Floating Shelf

[Ken Krawford]

I've been tasked with making 4 floating shelves 12", 20" , 24" and 28” long x 5 1/2" deep. My main concern is their attachment to the wall. Obviously the 12" one would only catch 1 stud at best. The others, depending on wall placement, would be able to have 2 stud attachment points. The Lee Valley mounts looks nice but the $66 price makes them impractical.
What would be your suggestion for wall attachment on shelves of these dimensions?

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

How thick are the shelves?

[Dave Arnett]

I've used pole barn nails.

They fit snugly in a 3/8" hole.

331038



I use 1/2" ply for the top, a few spacers in between, and 1/4" ply for the bottom.

331037

Your shorter lengths would have to be addressed.

For smaller/shallower shelves, I use 6-8" #10 wood screws.

I bought these http://www.rockler.com/blind-shelf-supports before I came up with the BP nail idea. I still have them. You can have them for the cost of postage.



edit: I re-read your post.
5½" deep, huh? How about 7" gutter screws, or pieces of all-thread cut to length?
That short one will need some sort of hollow wall anchor. Toggle bolt, maybe?

[Eric D Matson]

I make basically a drawer and attach that to the wall through the back of it. Then I make a cover that slips over the drawer type piece and hides everything. Also allows for the storage of any valuables you may want to keep in there.

[Daniel O'Neill]

I make basically a drawer and attach that to the wall through the back of it. Then I make a cover that slips over the drawer type piece and hides everything. Also allows for the storage of any valuables you may want to keep in there.
This is a good way. Then you can use any fastening method you prefer to attach to the dimensional lumber and allow the hardwood to just sit on top with a few well placed fasteners.
The other option is that you can get 100 lb drywall anchors.

[Prashun Patel]

You could bolt a cleat to the wall and then put a case around it.

[Ken Krawford]

How thick are the shelves?

I'd like to keep the thickness to 1" if possible.

Dave, what's your source for the pole barn nails?

[David Gutierrez]

Did a 10' foot shelf couple of years ago for my daughter in law. Built a 2" thick box, with a open back, 1/4" plywood top and bottom, solid wood edges and front. then built a frame from 2x lumber that attached to the studs with lags. then slid the box over the frame. Worked well. I would recommend that you hit a least two studs.

[Ben Rivel]

Rockler has some too: LINK (http://www.rockler.com/blind-shelf-supports). They are even on sale right now.

[Keith Pleas]

I like pre-drilled lag bolts, as big as feasible, wrenched in and then the heads cut off with a portaband. Here's one with (guessing) 6" bolts into two studs holding 1.125" teak mantle.

More in next post.

[Keith Pleas]

Same concept in shower except helper drilled holes when I wasn't there and didn't get them straight. Through tile, thinset, liquid membrane, and backer board into interior stud wall (obviously with substantial plumbing). I didn't want to redrill and risk blowing out stud - and I didn't want to tweak the solid surface. So I relieved the shelf for the bolts and used covers. I can also remove for maintenance.

[Keith Pleas]

One more for context - a lot of engineering in this area. Curbless pan within a whole-bathroom pan, two separate radiant heat systems, etc.

[Martin Wasner]

My favorite way of doing it is to have someone weld a 5/8" pin onto a piece of 1/4" thick plate about 3"x6". Then open up the wall, and lag the plates into the studs. Once the pins are in place I figure out the shelf placement on the pins. Typically I'll use two pieces of 3/4 mdf for one shelf with 3/8" deep dados 3/4" wide. When you put the top and bottom together you have a 3/4 x 3/4 hole to accept the pin.

I'll usually make the parts oversized in width and length so I can cut them down once glued together, and just wrap them in solid.

If going solid wood you just drill holes. Not my favorite as it's tough to make a straight hole very deep.

Either way, I just goop construction adhesive in the hole and slide them on the pins.

A serious PIA way to do it, but it's virtually customer proof.

[Sam Murdoch]

Did a 10' foot shelf couple of years ago for my daughter in law. Built a 2" thick box, with a open back, 1/4" plywood top and bottom, solid wood edges and front. then built a frame from 2x lumber that attached to the studs with lags. then slid the box over the frame. Worked well. I would recommend that you hit a least two studs.


Short of opening up the wall and adding blocking or metal plates - this way that David describes (and Prashun mentions) has worked well for me a number of times. Your veneer covers can be luan or some similar thin material and the cleat attached to the wall can be a metal angle, aluminum channel, or a piece of wood - but with the 1" thickness target some metal support would likely be best. You can attach the angles with some secure wall anchors. The size of the screw head or lag is of no concern as the box will cover.

The box is simply a top and bottom layer sandwiching a solid front and two ends - and on the longer version a few internal pieces running perpendicular to the back wall spaced accordingly to give the shelf better interior support. Slide the assembly over the wall cleat and attach into (or perhaps through) the wall cleat from above or below. At the 5-1/2" depth you describe you needn't worry about integrating the perpendiculars with the wall cleat.

[Keith Westfall]

Make a strip to mount to the wall with the appropriate size dowels (for holes in the back of the shelf) glued in it. That way you can get them all at the same angle, something that is difficult when screwing big screws or lag bolts into the wall.

Make your shelf with a recess in the back edge that will slip over the piece attached to the wall. The shelf will have holes to match the dowels in the strip.

Sounds complicated but isn't. Strip can be attached with good drywall anchors if you're not long enough with the shelf to catch studs.