How Do I Hang Shelves on a Cement Wall?

Shelves are usually very easy to hang in drywall as you usually just need to find a wood stud in the Sheetrock and screw at least one leg of your shelves into that. But hanging shelves on cement poses a different challenge as you are going to be drilling into solid rock. A more difficult proposition, this requires the right tools and know-how.

Drill Pilot Holes

With a power drill and a strong masonry drill bit that is the correct size for both your anchor and the screws for the shelves, drill pilot holes into the cement itself after carefully measuring where you want your shelves to hang. You'll need some kind of visible mark to make sure you get these positions right. The drilling of these holes will be loud and the bit will heat up substantially, but don't be concerned. This is normal, as it's metal spinning through rock. Apply pressure on the bit when drilling into the wall, but not too much pressure, as it may break the drill bit. Always wear goggles to protect your eyes from loose rock that may kick back at you.

Insert Anchors

There are a number of anchors that work for concrete walls, but one of the best is called a one-piece expansion anchor, as it can hold a significant amount of weight both on the screws and on the shelves in the wall. These anchors have threads on one side of the expansion cone surround by metal wedges at the other end. Anchors are not only divided by size but also by how much weight they can hold to the wall. Make sure you have properly considered how much your shelves weigh but also how much weight is going to be put on them. It's best to use anchors and screws for much more weight then you would consider putting on your shelves, just to be on the safe side.

Once you have chosen your anchors drive the expansion cone end into the hole with a hammer to a distance where the threads can be reached by a screw or a bolt. Once the anchor is driven securely into the hole, tighten a small nut on the threaded end. This will make the expansion cone expand and drive the wedges tightly into the side of the hole. The screw will break before these anchors come out of the wall.

Install Shelves

Now with the holes drilled and the anchors firmly in place, installing the brackets that will hold the shelves is the next step. The shelves can merely sit loose on the brackets or can be connected to the brackets themselves--whatever seems like the more secure way to set it up. Drive the screws through the brackets to the screw holes in the wall. If the screw stops moving forward before it should, don't force it because you might strip the screw itself. Simply remove it and try again. Metal brackets are also better when hanging shelves against a concrete wall with these types of anchors. Steel and thick aluminum brackets can support more weight than wooden ones.

References

• Wall Anchors in Cement
• Cement Wall in Apartment
• Drill Info for Cement Walls