How do you install a floating shelf?

Shelf installation step by step

A floating shelf installation is mostly checks before you drill. Have a spirit level, a drill and the right anchors and screws ready.

1. Check the maximum load. Find the maximum load the maker lists for your shelf. Keep what sits on it within that figure.
2. Check the wall. Work out what the wall is made of and whether concealed cables or water pipes run behind it.
3. Mark the bracket position. Hold the bracket in place, rest a spirit level on it and mark the holes.
4. Drill to the anchor's depth. Drill each hole only as deep as the anchor needs, with steady pressure rather than force.
5. Fit the anchors and screws. Push in anchors made for your wall and screw the bracket on. Check it is level before you tighten fully.
6. Hang the shelf and check level. Slide the shelf on, check it with the level again and add items within the maker's limit.

Choosing brackets and anchors

Check what comes with your shelf before you buy fixings. IKEA's LACK wall shelf includes hidden suspension brackets, but screws for wall mounting are sold separately. IKEA asks you to use screws and plugs suitable for your home and, if you are uncertain, to seek professional advice.

On a Ferrolite partition wall, HDB says the wall can take up to a maximum of 50kg per bolt, depending on the type of anchor bolt; its table lists a steel cavity anchor, for example, at 20kg. You and your contractor must use the appropriate anchor bolt for heavy objects such as wall-mounted cupboards or cabinets. No bolt should exceed 50mm in overall length, and adequate support must be provided if the load is heavier than 50kg.

If your shelf also arrives flat-packed, see the guide to furniture assembly cost.

Load limits

IKEA lists a maximum load for each LACK wall shelf: 10 kg for the 110 cm shelf and 3 kg for the 30 cm one, "depending on type of wall and fastening". Read the figure for the exact shelf you bought.

Treat the maker's figure as the limit to follow, and do not borrow a figure from another product. If you cannot find one for your shelf, ask the maker before you load it.

The 50kg figure from HDB is per bolt on a Ferrolite wall, not a figure for the shelf.

HDB walls: where not to drill

For any wall shelf, HDB rules depend on which wall you drill into. Some new flats have Ferrolite partition walls, usually in bedrooms: two concrete panels with a sound insulation core, connected to the ceiling or beam with steel angle plates. HDB says not to drill within 200mm vertically below ceilings or beams, so you do not damage those plates. Do not use excessive force, and limit drill penetration to about 22mm.

In the household shelter, HDB's building works guidelines say the reinforced walls, floor slab, ceiling and steel door must not be tampered with. Drilling into its internal walls is limited to 50mm deep, for non-metallic inserts and removable screws, and fixtures there must be removable within 48 hours when notified.

In flats with concealed water pipes, HDB asks you to take precautions when drilling; its concealed pipe layout plans are a guide only. The HDB drilling rules guide sets out the rules by wall type.

When you can drill

HDB treats heavy and excessive drilling as restricted (noisy) work: 9am to 5pm on weekdays only, and not on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays or the eves of New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa and Christmas Day.

HDB asks residents to keep DIY works to 7am to 10.30pm, and only 2 of the handheld power tools approved by HDB, or their equivalent, may be used at any one time. To check a particular day, use the renovation hours checker.

When to call a professional and what it costs

Call one of the handymen for a heavy shelf, a wall you cannot identify, or a shelf in the household shelter. When you ask for a price, ask whether anchors and screws are included and whether it covers one shelf or several.

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published drilling and mounting rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published drilling and mounting rates from 3 companies run from S$40 to S$120 per job (middle rate S$60), to mount one item. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.

See 4 published drilling and mounting rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Wefix4U	Drilling	From S$10 per hole	wefix4u.sg
FixMove	TV, mirror, shelf, picture or cabinet mounting	From S$40 per job	fixmove.sg
Repairhome.sg	Installation (TV brackets, mirrors, shelves, lights, curtain hardware)	From S$60 per job	repairhome.sg
Handy King	TV wall mounting	From S$120 per job	handyking.sg

4 companies publish a drilling and mounting line. 3 price it per job, from S$40 to S$120 per job, with S$60 in the middle, which is the middle company's own published rate. These per-job lines are printed to mount one item. The fourth company prices drilling at From S$10 per hole. More lines are on the handyman rates page.

Two printed lines name shelves: From S$40 per job for TV, mirror, shelf, picture or cabinet mounting, and From S$60 per job for installation of items including shelves. The S$120 per job line is for TV wall mounting; see TV mounting if you need that too. To plan other small jobs for the same visit, see the handyman job list.

Questions