How to attach shelves to the brick walls?
Many homeowners use a brick cladding wall as a centrepiece and let this material shine on its own. But others prefer to decorate the area with some extra details such as shelves, pictures, posters, or plants. Despite the stylish look of brick walls, they pose a challenge when it comes to installing such additions. Do you want to find out how to attach shelves to a brick wall? Then read on!
Challenges of installing shelves on the brick wall
As you may already know, traditional items used for attaching shelves to walls may not work well if you’re dealing with a brick surface. So, you should stay away from the usual screws and fasteners. Older brick walls may become quite crumbly while you’re drilling into it, and newer ones tend to be much harder, which also may cause some problems. That’s why it’s so important to choose dedicated solutions.
Putting up shelves on a brick wall
So how to hang shelves on a brick wall? First, you should plan exactly what you want to keep on the shelves and how much your items will weigh. That will give an idea about how many support brackets you will need to install for the construction to be safe. When you know all of that, you can move on to planning the precise arrangement of every piece. Remember to make sure that each bracket is placed not over the mortar joints but over the brick itself - this will provide you with a much better grip, and you won’t have to worry about shelves tumbling down suddenly. While you’re doing your planning, grab a pen and mark every spot so you know exactly where to drill later. Don’t forget to use a level to make sure that every mark is straight and even.
Drilling in the brick wall
The next step of installing shelves on the brick wall is drilling the holes in the right places. Of course, be sure to wear safety glasses in order to protect your eyes from dust and tiny pieces of bricks accidentally getting into them. For this task, you will need a drill that has a masonry bit, but you should choose a version that is about a size smaller than the masonry sleeves you will be using. Thanks to this, the whole structure will stick to the wall much better. Now, all those spots you marked just moments ago will come in handy and let you know precisely where to drill. When every hole is ready, insert masonry sleeves - you can use a hammer to make sure each piece sits properly in its place.
Installing the shelves
Next, grab your brick wall anchors, hold them against the wall and embed a masonry fastener into every opening in the bracket. Drill until the head is firmly pressed against the support bracket. When all the previous tasks are done, you can put your chosen shelves on the brick wall and secure them. Then it’s time for some fun and decorating them according to your taste!
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