DIY Network

How to Hang Shelves Learn the basic steps to hanging shelves properly. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-117

Guest Allegra Bennett, our Repairs Made Easy expert, joins host Stephanie Lydecker and outlines the basic steps for hanging shelves properly.

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	Allegra shares the basic steps to hang a shelf properly.
	Figure A
	Figure B

Materials:

level
template from shelf unit instructions
pencil
tape
cordless drills
anchors
hammer
electric stud finder

How to Hang Shelves

1. First you want to locate the studs. In construction, studs are placed 16" on center of a wall or 16" apart. Identify the location of one stud and then measure every 16" to find the others. In the really low tech days, finding the first stud was done by tapping around the wall until the sound changed, then banging a nail into the wall around the area until you struck a stud. This could mean a lot of holes you didn't need. These days there are electronic stud finders (figure A) that make finding a wall stud a whole lot easier.

2. Once you find the stud, mark the area with a pencil and do a test drill to assure that you are hitting the stud.

3. Make a template so you will know exactly where you want to hang the shelves. Using the template and a pencil, mark the part of the wall where you want the shelf to be. You can use a level to help assure the shelf will be level. The template is designed to show exactly where the holes for the shelf brackets go. You can tape the template directly to the wall and mark through the template using a pencil.

4. Using a drill, drill holes into the wall to fit the anchors (figure B). Using a hammer, tap each anchor into the wall. What you need to do is line up the bracket in front of the anchor and then fasten the screw into the wall.

GUESTS :

Allegra Bennett
Editor, Renovating Woman magazine

When a Woman Takes an Ax to a Wall
Allegra Bennett
0965617327
March 2002
LPC Group

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Allegra Bennett
0965617319
September 2000
Renovating Woman

Website: www.renovatingwoman.com