Install like a pro
Hang your shelves flawlessly by making sure you use the right technique for your wall type.
Drywall method
Be safe -- install in the studs.
1. Locate the studs with a stud finder or knock on the wall, listening for places where it no longer sounds hollow when you tap it.
2. Once you come across the first stud, mark its location with a pencil, and then measure to find the others; you should find a stud every 16 or 24 inches.
3. Affix shelf hardware to the studs by drilling holes and driving in wood screws or all-purpose screws.
4. If you have to install hardware in drywall where there is no stud, don't use a regular screw; use a toggle bolt (right), a fastener that expands inside the wall, providing a secure hold.
Plaster method
Protect your soft walls.
Drill holes, and then hammer in plastic sleeves, known as anchors. Drive screws through the shelf hardware and into the anchors.
Masonry method
Get the proper drill bit.
Drill holes with a masonry drill bit and use metal fasteners, called expanding anchors, instead of regular screws to attach the shelf hardware to the wall.