DIY: Shelves: kelp me settle an argument before it starts [grin]

[SlightlyMadScotland]

OK, DP and I shall be putting up shelves this afternoon. I shall be the brains; he shall be the brawn (but attempt to muscle in on the brains).

So we have those metal rods with slots in for teh metal brackets which go up the wall so you can put multiple shelves on.

If my shelves are 80cm wide; where do we put the brackets?

I was thinking 20cm from either end - which will distribute the weight evenly as it is a quarter of teh way in...but that looks too close to teh middle of the shelves. What is the optimal position of the brackets?

Depends on what you will be putting on shelves. But usually 10-15 cm in is ok

Have a look here for real nerdy info.

www.homebase.co.uk/wcsstore/homebase/en_US/HBHowToArticles/articles/howto_putupwalls helves.html

Books....lot's of them

My dad thinks 50-60cms is fine between brackets - unless the shelf is very thick if they are melamine then a small gap is good

TY.

Apparently the MDF we have isn't really suitable ....but I think we will be fine as the selves are so short anyway.

How thick is it?

15cm in Did some recetly and that looked right

12mm MDF.

That should be OK (unless they are leather bound encyclopaedias )

Did it work?

Do they look good?

Well if he had the right screws to do it they mihgt be finished

If he didn't insist he had teh right screws when we were in teh shop a week ago they might be finished

Instead I have to go to B&Q tomorrow to buy a pack of screws for £1.25 which he refused to buy when we bought the other stuff because "I will have some in my tool box"

Sorry - I should't have asked should I?

No it is fine....but if he had of started before 3:30 we would have got it done; realised the problem and got the screws before B&Q closed at 4pm.

He has also insisted on useing these spring toggle things just for a couple of shelves which means I have 2cm bloody holes in my walls whcih I will have to fill if we ever take them down. They are his new toy since discovering them when we did the bathroom. I swear that he will insist on using a spring toggle when he gets round to putting up my calendar

Sorry....you have just opened the vent to allow the release of the high pressure steam....but it is all free now... all calm now

Welll they are up.

They look balanced (both in terms of being level and they "look balanced" and in proportion IYSWIM)

They seem firmly attatched to teh wall (if they come down with the fixings DP has used the whole wall is coming with them

Don't blame you DIY is traumatic imo

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I now have a big lump f plasterboard hanginfg of the wall in my bedroom where the bolt things he has used to hang it on teh wall have obviously gone all the way through the cavity to my room......

ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

[angry ][ angry]

Um...oh dear....nothing I can say will alleviate your pain - in time you will become used to the situation & over some years you will be able to look back without the swell of feelings you feel now

I hope

I just showed him the lump of plaster hanging off (about 4" by 4" so not particularly small).

"Whats that?" he says "How did that happen?" he says

(literally didn't associate it with the shelves in teh first instance).

I think that I am going to consider whether I can change my sexual preferences towards homosexuality so that I don't have to endure mens DIY again in the future

Oh and I am BTW!

But would it be worth it just for that - I mean you would have to take the bins out yourself

Ok.......I see what you are saying.....I will endure him for a bit longer.....