Wall Mounted Shelving Units

Wall Mounted Shelving Units Are an Easy Home Improvement

Well-placed shelves can add to the design, function, and storage capacity of your home. Wall mounted shelving units are a good choice for adding shelf space in virtually any area of your home without the added bulk of free-standing shelves. While home improvement projects can feel intimidating, installing wall mounted shelves requires just a few basic tools and an hour or two of your time.

Wall mounted shelving units come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, which gives you a lot of flexibility in deciding where you would like to place them in your home. Because they are installed directly to the wall, they are a good choice for areas where you have a lot of vertical space but don’t want to add a piece of tall furniture. Shelving units that have special functions, like ones designed to fit securely above your radiator, expand your options for adding storage space to your home.

Installing shelving units usually requires the following materials:

• Hammer
• Tape measure
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Stud finder
• Drill

It's important to use a stud finder to locate the position of your wall studs before installing a shelf. If your wall studs don't line up with the desired shelf placement, you can use hollow wall anchors. Most shelving units include the necessary brackets or fixtures for installation that are compatible with a hammer, drill, and screwdriver. Each shelving unit may have a slightly different procedure, so refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Storage capability will depend on the type of shelving unit. In general, wall-mounted shelves are either floating shelves or fixed bracket shelves. Floating shelves are installed using nails and screws that are completely hidden behind the shelf. The elegant appearance of floating shelves makes them perfect for decorative uses, and they are equipped to handle lighter objects like figurines or framed photographs. Bracket shelves are fixed to the wall with L-shaped fixtures that are partly visible. While the visible hardware may make the shelves less appealing for decoration, it gives them extra support and reinforcement. This feature makes bracket shelves ideal for storing heavier items like books or cleaning supplies. Each shelving unit will have specific weight recommendations, so see the manufacturer site for details.