How to make a shelf

DIY TIPS

If it sounds hollow, it is probably a stud wall (plasterboard – or lathe and plaster in older properties – attached to solid wooden uprights). If it sounds solid, the chances are it is brick, stone or concrete.

Get a helper to hold your shelf in place, with the spirit level on top. When it is level, draw a line underneath. Remove the shelf.

Position your brackets so that the part the shelf rests on is level with the line
Check that the brackets are vertical using the spirit level, then make pencil marks through the holes.

Remember to check the wall before you drill. Survey the wall for electrical sockets and switches, gas or water outlets, and use a cable/metal detector before drilling.

Drill a hole the same diameter as your fixing, either through the plasterboard or, in the case of solid walls, the same length as the wall fixing. Insert the fixings and screw the brackets in place.

Put the shelf in place and attach to the bracket with small screws, shorter than the thickness of the shelf.

A shelf in an alcove

An easy way to make a shelf for an alcove is to use wooden battens (strips of wood) instead of brackets. Screw a wooden batten to the back wall slightly shorter than the recess (choose a batten about 30mm wide and 10mm deep). Then screw a batten either side to the same depth as the shelf.

Place the shelf on top and screw to the rear batten. If you use heavy-duty fixings, this type of shelf will hold books.