Help hanging a shelf I found! I'm at a total loss because I'm a noob...

Submitted by Megraptor t3_zxzodp in DIY

I found this shelf on the side of the road and thought it was worth picking up before it got trashed. But I'm not sure how to hang it on some drywall. I've tried to do some research, but all I've found is about floating shelves, usually with included hardware. It has pre-drilled holes on the top left and right sides. But I'm a total noob to this kind of stuff, so it's sat around for a while...

What kind of hardware do I need? Do I need to drill into the shelf more? Is this shelf worth the effort, or should I trash it? Thanks, guys!

Pictures of said shelf!

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Comments

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The3aGl3 t1_j233eug wrote

I'd attach some of those keyhole hangars to the back of the shelf, they're fairly inexpensive. After that measure the distance between them mark two spots on your wall (with a level and the measured distance) and put two drywall anchors in. Then hang the shelf to that. Note that those hangars and drywall anchors aren't exactly high load but the shelf doesn't look to be either.

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InvincibleJellyfish t1_j23fgy0 wrote

You can get high load drywall anchors in metal which fold out like an umbrella on the backside of the drywall. If the drywall is thick enough they can hold a lot of weight.

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4tehlulzez t1_j23oj80 wrote

I believe you're talking about toggle bolts?

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randy_dingo t1_j23wb64 wrote

>I believe you're talking about toggle bolts.

Correct; anchors are the little plastic plugs you pre drill and place into your mounting hole. Anchors usually have different weight ratings based on if they are drilled into a stud/something solid or just floating in sheet rock.

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D3adkl0wn t1_j24aecn wrote

I'm a big fan of the self drilling anchors. You can get them in a variety of different load strengths, and a lot have their different parallel/perpendicular loads listed on the package too, which is super helpful.

Plus, they do unscrew out again if you ever wanted to patch the hole it leaves and relocate the item.

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SkipDaddy66 t1_j24rimc wrote

I will never go back to any other anchor. Well worth the price difference.

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Megraptor OP t1_j26cbcx wrote

Would I have to drill them into the shelf then? Or just use the existing holes?

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SturgiesYrFase t1_j26dtz4 wrote

You'd have to screw them to the shelf. Remember to predrill the holes for the screws to attach the hangers, that way you avoid splitting the wood of the shelf. Also be sure to measure equal distance from the top so your hangers are even.

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LiveThought9168 t1_j24e5xr wrote

A cool hack I saw on Youtube is to stretch a piece of painter's tape or masking tape across the back of the shelf, covering the mounting holes. Mark the hole locations onto the tape, then remove the tape. Now apply the tape to the wall to accurately locate and level the mounting holes.

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SlingingTurf t1_j262jjf wrote

That's a great idea, never thought of that. I'm always measuring and using a level etc but that's so simple but effective.

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Cleautsak t1_j26doa2 wrote

I recently came across this hack and it saves so much time and frustration! I managed to hang 3 paintings exactly level relative to eachother, all thanks to this.

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dav34rmTt0wn t1_j233n6b wrote

Depends on the amount of weight you plan to store on it. If heavy items you should definitely put it up where the studs are. If no studs are available in the area purchase plastic screw anchors. I usually drill a hole the approximate size of the anchor first, place anchor within the freshly drilled hole, hammer or mallet the anchor in a bit but not all the way. Once you insert the anchor a little you can put the shelf over it and screw in a screw. You can do this project with either an electric drill or regular screw driver but screw driver can take a bit longer. Hope this helps

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winkandthegun t1_j244opz wrote

His question isn’t so much how to hold the weight of the shelf, it’s how to physically attach a shelf like this to a wall, since there’s nothing you can screw through to secure it to the wall.

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Megraptor OP t1_j26clzg wrote

Exactly... I'm kinda lost on what to put on the shelf. I get that there's tons of things to go into drywall, and stud vs no stud... But what do I put on the shelf to hang it on the wall?

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Megraptor OP t1_j25mm8q wrote

Really, just some knick knacks. The heaviest thing is probably some rocks I've picked up that are smaller than my palm of my hand, and I have small lady hands.

So maybe 10 pounds, tops. Can't see going anywhere near 20.

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marek196c t1_j235pe7 wrote

You know there are butterfly screws specially made for drywall? You should be using plastic collars that expand just on concrete walls, they don't work on drywall.

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thatstickerguy t1_j23aq9e wrote

Drywall anchors don't work on drywall. Got it!

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hubec t1_j23qrla wrote

Find the studs and screw into them through the drywall w long wood screws. Lots of YouTube vids will show techniques to find studs. Once the shelf is in place it will be treated like any other solid piece of furniture, so IMO just using drywall anchors is insufficient. Unless you want to hang a sign off it saying “please be careful this is only secured to drywall” 😆

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deadfisher t1_j25mqnz wrote

If you check the photos it doesn't look like there are any screw holes on the actual shelf.

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everyoneelsehasadog t1_j23uyvi wrote

We've got a massive one of these, heaving with books. The way it's on it

L plates at the top, holding it up.

A piece of wood at the bottom, screwed into the wall for it to sit on. That is then screwed into the shelf.

L plates at the side for extra support.

