Installing a shelf

One of the simplest jobs a man (or lady) can do around the house is to install a  shelf. Almost every home owner lives within a short drive of a Bunnings Hardware, so it’s simply a matter of purchasing everything for the job under one roof.

At Bunnings and most other hardware outlets shelves come in various sizes and are usually supplied with the timber, shelf brackets and screws in the one package. Just grab the size you need and away you go, or nearly. In my experience I’ve found that most “packaged” shelving units only supply basic wall plugs and screws.

That’s okay if you’re fixing the shelf to the timber studs behind the wall, but usually the studs are 450mm apart at their centres so one or both of the brackets will fall outside these measurements, depending on where you want the shelf. That’s where the wall plugs come into play.

As I said, the plugs supplied are very basic, but will do the job if you’re fixing to gyprock, and the shelf won’t be carrying too much weight. Otherwise you’ll need a screw-in type for gyprock. For fibre cement (fibro) sheets, you’ll need the type of plug that opens out behind the wall sheet once you poke them through the hole you’ve drilled. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to find two wall studs that fall where you want them, no plugs are needed. And this method will provide a shelf that will be stronger and carry the most weight.

Frequently you can situate your shelf so it does come in contact with the wall studs. Let’s say your shelf is 700mm long. If it’s appropriate, you can fix the two brackets to two studs at 450mm and you’ll have 125mm overhang each end. Place a spirit level along the wall and draw a thin line with a pencil. Place the brackets under the line and mark where the holes go, then drill the holes smaller than the screws. Screw the brackets to the wall then screw the shelf to the brackets, hiding the pencil line.

The people at Bunnings are always friendly and helpful and can advise you on all your shelving needs and tactics for every situation.

I was in Bunnings the other day when a bloke in a red shirt and green apron approached me and asked me if I needed decking. I managed to get in the first punch, then I ran out of the store and drove away before he could retaliate.