Lightweight, roomy wall-mounted shelves are ideal for accommodating an entire mass of small household items. The presence of shelves allows you to create not only an additional useful surface in the interior, but also bring additional decorative decoration to the room.
Methods for attaching shelves to the wall
There are many ways with which you can mount the shelves to the wall. However, it is worth stopping only at a few of the simplest, most affordable and convenient ways. Among them are the following:
- traditional mount;
- secret or hidden fastening;
The traditional shelf mount involves the installation of various brackets, wooden 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.
Noticeable progress in translating into reality the most daring design ideas along with the development of the construction industry allows us not only to quickly select the appropriate fasteners for installing wall shelves, but also to create the illusion of their “floating” in space, carefully hiding the fasteners. Thus, hidden shelf fastening is possible in the presence of 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 fasteners, it is worth making sure that the thickness of the support is sufficient, which should correspond to the weight and dimensions of the shelf being installed. As a template for drilling holes for fastenings, you can use a wooden rail. It should be placed on the back of the shelf, making small holes in the places of installation of fasteners. This way you can avoid mistakes when creating holes for fasteners in the wall.
Then you can proceed directly to the drilling. It is extremely important here to remain as accurate as possible, especially if drilling takes place in several stages. The initial holes should be made with a drill of minimum diameter, and only then expanded to the required size.
If the shelf mount requires screwing in large diameter anchor bolts , in this case it is better to carry out 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 wall shelves without the need for repairs.
Tools and materials
To securely fasten the shelves to the wall, 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 kit;
- threaded rods and couplings;
Shelf mount: mounting features
Wooden round pins pre-lubricated with carpentry glue are driven into the holes drilled according to the prepared template . Next, the wide side of the shelf is mounted on the pins. In order not to damage the surface of the shelf when mounting on the pins, it is enough to use a rubber hammer, gently tapping on the outer edges of the structure.
As an alternative, you can use the shelf mount in the form of hidden hinges that are placed on its back, hidden side. In this case, the replacement of wooden pins can be the installation of the shelf on bolts and screws mounted on dowels, other fasteners.
Useful Tips
- Before finally fixing the structure to the wall, you need to check how securely the shelf mount is.
- It is worth making sure that the wall surface has sufficient thickness and strength to withstand it.
- Fasteners are best selected according to the type of concrete shelf.
- When selecting a mounting kit, it should be based on the design purpose, the expected loads, the weight of the items that will be stored there.
- When ordering shelves, you must make sure in advance that the walls are thick enough, the strength of the fasteners, the availability of suitable fasteners, check the measurements and calculations.
Finally
In the absence of experience of fixing wall shelves, it is better not to hesitate to seek help from specialists. Naturally, the call of the craftsmen needs additional costs, but the quality of work will certainly be an order of magnitude higher.
If you have the skills to work with drywall, brick, cinder block and other surfaces, in this case you can proceed with the installation of fasteners under the shelves, without putting off the case in a long drawer.
Reliable fastening of wall shelves, all kinds of cabinets, small interior accessories can be performed using a number of fasteners. The main thing is to approach with wisdom to their selection and the choice of method of attachment.