How to fix shelves coming off concrete wall?

ventodimare

Hello,

a while ago I put up an Ikea shelf system (called Boaxel) using the screws/plugs suggested in the Ikea manual.

The shelves carry quite light objects. However, this morning I've noticed that a couple of screws in the uprights are coming off the wall. The wall is concrete

I don't know how to fix this. I cannot reposition the uprights because the wall they are attached to is just wide enough to host the shelves. Aesthetics is irrelevant.It's safety that matters. Any suggestion? Thanks a mil  

EricL

Hello @ventodimare 

Thanks for sharing your question about fixing your shelves. Looking at the photos it seems like the wall plugs have pulled out, it's likely that the screws used or the plugs themselves were not big enough for the holes drilled in the wall. Generally, when the screws are driven into the wall plugs, they expand into the hole holding the screw in place by friction and expansion. If for some reason the wall plug does not expand far enough it will slip out of the hole.

In order to repair the shelves, I propose the following steps:

• Remove all the items on the shelves and disassemble the shelves leaving only the uprights attached to the wall.
   
• I suggest using either a drill or screwdriver with a Philips head bit to remove the screws from the upright. Set the screws aside in a safe space where it will not get lost.
   
• Bring one of the loose wall plugs so that you can compare it to the wall plugs at the store. Your objective is to get the next size up so that it does not slip out of the hole in the wall. There is also the option of getting a Stahl Masonry Kit, it contains the wall plugs, screws and drill bit necessary to extend the depth of the hole in the wall.
   
• Push the new wall plug into the existing holes (make sure they are nice and snug) cut off the excess with a craft knife protruding from the wall and then reattach the upright using the screws.
   
• Once the uprights have been secure you can reassemble your shelves and put everything back the way it was.

Let me call on our experienced members @TedBear and @JoeAzza for their recommendation.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric