How to Hang Shelves Straight
Shelves are useful storage solutions for almost every room of the home. Whether you need a place to store books, toys or laundry items, a shelf is the quickest and easiest way to organize them. The most important aspect of installing shelves is to make sure that they are straight. Items placed on uneven shelves may fall off. In addition, uneven shelves are more likely to pull out of the wall, causing an extensive repair. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Stud finder
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Yard stick
- Level
- Drill
- 1/4-inch drill bit
- Plastic wall anchors
- Hammer
- Shelf brackets
Instructions
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1
Place a stud finder against the wall where you want to install the shelves. Turn the stud finder on and run it over the wall until it either beeps or lights up. Mark the location of the stud with a pencil. Move the stud finder horizontally from the first location to locate another stud and mark it with a pencil. Studs are typically spaced about 16 inches apart.
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2
Place the end of a tape measure at the base of the wall in the location of the first wall stud. Measure up to the height of the tallest shelf. Mark the location with a pencil dot and take note of the measurement in inches.
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3
Place the end of the tape measure at the base of the wall where the second wall stud is located. Stretch the measuring tape upward until it reaches the same height you measured for the first side. Mark this spot with a pencil.
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4
Place a yard stick, or long piece of wood, on the wall so that it is aligned with the two pencil marks. Hold the wood in place with one hand.
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5
Place a level on top of the piece of wood and check to ensure that the air bubble is positioned in the center of the level. If necessary, tilt the wood up or down until it is level.
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6
Draw a line along the bottom of the yardstick with a pencil. Make sure that the pencil line connects to both of the pencil dots on the wall studs. This horizontal line is where the shelf will sit.
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7
Insert a 1/4-inch drill bit into a drill and drill a 1/2-inch-deep hole into the top center of each wall stud at the pencil line.
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8
Insert a plastic wall anchor into each hole and tap it in with a hammer until it is flush with the surface of the wall.
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9
Hang the shelf using the shelf brackets as instructed by the bracket packaging. Make sure to insert the shelving screws into the plastic wall anchors so that they are secure.
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References
- Photo Credit rack and shelf image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com
