Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Floating shelves

12 replies

PeachesMcLeanEatsSprouts · 07/12/2007 21:50

No really sure this is "good housekeeping" but wasn't sure where to put it...

Have you had a carpenter make such shelves? ie, to fit?

How much did you pay (if you don't mind me asking) and what did you have them made of?

We've been quoted £300 to make and fit 12 MDF floating shelves for our alcoves, but it was just someone from yellow pages, rather than a recommendation. £45 extra for pine. Don't see the point in paying extra for pine since I'd only want to paint them anyway. Unless they were gorgeous proper wood and only needed waxing.

Anyone?

OP posts:
Barbiehair · 07/12/2007 21:57

£20 a shelf plus labour didn't sound too bad to me. Why don't you get 2 or 3 more quotes and it should put it into perspective.

AllChristmassedOut · 07/12/2007 21:59

A few years ago we had 5 solid hardwood (can't remember what ) ones made and fitted for £800. Not sure that is much help, but £300 doesn't sound unreasonable to me. Does that include making good the wall where the brackets are sunk in?

Original poster
PeachesMcLeanEatsSprouts · 07/12/2007 22:02

Ooh, does the wall need making good? See! I know nothing.

Should get a couple more quotes, I know.

OP posts:
AllChristmassedOut · 07/12/2007 23:34

Ours did. The brackets needed to be bigger than the depth of the shelves - and they ended up being strong enough for the carpenter to demonstrate their strength by hanging from them!

TheQueensPeach · 08/12/2007 08:58

I thought it would be done with battens on the wall like this. Obviously I'll check with whoever does them but is [http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/makingshelves.htm this]] not the normal way of doing them? These battens just go on with screws so the walls are fine. They need to be strong enough to hold a shelf full of books but I'm not planning to hang DH on them yet .

AllChristmassedOut · 08/12/2007 13:32

Depends whether they're solid planks of wood or not I guess. Ours were. And they weren't in an alcove.

Lauriefairycake · 08/12/2007 13:35

You could get the Ikea Lack shelves (£12 each - £20 I think for the big one) and fit them yourselves (tremendously easy)

DUSTIN · 08/12/2007 13:57

My husband is fitting my floating shelves out of solid wood and has cost us £70 for THE wood and £60 for special brackets so far. After seeing how much people have had to pay on here I am so glad he is good at DIY!

TheQueenSPeaches · 08/12/2007 19:30

Dustin, tell me about the special brackets. on the link below (which I cocked up try again here) they just use battens and long screws. Does your DH think he'll have to fix the walls afterwards?

Lauriefairycake, come round to our house and you'll see it's full of Ikea Their Lack shelves were the first I looked at but they're not long enough for these alcoves and I really want them to be fitted.

CremolaFirCone · 08/12/2007 19:34

5 like the idea of this

yomellamoHelly · 08/12/2007 19:40

We had six mdf shelves fitted in an alcove 3 months ago. Approx. 1300 mm wide x 40 mm deep with battens. All screws sunk and holes filled. Front of shelves chamfered. They're beautiful! Walls are all funny angles so each shelf different shape.
Paid £380.

DUSTIN · 09/12/2007 13:28

TheQueensPeaches Sorry I didn't get back to you. I don't get involved with the DIY as I 'get in the way' apparently! He is getting the brackets off the internet- I will ask him which site when he gets in from work.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page