Basics
Hang a shelf
A shelf that holds books has to hit the framing. The basic kit is small, and you can own it once.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
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A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
The steps
Studs for weight. Anchors only when the package says so.
Screenshot the card, or print it. The links below stay on the site.
- 01Decide the load first. Books and dishes need studs. A light frame can use the anchor the package rates for that weight.
- 02Find the studs. In most walls they sit about 16 inches apart. Mark the centers with a finder, or a magnet on the drywall screws.
- 03Hold the bracket where it will live. Level it. Mark the holes. Do not hang it over a crib until you know what is in that wall.
- 04Into a stud: drill a pilot hole, then a screw long enough to bite at least an inch of wood, not just the drywall skin.
- 05No stud under the hole: use the rated anchor. A drywall screw alone will pull out once the shelf is loaded.
- 06Hang it. Tug down with your hand before you put weight on it. If it shifts, take it down and move to a stud.
- 07The kit you keep: tape, a level, a stud finder, a drill and bits, a screwdriver, and a box of rated anchors.
- 08If the bit hits a pipe or a wire, stop. Do not keep drilling to see what it was. Patch the hole and pick another stud.A pipe or a wire does not announce itself twice. Stop, patch the hole, and move to another stud.
Also on this job
The same job, in the directory.
Official pages and the DadLane steps, with a next step on each card.
1 in this view
Anchor It (CPSC)
Anchor furniture so it cannot tip
Anchor It, the federal tip-over campaign. Anchor the dresser or the shelf before you fill it.
For Dads with a dresser, a TV, or a shelf a child can climb.
- Basics how-tos
- Safety
- Toddler
Best videos
Video for hang a shelf.
If a player is here, it is a real public video. If the line says Find on YouTube, that is a search, not a video DadLane picked. Then do the steps on the sheet.
Anchor the furniture
No official embed was verified. Search the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission furniture tip-over guidance, then anchor it before you fill it.
YouTube search
Find on YouTube: CPSC anchor furniture tip over (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Go to the source.
These open in a new tab. They are the organizations named here, not ads. The video, when there is one, sits above this list.
- How to install wall-mounted shelves (opens in a new tab)
This Old House
- Anchor It (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission