How do I shelf?
September 17, 2018 6:37 PM Subscribe
I’ve just moved into a new rental apartment. I’d like to put up shelves capable of holding a desktop computer, monitor, books, and myself as I lean against it as a standing desk. The problem is I have no idea how to determine what kind of shelving I can put in.
I think the walls are plasterboard over brick but I don’t really know. How do I figure out what kind of wall shelving will work here?
Assume for now that talking with the landlord is troublesome at best if not impossible.
Thanks!
I think the walls are plasterboard over brick but I don’t really know. How do I figure out what kind of wall shelving will work here?
Assume for now that talking with the landlord is troublesome at best if not impossible.
Thanks!
Yes to praemunire’s suggestion, or something like it. Most, if not all, of the weight should be on the floor if you don’t know what the walls are made out of. Plaster over brick needs pretty major anchors to deal with combined shear/torque/pullout stress like you’d get from a floating-type shelf.
Why shelving and not a tall desk?
posted by supercres at 7:02 PM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Why shelving and not a tall desk?
posted by supercres at 7:02 PM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yep, go for something like what praemunire suggested, because if you're going to be leaning on it, you really, really don't want to find out the hard way that whatever you've used to mount shelves, etc to the wall can't take the load. Another option would be to DIY something (I'm thinking along the lines of the bookcases made of plumbing parts that were popular a couple years back), if you can't find something that will suit.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 7:17 PM on September 17, 2018
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 7:17 PM on September 17, 2018
Best answer: Here's a pretty good guide to determining what kind of walls you have.
Tl;dr: plaster and brick are complicated and I honestly wouldn't recommend messing with them in a rental apartment unless you are experienced & very confident in your ability to make repairs if something goes wrong. You might want to consider a freestanding standing desk with built-in storage -- it'll probably save you a bunch of time and money, and it will be much more stable, especially if you plan to lean on it.
The long answer:
1. Plasterboard adhered directly to brick with no hollow in between -- nope. This would require drilling all the way into the brick to anchor, as most normal plasterboard anchors will not work in this scenario. First, this requires specialized equipment; second, it runs the risk of unfixable damage to the brick, which I personally would not be comfortable with in a rental apartment.
2. Plasterboard mounted on wood studs over brick, with a hollow between the board and the brick -- this could work, since you can screw your supports directly into the studs or use standard anchors. I personally like these snaptoggle anchors, but there are many options -- find one that is rated for the weight you require, plus a whole lot for leaning.
3. Plaster over brick -- absolutely not. This is way different than plasterboard (see the link above for info on how to tell the difference). I do not recommend messing with this, since aged plaster can crack and fall out in chunks if given any excuse to do so. Like scenario 1 above, this would require anchoring into the brick (complicated), and it runs a significant risk of the plaster being badly damaged (nightmare). I would not mess with this, especially in a rental.
4. Plasterboard (aka, drywall) over studs (aka, standard, modern construction) -- this is relatively easy. Just like scenario #2, you can drill into the studs or use anchors rated for the correct weight. If something goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair. There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials on Youtube for this type of shelf-hanging, as well for drywall repair, so you can see what you're getting into.
If you're not comfortable with any of this, or if your walls are more complicated than standard drywall, or if you are only just now realizing how many tools you will have to buy, or if you just would rather not have to bother, then I'd suggest looking for a freestanding standing desk & bookshelf -- they exist!
posted by ourobouros at 7:35 PM on September 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
Tl;dr: plaster and brick are complicated and I honestly wouldn't recommend messing with them in a rental apartment unless you are experienced & very confident in your ability to make repairs if something goes wrong. You might want to consider a freestanding standing desk with built-in storage -- it'll probably save you a bunch of time and money, and it will be much more stable, especially if you plan to lean on it.
The long answer:
1. Plasterboard adhered directly to brick with no hollow in between -- nope. This would require drilling all the way into the brick to anchor, as most normal plasterboard anchors will not work in this scenario. First, this requires specialized equipment; second, it runs the risk of unfixable damage to the brick, which I personally would not be comfortable with in a rental apartment.
2. Plasterboard mounted on wood studs over brick, with a hollow between the board and the brick -- this could work, since you can screw your supports directly into the studs or use standard anchors. I personally like these snaptoggle anchors, but there are many options -- find one that is rated for the weight you require, plus a whole lot for leaning.
3. Plaster over brick -- absolutely not. This is way different than plasterboard (see the link above for info on how to tell the difference). I do not recommend messing with this, since aged plaster can crack and fall out in chunks if given any excuse to do so. Like scenario 1 above, this would require anchoring into the brick (complicated), and it runs a significant risk of the plaster being badly damaged (nightmare). I would not mess with this, especially in a rental.
4. Plasterboard (aka, drywall) over studs (aka, standard, modern construction) -- this is relatively easy. Just like scenario #2, you can drill into the studs or use anchors rated for the correct weight. If something goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair. There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials on Youtube for this type of shelf-hanging, as well for drywall repair, so you can see what you're getting into.
If you're not comfortable with any of this, or if your walls are more complicated than standard drywall, or if you are only just now realizing how many tools you will have to buy, or if you just would rather not have to bother, then I'd suggest looking for a freestanding standing desk & bookshelf -- they exist!
posted by ourobouros at 7:35 PM on September 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
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posted by praemunire at 6:45 PM on September 17, 2018 [1 favorite]