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How to build and secure floating shelves?

STHY

Hello!

I am wanting to create some bookshelves in the same style as the photo but wanted to get some answers for a couple questions before I attempt it!

1. What would be the best material to make these out of? I want to either stain wood or apply some vinyl wrap because I am always disappointed in the way things turn out when I paint them. If I went the vinyl route would MDF be okay? And if I was to choose staining what choice of wood is best?

2. I have a double brick home so this will be secured to masonry and was just wondering what the best method of doing so was? I was thinking of creating a back panel to the shelf and then securing it via the back panel (I can cut some wood or VJ Panels to line the back of the shelf and hide the anchor) is this screw okay for that or would you recommend another product or method?

Thanks very much!

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MitchellMc

Hi @STHY,

Those shelves in your inspiration image appear to be constructed from solid timber, most likely pine that has been stained. Looking at the proportions, I'd estimate the shelves are around 140 x 18mm dressed pine boards, though they could be a slightly different size depending on the overall dimensions.

If you're planning on staining the shelves, pine would be a good choice. It's affordable, readily available, easy to work with and takes stain reasonably well. I'd recommend testing your chosen stain on an offcut first, as pine can absorb stain unevenly.

MDF could potentially be used if you're intending to apply a vinyl wrap, but that would depend on the specifications of the vinyl product and whether it is suitable for adhesion to MDF. I'm not aware of any particular vinyl products designed specifically for this type of shelving application, so I'd suggest checking with the manufacturer before committing to that route.

For fixing the shelves to your double-brick wall, a rear panel is a good idea as it provides a convenient way to hide the fixings. The masonry screws you've shown would certainly be suitable from a strength perspective. However, the head is quite large and may be difficult to conceal neatly.

Another option would be to use standard masonry wall plugs with countersunk screws. The smaller screw heads can be recessed slightly into the rear panel and then filled over with timber filler before painting or staining, resulting in a much cleaner finish. These STAHL wall plug kits are a convenient option as they come with the correctly sized plugs, screws and masonry drillbit.

Here's a helpful guide: How to drill into brick.

Let me tag, @jase2, @Samiyo, @Amateur_Hour, and @oscar_, to see if they have any advice.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

EricL

Hello @STHY

Here are some sample images to give you a little bit of inspiration when building your floating shelves. Please note that the measurements are for reference only. Please adjust them to your needs. The timber thickness is based on the 140x18 that Mitchell suggested but the general plans will work with MDF as well.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Noyade

Hi @STHY

Your ideas sound very good. Personally I like the Bunnings Specrite boards cut to whatever width I want, no painting required and they look fantastic. I would steer clear of MDF - just my opinion. I like the backing idea and the screws look good - but I nearly had a heart attack thinking they were $6.75 each.

My house is old and there are no corners precisely 90 degrees so I made a jig to record the angle onto the wood end - it would help prevent ends being open from the walls or gaps within the corners. Just a thought.

Cheers. Keep us posted.

(Forgot to click 'Post' yesterday. At least the site saves the draft. ☺️)

EricL

Hi @Noyade

Thank you for sharing that very timely suggestion. It's definitely worth taking into account the squareness of the wall before you start cutting your timber. I can't count the number of times I've had to adjust kitchen cabinets because the walls were not square.

Eric

jase2

Good points from all above about materials - I used Specrite in these floating shelves.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/279047/custom-floating-shelves-and-desk

In the above I used threaded rod into the shelves to fix to wall - however the threaded rod itself is not strong or level enough to keep the shelves at 90 degrees to the wall - its the timber vertical seperators on the shelves that do that. So your design will do that as well.

Fixing through backpanels to double brick wall will make installation much simpler. I would drill 3mm pilot holes through the back panel, get a helper to hold the shelves in place against the wall, mark the hole locations on the wall. Then drill 6mm holes in the wall with the masonry bit, install 6mm plugs and screw in. Pretty simple and very strong.

EricL

Hello @jase2

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the community. I'm sure @STHY will find the information useful.

Eric

STHY

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate the replies! Lots of really useful info and tips that make me much more confident to give it a go.

Will update the post when I’ve got them up on the wall! (Sorry not sure if you get notified without a tag so have just tagged you all)

@EricL @MitchellMc @Noyade @jase2

EricL

Hello @STHY

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your floating shelves installed and ready for use.

Eric