Mount shelf to studs, or mount board to wall and then shelf to board?
I have a room where I want to install a simple shelf. I have 6 of this kind of brackets. I want to use a simple 1x8x10 board. Ideally I would like this shelf to handle being full of books, though in reality it will hold a lot of much lighter things, like DVDs, decor, etc. I would just dive in and use whatever studs I can find, but I want to learn and understand how to approach this correctly. [This video by Project Farm] shows that the strongest tested drywall anchor holds up to almost 190lbs, and 140lbs of weight pulling perpendicular to the wall. Is it unsafe to hang a shelf purely on drywall, even with the strongest anchors available (assuming I keep the load distributed and within the load? If so, why is it unsafe if the anchors are tested to such high weights? Back to studs. How do I decide what kind of screw I use? I've seen suggestions for wood screws, construction screws, lag bolts, and I don't understand how to choose the right option for my use case. The main thing that makes sense is not using a screw that's needlessly long. Can I mount a 2x4 or another board onto the studs, flat against the wall, and then mount the shelf brackets (and other stuff in the future) to the wall-board? I've seen this done before and I like the flexibility it offers for future expansion. I don't like the idea of drilling into studs for a single use case, even if it's long term. Lastly, is there a best practice for how to find cabling inside the walls? My house is old so I don't even know if stud guards existed when it was built. There is an outlet on each side of this wall. Thank you for any advice. submitted by /u/ikahjalmr [link] [comments]
I have a room where I want to install a simple shelf. I have 6 of this kind of brackets. I want to use a simple 1x8x10 board. Ideally I would like this shelf to handle being full of books, though in reality it will hold a lot of much lighter things, like DVDs, decor, etc. I would just dive in and use whatever studs I can find, but I want to learn and understand how to approach this correctly.
- [This video by Project Farm] shows that the strongest tested drywall anchor holds up to almost 190lbs, and 140lbs of weight pulling perpendicular to the wall. Is it unsafe to hang a shelf purely on drywall, even with the strongest anchors available (assuming I keep the load distributed and within the load? If so, why is it unsafe if the anchors are tested to such high weights?
- Back to studs. How do I decide what kind of screw I use? I've seen suggestions for wood screws, construction screws, lag bolts, and I don't understand how to choose the right option for my use case. The main thing that makes sense is not using a screw that's needlessly long.
- Can I mount a 2x4 or another board onto the studs, flat against the wall, and then mount the shelf brackets (and other stuff in the future) to the wall-board? I've seen this done before and I like the flexibility it offers for future expansion. I don't like the idea of drilling into studs for a single use case, even if it's long term.
- Lastly, is there a best practice for how to find cabling inside the walls? My house is old so I don't even know if stud guards existed when it was built. There is an outlet on each side of this wall.
Thank you for any advice.
[link] [comments]
