Shelf brackets over instead of under the shelf - Safe?

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gizmo1990

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I want to attach a high up shelf along a corridor, approx 2m across, into a brick wall. I'll likely use some 3/4" ply and 3 or 4 wall brackets. Ideally I'd like to have the brackets mounted internally so that they will be hidden when looking up. I'm always a little worried about mounting shelves this way though, as I presume the strength/holding power of the brackets isn't as good as it would be if they were routed outside, below the shelf?

Could some knowledgable people let me know if what I'm planning is safe enough? The weight the shelf will hold is uncertain, but it's intended as a storage type shelf, dvds, storage boxes etc. It's depth will be no more than 400mm. Any alternative fixing solutions, which still provide a clean appearance would be welcome too.

Any advice much appreciated.
 
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I assume that you want to fix the brackets to the shelves by screwing through the top surfaces. If so, because your screw length is limited to about 20mm, and most brackets have only three screw holes, the load that the shelves can take will be extremely limited due to the risk of the screws pulling out.

Google something like "top hung shelves" to see alternatives. There are quite a few of them out there
 
can you use a floating type fixing ?
is the shelf going to be thick enough and the wall able to take that kind of fixing - not plaster board etc

We have a floating shelf in the kitchen with cookbooks on - we did not want brackets underneath - and that has worked really well .
 
@JobAndKnock Thanks a lot for the reply. That's very much what I was thinking. I'm not seeing any top hung solutions tho that wouldn't involve some sort of protrusion below the shelf? I really want a clean underneath.

Say I chose a thicker ply or made it thicker using a construction with thick beams to screw into, what sort of thickness would be suitable to screw into enough?
 
I would use countersunk bolts and nuts, The head of the bolt under the shelf and the nut above the hole in the bracket.
 
From the depths of my memory I recall there being a library shelf end bracket from Spur. Looked it up and they are still made in widths of up to 470mm.
 
There is a shelf system that clamps the shelf edge where it meets the wall. No idea of strength
 
ETAF said:
can you use a floating type fixing ?
is the shelf going to be thick enough and the wall able to take that kind of fixing - not plaster board etc

We have a floating shelf in the kitchen with cookbooks on - we did not want brackets underneath - and that has worked really well .
Click to expand...

I too would recommend a floating fixing but I am not sure that the min shelf thickness is


The OP will have no visible fixings.
 
opps said:
I too would recommend a floating fixing but I am not sure that the min shelf thickness is
Click to expand...
Generally about 30mm

Tigercubrider said:
There is a shelf system that clamps the shelf edge where it meets the wall. No idea of strength
Click to expand...
They are dependent on having a good, flat wall to fix them to. They work better with shallow shelves up to 200/250mm wide - on wider shelves they can droop or even pull out if loaded too heavily. We had them in our last house but one
 
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If it's going between two end walls I'd batten out the two ends and along the back wall for support. 400mm, (16"), is quite a wide projection for top hanging brackets that will need to hold an unknown weight. The battens can be painted to blend in with the surrounding walls and I'd rather be safe than sorry if it came crashing down on someone.
 
Thanks so much for all the replies everyone. Using nuts and bolts is a good idea and the cliffhanger slot bracket looks good but isn't available in the UK. Plus it's expensive!

@conny Why I didn't think of going the batten route though, I have no idea! That's absolutely the best way to go I think. Along with say, 2 brackets along the length to provide additional strength and sagging. Maybe securing them with nuts and bolts too.
 
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