Putting up heavy shelves without stud...

Beckyy

I ordered two lovely oak floating shelves with fittings... but totally forgot the check where the studs were in the wall.

They arrived today and the stud is more or less right in the middle of the shelves, but the fixing are at each end of the shelf. They're 25cmD X 50cmL X 3.3cmH solid oak, intended to hold cookery books so will be heavy.


Would I be able to use hollow wall anchors, or would the weight be too much? (like these: http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/hollow-wall-anchors/cat840108 )

RTNI

You might have to screw a strap of wood to the wall into the studs, then secure the shelf to that piece of wood.

mymedi

That would largely depend on what your walls are made of? If they are just plasterboard, then no, just the wall anchors would not work. In the best case scenario your shelves will sag...

Beckyy

Sorry, yes they are plasterboard.

The wall they are to go on is between the window and boxing at the end of the wall, they take up most of that space and there is only the one stud in the middle.

Quiet_Spark

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-self-drill-plasterboard-fixing-metal-32mm-pack-of-100/81139?cm_sp=Search-_-SearchRec-_-Area2&_requestid=278750

Myser

Quiet_Spark wrote: »

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-self-drill-plasterboard-fixing-metal-32mm-pack-of-100/81139?cm_sp=Search-_-SearchRec-_-Area2&_requestid=278750

The load bearing of these is usually around 6 to 8kg. So worth bering in mind when you put items on the shelf! Don't forget the weight of the shelf itself.

dodgydl

What do people think of these snap toggles??? I have heard of people using them to fit rads and kitchen cupboards.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.org/video/fixing/snap-toggles.php

Available from a few sellers on ebay

Myser

dodgydl wrote: »

What do people think of these snap toggles??? I have heard of people using them to fit rads and kitchen cupboards.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.org/video/fixing/snap-toggles.php

Available from a few sellers on ebay

Looks like a good idea - they are similar in concept to spring toggles which are readily available in the UK. You would need to drill a slightly bigger hole for a spring toggle and once in, you would not be able to remove the screw without loosing the spring toggle:

http://www.rawlplug.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=34

Ebe_Scrooge

The problem with all of these plasterboard fixings is, ultimately the weight is still being taken on the plasterboard, which is not not strong. The fixings themselves may be the best in the world, but plasterboard ain't gonna hold any weight. They're fine for lightweight stuff, but as RTNI says, screw a batten into the studs, then screw your shelf onto the batten. Speaking as someone who lives in a timber-framed house where all the internal walls are stud / plasterboard :mad:

Stooby2

I was told this trick quite a few years ago - it only works if the wall is plasterboard covering brick or breeze block - not just a stud partition wall.

if you use a frame fixing - http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/frame-fixings/cat840068

Drill through the plaster board and into the brickwork. Take the screw out of the frame fixing and push the plastic into the hole and all the way into the brickwork until it's flush to the plasterboard. Fix the shelf mounting as normal with the frame screw and tighten it. That way the screw and brickwork are taking a large part of the load rather than just the plasterboard.

I've hung a couple of heavy mirrors and a set of shelves this way and can only say it's worked for me.