It is a fact of life that families gradually outgrow the space in their homes. Many factors create the need for more space; having a baby, starting school, furnishing a new den, installing an entertainment center or setting up a hobby station. For whatever reason a family needs more storage space, the least intrusive way to add that space is to install shelving. This homeowners guide covers the main points of shelving installation, including planning, common tools and materials, and types of shelving.
Planning
Though shelving is a minor do-it-yourself job, it does require planning. Installing shelving without appropriate planning can lead to a poorly fitted mess that requires outside help to correct. Consider how you want the shelving to look, how much space it will occupy, and what manner of items you will be storing on the shelves. To avoid needless setbacks, always begin by drawing up a plan of the shelving, including as many accurate measurements as possible. Graph paper is excellent for this early phase, because it allows you to create a faithful scale drawing of the project. The plan is also important in helping you conceptualize a list of necessary tools and materials. While measuring, drawing, and planning the shelving project, it will become evident what materials are needed. Create a list of these materials along the way.
Tools and Materials
To help get started, here is a brief list of the most common materials and tools you will need to install a useful and visually integrated shelving system. This is list is not exhaustive, of course, but if you have the items on the following list, chances are you will need little else to finish the job:
Tools for a shelving project
* Tape measure
* Level
* Electric drill (with various drill bits)
* Nail set
* Assorted screwdrivers
* Hammer
* Chalk line
* Carpenter’s square
* Orbital sander
* Chisels and mallet
* Clamps
* Circular saw
* Jig saw
* Handsaw
Materials for a shelving project
* Pencil
* Shims
* Adhesive
* Screws
* Beeswax
* Nails
* Graph paper
* 1 x 2 board
* 1 x 4 board
* Quarter round
* Pole
* Sticky-back mirror squares
* Plastic pole supports
* Posts
* Supporting pole bracket
* Track and bracket
* Shelf boards
* Plywood
* Finishing screws
Types of shelves
There are various types of shelving. The simplest shelves for adding quick and useful storage to a room are wall-mounted metal standards with adjustable brackets and pre-made shelves. Once the brackets are fastened into the metal standards, simple wood or plastic shelves can be laid across the brackets. These basic shelves can be found at most neighborhood hardware stores, not just DIY warehouses like Home Depot and Lowes. Metal bracket shelving is great for utility rooms, pantries and walk-in closets. This type of shelving is designed to be affordable, durable and easy to install. These shelves are also very easily adjustable, able to accommodate changing needs. It is not the most stylish shelving, of course. One way to increase the aesthetic appeal of metal bracket shelving is to disguise the metal tracks with wooden posts. Install the wooden posts at a distance from the wall that is equal to the depth of the shelves, then secure the posts into the ground by drilling holes at their bases and securing them with finishing screws. Once these support posts are erected, you can attach the metal tracks to the far side of the posts, facing the wall, and place the brackets and shelves between the support posts and the wall. In this way, you can make sure less metal and more wood is visible.
A more artful alternative to metal track shelving is custom wood shelving. Wood shelving is an excellent choice for a living room entertainment center, dining room, or a library – any room where looks really matter. Custom shelving can take the form of a cabinet style unit like a full wall entertainment center, or recessed shelving installed flush into an existing wall. This type of shelving is a more involved construction project than inexpensive metal shelving, but is still well within the parameters of a DIY project. Custom built shelving should match the tone and materials of the room it is meant for. Simple custom shelves can be constructed using the basic tools and materials listed in this article, but it suggested that you hire the services of a trim carpenter. A trim carpenter will bring the aesthetic integration that is necessary to enhance the beauty of the room, rather than simply adding storage space. Good luck, and happy building!
