• Home
  • DIY
    • Self build
    • Projects and advice
      • Bathroom
      • Building, brickwork and masonry
      • Ceilings
      • Cleaning
      • Concrete work
      • Damp, rot and infestation
      • Drains
      • Electrical
      • Fireplaces
      • Floors
      • Garden
      • Heating
      • Insulation
      • Kitchen
      • Lighting
      • Lofts
      • Painting and decorating
      • Plasterwork
      • Plumbing
      • Roof and guttering
      • Safety
      • Security
      • Tiling
      • Walls
      • Windows
      • Woodwork
    • Glossary
    • Know your tools
    • Know your materials
  • Cost guides
  • News
  • Community
Facebook Twitter Instagram
lets-do-diy.com
  • Home
  • DIY
    • Self build
    • Projects and advice
      • Bathroom
      • Building, brickwork and masonry
      • Ceilings
      • Cleaning
      • Concrete work
      • Damp, rot and infestation
      • Drains
      • Electrical
      • Fireplaces
      • Floors
      • Garden
      • Heating
      • Insulation
      • Kitchen
      • Lighting
      • Lofts
      • Painting and decorating
      • Plasterwork
      • Plumbing
      • Roof and guttering
      • Safety
      • Security
      • Tiling
      • Walls
      • Windows
      • Woodwork
    • Glossary
    • Know your tools
    • Know your materials
  • Cost guides
  • News
  • Community
lets-do-diy.com
You are at:Home»Projects and advice»How to hang shelves and shelving

How to hang shelves and shelving

Summary: Learn how to fit a shelving system.


Putting up shelves is a classic DIY project that looks deceptively simple but can cause problems. Firstly, decide on the type of shelving you want. There is a wide choice of shelving available using a variety of materials and construction methods. Shelving materials can include solid wood, blockboard, plywood, chipboard, MDF (medium density fibreboard) and glass. The material you choose will depend on where the shelves are to be situated, the objects they will support and your budget.

Shelves can be fixed to a wall using support battens or shelving brackets made from cast or wrought steel or extruded alloy. The method of fixing will depend on how deep the shelves are and the weight of the object/s that they have to support. For instance, a deep shelf designed for a television set will need wall bolts to fix the brackets in place, while brackets holding shelving for lightweight use can be fixed to the wall using 50mm (2in) screws. Shelving brackets should always be long enough to support the whole depth of the shelf.

A popular variation of the bracket fixing is the adjustable shelving system that allows the shelves to be moved to different levels to accommodate objects of different sizes. In this project we look at how to fit a simple adjustable shelving system comprising of two slotted upright supports, four shelf brackets and two shelves.


Place the spirit level against the face of the upright. If the wall is not true this can result in sloping shelves.
If the upright is not vertical, insert packing between the upright and the wall to rectify this.

Fitting the shelving system

What the wall is made of can dictate the positioning of the shelves. Shelving can be fixed almost anywhere on masonry walls, but stud partition walls are a different matter. On a timber framed wall the fixings should be fixed to the vertical timber studs, which can be located using a stud detector. Here we look at fixing a shelving system to a masonry wall.

  • Hold the first upright support against the wall and mark the position of the top screw hole.
  • Using a power drill with a masonry bit fitted, drill the first hole to the required depth. To gauge the depth of the hole, stick a small piece of tape around the drill bit the correct distance from its tip.
  • Insert a wall plug into the hole and screw the top of the upright support in position but not too firmly.
  • Place a spirit level against the upright. Move both the upright and spirit level to the left or right, and when it is vertical mark the position of the bottom screw hole.
  • Drill the bottom hole, insert a wall plug and screw the bottom of the upright to the wall and then tighten the screw at the top. If you are fitting a system with more than two shelves the uprights will be longer and will need fixing to the wall at more than two points.
  • Not all walls are perfectly true, so it is important to place the spirit level against the face of the upright. If the wall is not true this can result in sloping shelves. If the upright is not vertical on it front face, insert packing between the upright and the wall to rectify this.
  • With the first upright in position, fix the second upright to the wall. The length of the shelves dictates the position of the second upright, but remember that the ends of the shelving must overlap the brackets by approximately 1/6 of the shelf length.
  • With the position of the second upright marked on the wall, fit a bracket into the first upright. Hold the second upright in position against the wall and fit a bracket in the corresponding slot to the first upright.
  • Place a shelf across the brackets and then place a spirit level on the shelf. By carefully moving the second upright up and down you will find the exact position where the second upright has to be fixed to the wall for the shelving to be level.
  • Mark the position for the screw hole at the top of the second upright and follow the same method you used on the first upright to fix it to the wall. If you are fitting a shelving system with long shelves it is advisable to fit three upright supports to the wall – two end uprights and one in the middle.
  • With both uprights now firmly in position, slot the brackets in place and install the shelves.

Tools needed

  • Stud detector
  • Power drill
  • Masonry bit
  • Screwdriver
  • Spirit level

Materials needed

  • 2 x slotted shelving uprights
  • 4 x shelf brackets
  • 2 x shelves
  • Wall plugs
  • Screws

How to hang a shelf video

If you have purchased a shelving until make sure that there are no scratches or dents and make sure all the fixings are included before attempt to assemble it.


Related projects

  • Hanging pictures and mirrors
  • Removing wallpaper paste
  • Repairing damage to plasterboard
  • Repairing wallpaper
  • Wallpapering a stairwell
  • How to use a wallpaper steamer
  • How to wallpaper
  • How to paper a ceiling
  • How to use a wallpaper steamer

Related cost guides

  • Average cost to decorate a room or house
  • Average cost of plastering
  • Average cost to tile a bathroom
  • Average cost of a door
  • Average laminate floor cost
  • Average cost to tile a bathroom
  • Average cost of a plumber
  • Average cost of an electrician
  • Average hardwood floor cost
Recent Comments
  • Vic on Is Christmas a good time for DIY?
  • Anonymous on Average air source heat pump cost (2022)
  • Reggie on Prepare your home for moth season
Latest News
0

Potential DIY home improvement trends for 2023

1

Is Christmas a good time for DIY?

0

Design trends for 2022 and 2023

0

Product Review: Handsaws

Popular Guides

10 tips to reducing the cost of a new bathroom

Average cost of granite worktops

Average cost of a door

Average cost of decking

Popular Projects

Installing French drains

8 useful hand tools for the garden

Gas Safe Register

Weatherboarding

DIY Categories
Bathroom
Building, brickwork and masonry
Ceilings
Cleaning
Concrete work
Damp, rot and infestation
Drains
Electrical
Fireplaces
Floors
Garden
Heating
Insulation
Kitchen
Lighting
Lofts
Painting and decorating
Plasterwork
Plumbing
Roof and guttering
Safety
Security
Tiling
Walls
Windows
Woodwork

Self Build Guide
How to find a building plot
Evaluating a building plot (2023)
How to get a self build mortgage
Self build construction options
Self build architect and design considerations (2023)
Self build planning permission and legal consents
© 2023 lets do diy ltd | ebuild
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT