Shelves please!

pinkshoes

I NEED some wall mounted shelves to put some text books on.

The shelves can't stick out much more than 25cm, as that's the depth of the bit of wall they're going on.

Finally found some on ebay, suitable for books, CDs and DVDs, but as they didn't specify a weight limit, I thought I'd email.

Their response made me laugh:

Thank you for your enquiry, due to the nature of the product it is more for a decorative purpose , we would recommend that you do not over load the shelf with heavy books etc.

However we will not be held liable if the shelf is overloaded and falls off the wall due to the shelf being overloaded.

A shelf for decoration only?? Don't over-load it, but no weight limit given?!?!

So, where do I find a wall mounted book shelf suitable for BOOKS?!? (that doesn't stick out too much!)

I really have no idea where to look.

Alchemilla

You could try a carpenter, who could fix battens to the wall and fix shelves on top.

This is how we house DH's 600+ books.

SailorSam

If you didn't as a 'floating shelf' with extra brackets, it should give you extra strength.

Meadows

Try a floating shelf (hidden mounting bracket)

loracan1

Depends what sort of wall you're mounting the shelf on -the floating shelves in my kitchen sag forwards if I put much on them, the ones on a solid wall in my sons' room take an awful lot of weight before they start sagging. Floating shelves look better but aren't as practical (unless you put an extra bracket in as mentioned earlier)

pinkshoes

Meadows, this was indeed a floating shelf:

"The shelf is very easy to assemble perfect for installation on either a solid or plasterboard wall, has a strong fixing system with no visible brackets

."

No picture of the mounting though! Where did the shelves you pictured come from?!?!

I'm only wanting to spend about £50 for a couple of shelves, so not really got the budget for a carpenter unfortunately

The shelves will be mounted onto thick plasterboard, then behind that is lots of insulation stuff, and then a breeze block wall. My OH tells me we'd need very long screws.

loracan1

The best set of wall shelves I've used were those with the metal strips that fix to the wall that you attach brackets to with a piece of contiboard across - fitted under the stairs and holds everything.

Alchemilla

Pinkshoes you might be surprised at the cost esp if you paint the shelves yourself.

Meadows

pinkshoes wrote: »

Meadows, this was indeed a floating shelf:."
No picture of the mounting though! Where did the shelves you pictured come from?!?!
The shelves will be mounted onto thick plasterboard, then behind that is lots of insulation stuff, and then a breeze block wall. My OH tells me we'd need very long screws.

If you buy a good quality shelf the brackets are very sturdy and they have a retaining screw from underneath to stop the shelf coming off, this should also pull the shelf tight to the bracket. Mounted correctly and on a flat even wall they should not sag forward.
I use two in the kitchen and had a couple in a bedroom until recently.
To mount to plasterboard you need to use plasterboard fittings not basic raw plugs

The picture I googled to show you the type of hidden bracket but you can buy the shelves at a good D.I.Y store.

coolagarry

I agree with #7. I have put up lots of this type of shelving without any problems and they have the advantage that you can add to them in future if you wish,make them wider or narrower, move them elsewhere etc. Various types available at your local diy shed
http://www.ehow.com/how_4834490_install-wall-shelves.html

SailorSam

If you've got hollow plasterboard walls rather than a standard plug something like this is stronger.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/hollow-wall-anchor-5-x-72mm-16-32mm-pack-of-10/11143