How safe you think this shelf is?

[dirtychinchilla]

The two right brackets are attached to the metal stud. The left one is just in the plasterboard.

The top of the brackets are connected by a gripit yellow, which are apparently rated to 71kh, and the bottom are toggle bolts.

The annoying thing is that the gripits haven’t gripped tight, so it has pulled away from the wall about a mm, but seems like it won’t move further.

This is in our impending baby’s room, so it needs to be safe. Lots of books going on there!

What do you reckon?

 

[dirtychinchilla]

If you have any doubts, take it off and re-do it.
Can you not just use two brackets located in the studs, or locate the third stud and affix it accordingly?

I'm not sure why you're using Grippits (for plasterboard) on a wooden stud anyway, but if you can use proper fixings they will be miles better.

Hah this was attempt 2.5.

They’re metal studs, I should have said.

The shelf isn’t long enough for it to reach the stud - that was attempt 2.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Looks fine but if you're worried just dont put books on it. Is it a baby room? I went for a wall organiser.

Mmm. I’ve requested a floor-a shelf and I’ll probably move the heavier books down.

It’s still up this morning, so that’s good.

Is it over cot/bed? I wouldn't risk it.

No, nowhere near the cot. I’d be happier if it was as that’s the external wall!

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I can't make sense of this. If the two right brackets are attached to a stud with wood screws, they should be absolutely rock solid, but you're referring to gripits and toggle bolts in the plural, implying more than one bracket is using them?

There’s a metal stud and that’s what they’re attached through. The Gripits I’ve used through the plasterboard and the stud at the top.

The bracket was annoying in that it needed one protruding screw at the top, and then you have to put one screw through it at the bottom.

All brackets are mounted in the same way, but the far left one isn’t on the stud.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

The height of the shelf looks odd also, is it at head height, asking to be walked into?

It’s not really in the walkway. My wife is very short so it’s above her head. I’m tall enough to be conscious of banging into things!

 

[dirtychinchilla]

My concern is more when kid is running around and toys etc are everywhere, one day you'll bend down to grab something and it'll stab you in the head.

Hah fair point! It’s probably too high for that.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

There is wallpaper. Whether it’s kid friendly or not, I don’t know.

We will get more shelves, this was the big one.

It’s confusing - that’s the bracket ikea sell for that shelf.

@dlockers the gripits were never really tight to the wall to begin with. It’s like the plasterboard isn’t quite thick enough for them. I could quite easily replace them.

I don’t really want to put more brackets up. I’m kind of thinking, if it stays up for now it’ll be fine…and we might move the heavy books to a floor standing shelf.

I think the brackets are able to go both ways so then they look the right size, but I was of the opinion that the long edge should go down the wall to give it more stability. The shelf is well fixed onto the brackets with two screws per bracket.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

The fact the two right brackets are into a stud, I wouldn't lose any sleep. I definitely wouldn't be putting heavy books on it tho - just too much to go wrong, especially when tiredness and pace kicks in and they getting thrown up there a bit lazily/on the leading edge.

Yeah that’s sort of what I’m thinking. The stud is solid, there are four fixings into studs…I’m more worried that the gripits might fail!

Floor standing bookshelf required anyway.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I'm not following - if two are in stud are the gripits just for the central one?

No. Gripits are into the stud too because I couldn’t use toggle bolts for the top fixing on the bracket.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

They’re secured to the stud with the Gripits

Can you guys stop talking in code and tell me what I should have done?

 

[dirtychinchilla]

These fixings?

GripIt Plasterboard fixing (Dia)25mm (L)20mm, Pack of 4

Fix heavy objects such as wall mounted TV's, water heaters and kitchen cupboards to plasterboard walls with this pack of plasterboard fixings from GripIt.

www.diy.com

How are they secure to a stud? Do they go through it and out the back of the metal?

Yes, they go on exactly the same as if it were just plasterboard.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

They're designed for plasterboards though, and that's probably why you have movement, although I've not tried it before to know

What’s the right thing to do, then?

 

[dirtychinchilla]

The wings are supposed to open behind the plasterboard, to create a secure fixing point. If there's a metal stud in the way, how are the wings that keep them secure going to open?

The wings are open behind the stud.

Do you know what a metal stud looks like? It’s just a metal channel.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Spring Toggle Cavity Fixing is apparently an option, but I've not used them

That would have been fine, but the stupid brackets needed you to have a screw sticking out to mount them. I think those types of fixings really need you to screw through something to keep them secure.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

I think I might just change them for the toggle bolts and get some XL washers.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

could countersink the toggle bolt bolt in the bracket (but how do you avoid dropping the spring if you wanted to change it) ..
you didn't put the toggles(strongest fixing) at the tops of the bracket though - where the force/moment is greatest.

Good point. You always lose the toggles - better than it falling down I guess!

 

[dirtychinchilla]

might be missing something but can you not insert the spring toggle bolts through the bracket on all the holes then mount the bracket onto the wall. that way you pull the bolt back till the legs grip and then tighten up ? do this for all fasteners. thats how i would anyway.(though never had metal studs , our house has laths and daughters is just dot and dab)

Unfortunately, only one of the holes is accessible from the front. The other, you have to put the screw into the wall and mount the bracket onto it.

I bought some washers to convert the top ones from Gripits to toggle bolts, but then I decided it was unlikely to work as you can't really pull the toggle bolt out of the wall enough to hook the bracket onto it.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

When you tighten into the wall it'll pull the gripit forward so if the plasterboard is a bit thin this bridges the gap.

Do you know for certain that the wings were fully expanded? I always find those can be a bit temperamental when installing.

Yeah they're definitely tightened. It's just slightly alarming that the shelf is a mm away from the wall at the top.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Are the brackets flush to the wall though? A mm gap could be caused by the bracket and shelf not aligning, or possibly an uneven wall?

It's partially to do with the uneven wall, and also because the gripits pulled away slightly after installation.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Please don't trust those fixings to hold any weight - and definitely don't place the baby's cot underneath it if you do.

This was the result of the grey fixtures failing, after our Persian tried to climb up:





She was only a dainty thing, but didn't quite make the jump and got caught in the cables, pulling the consoles forwards. The shelf pulled away from the left hand side, swinging down into the TV, before failing completely.
Insurer was great and paid out quickly, but I was more worried about injuries to Cookie than the damaged stuff.

Wow, ****!

I haven't used those, definitely not.

I have one of each of these in each bracket:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/gripit-plasterboard-fixings-15mm-x-14mm-8-pack/897gk

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-spring-toggles-5mm-x-80mm-20-pack/7168x

The question for me is whether I can make the latter work at the top of the bracket.