How to Securely Hang a Shelf
with
Steve Crider
Adding a decorative shelf to a room enhances the decor and also gives you a place to display your favorite photos and knickknacks. Before you get started, learn how to securely hang a shelf.
Related Articles
Automotive Questions and Answers -Buy, Fix, Sell: Part 5 of 5 - How to Buy, Fix-Up and Sell Your Home - Buying, Remodeling and Selling for ProfitDIY -- Install a Bathroom Cabinet Video - About.comVideo - Fill Screw Holes - How to Fill Drywall Screw HolesHang a Wire Shelf - How to Install a Wire Shelf Video - About.com
Transcript: How to Securely Hang a Shelf
Hi, I'm Steve Crider for About.com Home. On a previous segment, we showed you how to make this decorative shelf. Now we're going to show you how to safely and securely hang in on the wall.Determine the Shelf's Location
After you decide where you want your shelf to go, step one is to draw a level line on the wall.I want to hang the shelf so it lines up with the center of the window. So, the first thing I want to do is find the center of the window.
Next, I need to drop that line to the center of our line, and I can do that with the level.
Fasten a Ledger Board to the Wall
Next, we want to fasten a ledger board to the wall that will support the shelf.Next, we'll line up the center of our ledger board with the center of our line, and then we'll drill a couple of holes.
Insert the Toggle Bolts
In a perfect world I would have drilled into a couple of wall studs, but I didn't. So what do I do?When you can't find a stud, you'll have to use what's called a drywall anchor. Here are a couple of toggle bolts that were designed just for that purpose.
Insert the bolts into the ledger board, then screw the nuts on part way. Next, line the bolts up with the holes in the wall. Then we're going to gently tap the nuts into the drywall.
Tighten the Toggle Bolts
Once you have the butterflies knocked through the drywall, simply pull back on your ledger board. Put pressure on the other side of the wall, and begin to tighten down.Through the magic of the project wall, you can actually see how the toggle bolt is grabbing the other side of the wall.
Hang the Shelf
Next, we're going to line up the center of our shelf with the center of our ledger board and drill a couple more holes. Next, we'll drop in a couple of trim screws.Once you drop in those trim screws, the shelf is ready for display. It's a perfect spot for my new set of drill bits, don't you think?
Thanks for watching. For more helpful information, visit us online at homegarden.about.com.