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NarrativeBear t1_j2465xx wrote

In addition to what everyone else is saying get some of these d-ring hangers to secure to the back of the shelf. You only need two hangers about 2/3rds back on the vertical boards to take the weight.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ook-large-2-hole-d-ring-hangers--2pcs/1001027312?eid=PS_GOOGLE_D00%20-%20E-Comm_GGL_Shopping_PLA_EN_All%20Products_All%20Products__PRODUCT_GROUP_pla-300587868876&gclid=CjwKCAiAkrWdBhBkEiwAZ9cdcGmm8ygOVc1EBtS5F0k4nmvQYEG5XNacR7UT9o6ZqmupOI46jqvkdRoCdSMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

If you feel more confident you can also use a wood chisel and get flush mount keyhole hangers into the same spots instead.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ook-keyhole-picture-hanger/1001026198?eid=PS_GOOGLE_D00%20-%20E-Comm_GGL_Shopping_PLA_EN_All%20Products_All%20Products__PRODUCT_GROUP_pla-300587868876&gclid=CjwKCAiAkrWdBhBkEiwAZ9cdcOhVvtR3WmsI-7DKlZkGDhhFWfB9twN08Vf_ga7RN5QymsEBN80NFxoCM3cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Make sure to predrill the screw holes when mounting these brackets to your self to prevent the wood splitting/cracking. After that hang it on the wall using two screws and plastic drywall anchors like recommend by others. Predrill the wall to screw in the plastic anchors as well.

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xfitveganflatearth t1_j25g5h0 wrote

Shit load of command strips

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Megraptor OP t1_j25nk9p wrote

Pfft love it. I have tons of them laying around from other stuff, I considered it until I realized I want to put rocks on it.

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l397flake t1_j25ie26 wrote

How much weight are you putting on this shelf, it won’t take much, but if light stuff, then! Try and find one stud, take 10 d common nails, not finished, nail them to the wall at about a 45 degree angle. I had that type of shelf in the past. It has holes in the back for hanging. Hang it so that the heads of the nails are in the holes. A little off level, gently tap the shelf on one side or the other.

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Megraptor OP t1_j25oeug wrote

10 pounds or about 4.5 kilos is what I'm planning on being able to put on the shelf, if even. Bunches of small rocks under a couple ounces, and a big deer antler that's 11.5 ounces/ 0.3 a kilo.

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l397flake t1_j26102j wrote

That is not much weight, 5lbs per nail. Remember the 45 degree angle

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JooosephNthomas t1_j23z3o2 wrote

I saw alot of options, or you could be ultra cheap and buy some small hangers that get attached with finishing nails. Look like little brass serrated razor blades. than use finishing nails to hang, Won't hold a lot of weight and will be more delicate but for knickknacks and such it would work and is inexpensive and caused zero damage almost... just a thought. usually found readily available in kits. Not the best way per say but it is a way.

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Megraptor OP t1_j25n9ma wrote

Yeah this is just for knick knacks! Heaviest thing might be a couple of rocks that weigh... At most a couple of rocks less than 100 grams each/3.5 ounces. There's some other things that are lighter than that too.

Oh and a deer antler, forgot about that. That weighs 11.5 ounces/325 grams. So maybe 10/4.5 kilos pounds tops?

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JooosephNthomas t1_j25v6aj wrote

Yeah, I would use finishing nails and two of those little hanger things. then you can use finishing nails on the wall also. I wouldn't be overly worried personally. I hate drilling into dry wall.... I also have plaster walls in my ancient house so less is always better to me.

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buddiesels t1_j2407m8 wrote

You could drill a 1x2 board into the existing screw holes on the back so it makes a short “backstop” for the shelf, then drive screws through the front of the 1x2 into wall studs

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tosety t1_j24pkku wrote

From the direction of the holes you showed, I expect the previous owner (and probably the one who made it) screwed drywall screws diagonally in through the sides.

The low effort solution would be to reuse those holes and do the same thing.

No matter what hanging advice you take, please don't put anything heavy/breakable on it because the build quality of the shelf could be just as low effort as the previously mentioned hanging method

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Megraptor OP t1_j25o2e8 wrote

A deer antler and some rocks are the heaviest thing I'm thinking about putting on it. I'm kind of a nature person...

The rocks are mostly less than 100 grams or 3.5 ounces, but two are around 300 grams or 10.5 ounces. The antler is 325 grams/ 11.5 ounces or so. If they fall, I'll just be picking up rocks I guess.

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tosety t1_j25yp9c wrote

ok, that should be fine even if you miss a stud (no guarantees, just make sure anything beneath it to be durable as well)

so the choice will be whether you want anyone looking at how you hung it to be impressed by your craftsmanship or your idgaf

for my idgaf approach, I'd have a level handy, get one screw in, then make sure it's level before putting in the rest (a pencil line on the wall with the level can give you a good approximate height and a "level enough" but keeping the level on for the second screw is barely any extra work)

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YamStallion t1_j25vd9x wrote

Ok I read that way wrong while scrolling past

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king-one-two t1_j26ux3t wrote

Shelf is solid wood, looks nice enough, if you like the style.

I'd hang it with some angle brackets under the shelves. These brass ones come in a 4 pack for $3: https://www.lowes.com/pd/ReliaBilt-RB-3-4-IN-SB-CORNER-BRACE-4-CT/5001634841

Screw one side into the underside of a shelf with the provided brass screw, other side into the wall with longer screw. It'll hold 100+ pounds if you get 2 of them in a stud.

You could use picture-hanging hardware as others are suggesting, but eventually somebody is gonna put something heavy on the shelf. Also, someone could grab it for support.

Nobody ever regretted making a shelf stronger...

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cutofyourgibberish t1_j248jyl wrote

You're getting a good deal of practical and helpful advice but you should ignore that good advice and just bead a layer of construction adhesive to the back of that bad boy and slap it on the wall.

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