a piece of tape. Slide the shelf onto the bars. If your kit has pre-drilled holes in the underside of the shelf, you'll need to fit small screws through them into the holes in the bar.

Cover the screw heads with caps to finish. Adjustable, prepared shelves sit on brackets slotted into metal uprights, which are screwed into the wall. This creates a small gap behind the shelves, which is useful if you want to run electric cables behind it.

Choose from wire baskets, tube racks, storage pegs and hooks. Check there aren't any hidden hazards behind the wall for more about this, read our Safety First section. Then, use a spirit level to draw a vertical line down the length of the upright track on the wall. Position the next track and draw another vertical line. The manufacturer guidelines will normally specify what the distance should be between them.

Hold the left upright on the wall and mark the top fixing hole, drill the hole and screw the track loosely in place. Swing the track to one side, drill the holes, insert the wall plugs and then screw the track into place. Slot in a bracket near the top of the track and put another in the same position in the second track. Firmly hold the second track at the next marked vertical line and lay the shelf across the two brackets.

Pencil the top fixing hole for the second track, remove the shelf and fix the track in place at this point. Position the top shelf in the middle of the brackets and use a bradawl to mark the drilling points for the small securing screws on the underside of the shelf. Next, drill pilot holes you can take the shelf off while doing this, which should make it easier and then screw the shelf fixings to the brackets.

The longer screws go in the back of the bracket and the shorter ones in the front. Remove the shelf with its brackets and refit it at the bottom of the tracks.

Mark the lower fixing holes of the second track and fix it to the wall - make sure that the tracks are parallel so that the shelves are interchangeable.

Measure the space exactly where you want your shelving to go. Using a saw, cut the timber or reclaimed wood to the size you need. To remove any rough edges, lightly sand the wood down with sandpaper. We recommend choosing a stain that will enhance the natural look of the wood. Wear protective gloves and put a dustsheet down before painting in case of any drips or spatter.

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Recommended Spacing. Tip Fasten your shelf supports directly to wall studs whenever possible for the most secure attachment. Featured Video. Related Topics. Room Design. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSpruce. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.