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To learn more about our privacy policy Click hereMetal standards and brackets can be used to quickly and easily install wall shelves. This hardware is readily available, inexpensive, strong, and simple to install, and it can be used with a wide variety of shelving configurations and options. Shelf standards and brackets made of metal can be used to build bookcases, desks, and other workstations, media centers, and closet storage systems, among other things.
In order to support the shelves, brackets are installed in the standards and allowed to extend out horizontally. There are several different types of standards and brackets available, some of which are suitable for light-duty applications and others which are suitable for extremely heavy-duty applications. Product types with two slots and heavy-duty construction are the most appropriate for most applications. These are typically available in a variety of finishes at big-box stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's, as well as hardware stores and online retailers.
Make a plan for the project.
Once you've decided on a suitable wall for your shelves, draw a rough sketch of your design. You'll need to decide how high and low you want the top and bottom shelves to be, how many shelves you'll need, and how long you'll want the shelves to be before you start building. After you've decided on a design and have a rough sketch in hand, you can go shopping for all of the materials you'll need. Plan to purchase standards that are 10 to 12 inches longer than the distance between the top and bottom shelves that will be used. This will allow you to be more creative with the way the shelves are organized in your home.
When it comes time to relocate, the entire shelving assembly can be disassembled in a matter of minutes. In order to keep things as they were before the shelves were installed, fill and paint the holes in the wall to match the surrounding area.
Locate Wall Studs First, use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall.
Screws driven into studs, which are the vertical framing members to which drywall is attached, must be used to secure the standards in place. The studs should be spaced 16 or 24 inches apart in the wall, measured center to center, although this spacing can vary near doors, windows, and corners due to the nature of the construction.
To locate the studs in your wall, use a stud finder that is either battery-operated or magnetic. In contrast to the former tool, which works by sensing the density of drywall behind it, the latter tool works by sensing the nails or screws that hold the drywall in place against the studs themselves.
Move the stud finder in a straight line across the wall, marking the location of each stud. Instead of using a pencil, small pieces of blue painter's tape can be used to mark the location of each stud to save time. When you're finished, you can easily remove the tape without leaving a trace of your work.
Make a plan for the placement of folding shelf bracket standards.
After the studs have been located and marked, the next step is to determine the best location for the Heavy Duty 24" folding shelf bracket standards to be installed. If the walls have studs spaced 16 inches apart, plan to space the standards 32 inches apart for the most basic bookshelves you'll build. If your studs are spaced 24 inches apart, you should plan on attaching a standard to each one of those 24 inches.
A maximum of 6 inches should be allowed between the shelves and side brackets. If you plan to use three standards spaced 32 inches apart (for a total span of 64 inches from end to end), you can safely use shelves as long as 76 inches (or a standard 72-inch by 6-foot-long board would suffice) to support the weight of the standards.
Check the manufacturer's instructions to determine the best spacing for your standards if you're dealing with particularly heavy loads.
Attach the First folding shelf brackets Standard to the first shelf.
Place the first standard at the desired height, centered over a stud, and secure it in place. In order to mark a small indentation in the wall, insert an awl through the top screw hole in the standard and into the wall. As a result, it will be much easier to set and drive the screw.
Make sure your level is perfectly plumb (that is, vertical) by placing it alongside the standard and adjusting the position until it is perfect. It is indicated by plump when the bubbles in the top and bottom vials are in the center of each other. Make a series of awl holes and drive the remaining screws, making certain that the standard is perfectly plumb in its position. To avoid damaging the wall surface, make sure that the standards are just barely snug against the wall before screwing them in place.
Attach the Heavy Duty 24" folding shelf bracket Standards for the Remaining Shelf Space.
The folding shelf brackets standards must be plumb when installed, but it is equally important that the brackets, and thus the shelves, are level across the standards when they are installed. Set a level across adjacent brackets, sliding the standard up and down until the bubble in the center vial is in the center of the vial level. Check to see that the standard is resting on a stud before punching a hole in the wall through the top screw hole and driving a screw through the hole in the wall.
Make sure the standard is plumb with a level before screwing it to the stud with the screws that came with the standard. Repeat the process for any other standards that need to be added.
Attach the Shelf Brackets to the wall.
Folding brackets are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 5 inches deep (for shelves that hold paperback books) to 24 inches deep (for desktops and other large spaces). Consider using brackets that are just a little bit shorter than the depth of the shelves to save on space. For example, if you want shelves that are 8 inches deep, you should use brackets that are 7 inches deep.
As an alternative, you can install shelves that get deeper as they go up the wall, allowing you to stack smaller items on top of larger items on the bottom, or vice versa. After you've inserted the bracket into the slots on the standard, give it a gentle push down to ensure that it's in the proper position. A tap with a mallet or a hammer may be required from time to time.
Attach the Shelves to the Wall
There are a variety of options. Solid wood is the most durable option, and it is also the one that performs the best when loading books onto brackets and standards that are 32 inches apart. Wood, plywood, melamine, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) can all be used to safely construct shelving with a span of 24 inches or less.
Wire shelves are available in a variety of weight capacities ranging from light to heavy.
If you buy large sheets of 3/4-inch plywood or MDF and cut them to size, you'll be able to save money on your shelving project. At the lumberyard or home improvement center, you can frequently have the sheets cut to size (or at the very least to a size that you can transport home).
It is not necessary to apply any additional finish to pre-cut melamine (the glossy white plastic surface that is so common in kitchen cabinets). The other materials, such as solid wood and plywood, should be painted or, in the case of solid wood, sealed with a clear wood finish.
Shelf Ends Should Be Enclosed
It is also possible to utilize the special bookend brackets that are designed to fit snugly into the slots in the standards. Bookends are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. The top {anchor} must be set at least 6 inches below the top of the standards if bookends are to be used on the shelf above.
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