Closet shelf collapsed, dummy's guide to repairing it?

cj iwakura

Precursor: I'm not constructionally(?) inclined, at all.

That said, last night, my closet shelf(and three boxes of books stacked on top of it), came crashing down. Imagine the mess.

I'm not entirely sure how to repair it.

There's one bracket still on the right, the center and left ones tore right out of the wall.




What do I need to replace them and get the shelf back up? The easiest(and ideally idiot proof) method is welcome.

I was thinking maybe some shelf brackets that screw into the wall and putting the shelf on those, but I have no idea if that'd work. The wall is drywall, I think, if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

Figgy

I'm assuming what you had before was one of those Rubbermaid wire closet shelves? Those work fine as long as you're not planning on putting much on them. Boxes of books, for example, will either warp them badly or (in your case) rip them right out of the wall. They're not meant for heavy duty storage.

For a little bit of work, you can install a wooden shelf that will hold pretty much whatever you throw on it. You could charge rent and have someone live up there. Income property!

Here are some dirty diagrams:



The green are strips of wood you are going to screw into the wall, making sure either hit the studs or have drywall anchors behind them. Preferably the former. You can use simply construction lumber, it really doesn't matter too much since you won't really see it. The vertical strips are there to further support the shelf brackets. I recommend getting the ones with little scoops to hold the closet rod, especially if it is an especially long closet.

Then you'll have this:



For the shelf itself, you can find pressed board that's been coated, made specifically for closet shelving. It's strong enough so that it won't buckle under the weight of your mountains of books. In total, you'll probably spend an afternoon of your time and about $30 of your cash. It will look something like this:



Although bracket designs will vary greatly.

cj iwakura

Yep. I was planning on putting that up, but I like your idea a LOT more. I have a friend who says he can help, so we'll see. (Protip: this is why you don't be a packrat with paperbacks...)

Figgy

Even if you aren't very handy, you can do this. And with a friend, it's even easier.

For tools, all you'll really need is a hand saw and a drill. When you buy the shelf itself from the store, have them cut it to size for you. They'll usually do a cut or two for free per piece of wood bought. Just know the size for certain. Measure three times. And measure every dimension. Don't assume the walls in your closet are squared.

MichaelLC

When scewing stuff into drywall, be sure to use anchors:



And/or screw everything into the studs. In a perfect world, they're 12-18" apart. So one in the corner, then 18" from that, etc.

edit: Figgy mentioned them already, excellent.

Figgy

MichaelLC wrote: »

When scewing stuff into drywall, be sure to use anchors:



And/or screw everything into the studs. In a perfect world, they're 12-18" apart. So one in the corner, then 18" from that, etc.

edit: Figgy mentioned them already, excellent.

Even draw a straight, horizontal line across the wall where your beam is going to go. Tap a finishing nail in about 1/2 inch and see if it just pokes through with your finger after. If it does, no stud. Take it out, move over a bit, and try again. Obviously do some measuring to try to find approximately where the stud is first, instead of tapping 100 nails in, but this is an easy way to find exactly where the studs are. While drywall anchors are good, you're going to need at least 2 studs supporting the back wall beam and 1 on each side. The rest can be anchored.

You can get a stud finder, but I've found that the more affordable ones are pretty much useless.

Thro

Figgy wrote: »

You can get a stud finder, but I've found that the more affordable ones are pretty much useless.

I literally have an easier time finding the studs by rapping the wall with a knuckle than with a crappy stud-finder. If you know someone with a good one though, borrow it!

Also: nothing wrong with drywall anchors, if you need to put a hole where a stud isn't. Make sure the screw you use matches the anchor. Drill a starter hole (so you don't tear the paper outside layer of the drywall, or destroy the head of the plastic anchors). The internet, side of the box, or whoever sells you the anchors will probably have all the info you'll need.

Don't drill directly above or below a light switch or outlet. That's, probably not an issue in a closet though.

bowen

Most of the time those cheap stud finders need to be seeded in an area without a stud, so if you happen to land on a stud while you turn it on it'll give you wildly crazy results.

mts

those wire racks are fine for heavy loads, you just need to make sure you have the proper anchors

Djeet

If you're holding up books I personally wouldn't go with a traditional bracket/shelf system as has been suggested so far, because books are way more heavy than anyone gives credit. If you did decide to go that route I'd anchor each bracket into studs (16-24" apart) with at least 2 screws.

For my bookshelves I use "adjustable slotted shelving" or "track shelving" which consists of a horizontal rail (secured by drywall anchors), and vertical tracks that have multiple holes in which to attach the hardware that supports the shelf. Elfa probably pioneer this, but home depot has some knockoffs that do the job fine. Using this system will likely result in more holes in your walls, but will support more weight than brackets.

Figgy

Djeet wrote: »

If you're holding up books I personally wouldn't go with a traditional bracket/shelf system as has been suggested so far, because books are way more heavy than anyone gives credit. If you did decide to go that route I'd anchor each bracket into studs (16-24" apart) with at least 2 screws.

For my bookshelves I use "adjustable slotted shelving" or "track shelving" which consists of a horizontal rail (secured by drywall anchors), and vertical tracks that have multiple holes in which to attach the hardware that supports the shelf. Elfa probably pioneer this, but home depot has some knockoffs that do the job fine. Using this system will likely result in more holes in your walls, but will support more weight than brackets.

That's not sturdier than a properly built shelf. It's also geared toward multiple shelves, not a single closet shelf like the OP wants.

With the proper amount of supports and making sure to hit studs, the only way that shelf is coming down is if the wood itself cracks. Which isn't going to happen.

MichaelLC

Yeah, I have the Rubbermaid set, and they're pretty awesome. Lots of options for racks or rods, etc.

Probably more than OP needs - unless they want to do a whole library setup with shelves from floor to ceiling. Nice but a little spendy.

Figgy

There's also Closetmaid, which is a modular system you can mix and match to fit your space:



That's a promo image showing something that likely cost around $1200.

We used parts of this system in combination with making parts ourselves (like a corner peice that was 1/3rd the price to do ourselves) to do our master closet. Very, very, very efficient use of space and looks great. But if you're just looking for something quick, cheap, and easy, this ain't it. (was about $350 for our small walk-in). Or if you're renting. Don't do anything crazy if you're renting.

bowen

Yeah a 3-4 shelf brackets at like $2 a pop and a thick laminated board designed for closet shelving (probably like $60-100) is probably the most you'll need. If you get 2 of your brackets in a stud and the rest with drywall anchors, you should be golden. Not difficult at all to do, even with shitty stud finders you pick up at walmart for $5.

cj iwakura

Here's the aftermath.

$40 at Home Depot and some wood cutting and four hours later...


We used screws+anchors to put the three planks of wood on the side, put a wooden pole inside that, and a plank over the top. We just have to lower the pole some, and it's golden.

Thanks for the input all.

Figgy

Looks good. I would have put a small piece verticle so the lower portion of the bracket doesn't "hang off" like that, but it should be fine.