How to Build a Floating Shelf
The usual shelves look great, but because of their bulkiness and the difficulty of constructing them, not everyone wants them. If you’re one of those who’s looking for a special type of shelf in your home, one option is to have a floating shelf. Its stylish and unique look can add a wonderful touch to any room. Building a floating shelf isn’t difficult, and here’s what to do.
What You’ll Need:
2 x 4″ (for the ledger boards)
1/2 inch plywood (for the shelf covering)
Drill and bits
Level
Measuring tape
Stud finder
Construction adhesive
Saw
Screwdriver and screws
Paint or varnish
Procedure:
Think about where you’re going to put your floating shelf. This will help you think how long you need them to be. Make sure the wall where you’re installing the shelf is sturdy enough; if it’s cracked or damaged, you should think about building the shelf somewhere else.
You need to find the studs behind the wall where you’re going to hang the shelves. You can use a stud finder for this. Once you’ve found them, mark their location with a pencil. Afterwards, measure and mark where the shelves will be positioned.
Prepare the wood for your shelf. You’ll need a 2 x 4 wood, that’s as long as the length of your shelf. This will be attached to the wall as the ledger board. Get two pieces of plywood that has the same measurements as your shelf, as well as another plywood that’s 3 ½ inches wide and the same length as your shelf. These will form the shelf. Lastly, get two 2 x 4 pieces, each one six inches long. These are the blocks at the shelves’ ends, providing a base to be attached to the plywood “box”.
Drill pilot holes in the wall carefully and through the 2 x 4. Afterward, apply some construction adhesive on the 2 x 4 ledger’s backside, then fix it to the wall, at the studs you’ve marked. Use your level to check that the board is level before you completely fasten it.
Attach the plywood top piece to the ledger board, using construction adhesive and screws. Faster the blocks to the underside of the top piece, as well as to the ledger board’s end.
Position the bottom of the shelf, then carefully attach it to the ledger board, as well as the blocks.
Complete the construction by affixing the third plywood piece to the shelf’s end blocks.
Paint the shelf. If you like its classy wooden look, just varnish it.
Some Tips
Wear eye protection when you use a saw.
If there are no studs on the wall where you want the floating shelf to be, just use molly bolt wall anchors.
Adjust your floating shelves’ depth using different lumber sizes.
Do away with those boring shelves, and build floating ones instead. With these easy steps, you’ll surely do this in no time at all.