We’ve recently put up a floating shelf above our bed. Builders Warehouse has a wide variety of shelves to choose from and here is how you can put it up without too much fuss. We chose the white SHELVED by Mackie floating shelf as it fits in well with the rest of our bedroom’s décor. Its size is 1200mm (long) x 235mm (wide) x 38mm (thick).

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What you need to know before putting up a floating shelf

1. A floating shelf can only carry a certain weight, so be sure to check the packaging for details on weight limits.
2. Check whether the shelf comes with the screws required and if not, be sure to buy them while you’re there. Enquire about the type of screws you’ll need for the specific wall material you’ll be using it on.

What you’ll need

• A tape measure
• An electronic wire and pipe detector (unless you know what’s inside the wall)
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• A4 paper
• Masking tape
• A drill
• Screws or fittings (Builders’ floating shelves come with all the fittings you need)
• Screwdriver

How to put up a floating shelf

1. Decide where exactly you want to put it up (and how many shelves you want to put up).
2. Then decide how high you want the shelves and how far apart they need to be.
3. Check that area of the wall for possible wires or pipes with an electronic wire and pipe detector.
4. Place the bracket against the wall while using a spirit level to ensure that it is level.
5. Mark the fixing holes’ positions with a pencil.
6. Fold the A4 piece of paper into a triangle and use the masking tape to stick it up against the wall underneath the marks where you’ll be drilling the holes to catch the dust.
7. Use the marks as guide and drill holes in the wall.
8. Use screws that are suitable for the material of your wall and screw the bracket into place. Builders Warehouse’s floating shelf that we used required five screws.
9. Now slide the shelf onto the bracket and check that it is level.
10. Once you’re happy with the shelf’s position and you’re sure that it’s level, slide it back off and add all the other brackets.
11. Once all the brackets are in place, slide the shelf back on and fix it with small screws provided, using the pre-drilled holes at the bottom of the shelf.

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Now the fun part begins! READ MORE ABOUT HOW TO STYLE YOUR FLOATING SHELF HERE.

XOXOXO