Installing Shelves
What projects are on your "to-do" list this weekend? Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we always have a long list of projects to complete - among them, putting shelves up on a bare wall of my guest house studio prep kitchen.
Mounted shelves free up needed space in any room. Since shelves are intended to bear weight, it's crucial they be installed correctly. One must take the time to locate the wall’s studs and to fasten the shelves securely to supportive brackets.
Here are some photos and helpful tips for getting the job done.
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- As part of the set-up in my guest house studio prep kitchen, it was important to ensure there was enough storage space to accommodate all the necessary equipment – all the many tools, supplies and table top appliances. My property manager, Doug White, is a very skilled carpenter. I asked him to make shelves to fit a space and the above bare wall in one corner of the kitchen. Here are the shelves ready to be installed.
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- These brackets are from one of my previous home collections. I knew they would be perfect for the above counter shelf.
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- I instruct everyone on my crew to always have all the right tools for the right jobs. Doug gathers all the supplies he needs before starting the project.
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- The first step is to find the wall studs. Nowadays, one can use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. These handy tools are available from hardware stores and home improvement centers. Dough holds the stud finder flat against the wall and slowly slides the tool until it beeps and flashes – this means it’s detected a stud underneath. Most wall studs are spaced 16 to 24 inches apart.
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- Using a pencil and tape measure, Doug makes a light mark where the shelf bracket screw should go.
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- Doug holds up one of the shelf’s mounting brackets to make sure it is at the desired height.
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- Doug then drills the two inch screw into the marked spot and then into the wall stud.
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- Because the bracket has a keyhole on the back for for the screw, Doug avoids over-tightening it. Instead, the screw should just be about an eighth of an inch from the wall.
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- Doug secures the bracket onto the wall – it is a perfect fit. If it wiggles slightly, tighten the screw just a bit and secure the bracket again until it is completely secure. He does the same for the other side.
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- Finally, the shelf is put in place on top of the brackets and then checked for level. It is very straight and level.
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- These shelf brackets are so handsome – they look wonderful in this location.
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- To secure it even more, Doug places two screws through the shelf from the top and into the brackets.
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- Here’s Doug next to the new shelf.
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- Just underneath the counter, Doug prepares battens for two more shelves. Here he is drilling pilot holes where they will be fastened to the wall.
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- A pilot hole is a small hole drilled as a guide for the insertion of a nail or screw.
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- For one side, which is a metal cabinet, Doug uses self-drilling screws which can go through the metal without needed a separate drilling step.
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- Here is the self-drilling screw next to a wood screw. One can see how the base of the screw has the drill bit shaped point.
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- Doug fastens the self-drilling screw through the batten to secure it to the metal cabinetry behind it.
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- He fastens two other battens on the other side with regular screws into the wall studs.
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- Lastly, Doug checks for level and plumb.
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- And the shelves are placed into the space – they’re also a perfect fit.
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- Here’s the above counter shelf which also looks great. It holds and stores our often used appliances nearby without using up needed work space below. This job took less than an hour to complete and will serve years of good use. What home projects are you tackling this weekend? Please share them with me in the comments section. I love hearing from all of you.
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