Shelving unit - options please

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0Floz0

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Hi

I’m looking at building a set of shelving in our utility. It’s 2 metres wide and looking to do it floor to ceiling and wall to wall. We don’t have a garage so looking to maximise storage. It will have those big plastic boxes you get from Wilko that will be full of stuff. The wall behind it is just a stud wall but either side the wall is brick.

Was thinking of just using some studs either side and drilling them into the brick on the sides. Maybe use 2 scaffold boards per shelf? Wondering if that would be sturdy enough in the middle?

What would you make it out of? Wickes seem to have some cheap cls at the moment. Do I need to worry about moisture as washing machine and tumble dryer are in the room.

As you can tell I’m a bit unsure so any advice is appreciated.

Thanks
 
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Battens either side will do but I would also put a batten along the back wall to prevent bowing.
If you don't know/can't find the stud positions you can always use hollow wall fixings such as spring toggles. Drill the long batten at intervals, line it up against the wall and mark off the holes. Remove the batten, drill the hole suitable for the fixings you will use, and mount the batten.
Beware! If you are using toggle fixings, they have to be long enough to go through the batten and the wall thickness plus long enough for the spring wings to open out fully before tightening. Also, these have to be inserted into the batten first by removing the wings, sliding the screw through and then re-attaching the wings before pushing through the hole in the wall. Another downside is, if you remove the screw at some later date the wings will drop down inside the wall.


Or these, (which I tend to use for lightweight work),


One of these is worthwhile buying as well for the drywall fixings. Makes life so much easier and more accurate. Added bonus, you can undo these and re-fit them time and time again.

 
conny said:
Battens either side will do but I would also put a batten along the back wall to prevent bowing.
If you don't know/can't find the stud positions you can always use hollow wall fixings such as spring toggles. Drill the long batten at intervals, line it up against the wall and mark off the holes. Remove the batten, drill the hole suitable for the fixings you will use, and mount the batten.
Beware! If you are using toggle fixings, they have to be long enough to go through the batten and the wall thickness plus long enough for the spring wings to open out fully before tightening. Also, these have to be inserted into the batten first by removing the wings, sliding the screw through and then re-attaching the wings before pushing through the hole in the wall. Another downside is, if you remove the screw at some later date the wings will drop down inside the wall.


Or these, (which I tend to use for lightweight work),


One of these is worthwhile buying as well for the drywall fixings. Makes life so much easier and more accurate. Added bonus, you can undo these and re-fit them time and time again.

Click to expand...
Thanks. Really appreciate the detailed advice. Will take a look at those links. I know where one of the studs is and it’s roughly central so may use that. Just wary of putting too much weight on the shelves and it pulling at the stud wall it’s only tape and jointed rather than plastered so I worry about cracking.

What wood would you use for the actual shelves?
 
Did my store room , all stud work so just screwed twin slot vertical uprights to each stud and brackets to support mdf shelving ( allows you to customise width to suit storage).
Screwfix we’re really cheap but on checking they seem to have reduced their range of uprights .
 
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foxhole said:
Did my store room , all stud work so just screwed twin slot vertical uprights to each stud and brackets to support mdf shelving ( allows you to customise width to suit storage).
Screwfix we’re really cheap but on checking they seem to have reduced their range of uprights .
Click to expand...
Thanks. Hadn’t thought about twin slot uprights. Not a bad shout at all. just depends how hidden the brackets can be. Was looking at going quite deep with the shelves. Probably two scaffold boards deep. So the force on the outer edge may be too much for the uprights.
 
Jamesn88 said:
Thanks. Hadn’t thought about twin slot uprights. Not a bad shout at all. just depends how hidden the brackets can be. Was looking at going quite deep with the shelves. Probably two scaffold boards deep. So the force on the outer edge may be too much for the uprights.
Click to expand...
No, the brackets come in a variety of sizes , a single bracket would take your weight, spread over several it would be near impossible to overload .
 
The plasterboard will be fixed to the studs with nails or screws, if the heads are buried, then you should be able to find them with a metal detector, or even a rare earth magnet etc.. Find the nails/screws, and you will then know where the studs are, rather than using cavity fixings.

Jamesn88 said:
Thanks. Hadn’t thought about twin slot uprights. Not a bad shout at all. just depends how hidden the brackets can be. Was looking at going quite deep with the shelves. Probably two scaffold boards deep. So the force on the outer edge may be too much for the uprights.
Click to expand...

Could you perhaps support the shelf outer edges, with chains or steel wire, fixed to the ceiling?

Be aware that MDF, when subjected to excess weight, over a long period can deform.
 
I had twin slot in my old shed
Worked well but the costs can mount up with brackets and shelving.

Might be worth looking at shelving/racking

Shelving | Shelving Units | BiGDUG

Browse our wide range of high-quality shelving at BiGDUG. We have an extensive selection of shelving units for warehouses, offices and more.
www.bigdug.co.uk www.bigdug.co.uk
 
If it's a utility room stacked with boxes, the steel slotted system will be ideal. Very strong and versatile. Mine is Spur brand and you can still get accessories to fit (check as some brands are not quite right) and you might find used parts cheap from shop refits.

The fixing at the top is the most important one, as it resists pull-out, and should be higher than the top shelf to reduce leverage. Put it almost at the ceiling if you can. All the other screws just carry vertical loads (unless the top one pulls out)

When fixing, tap your plasplugs just below the surface of the plaster. When you remove it you just need a smear of filler over the hole, no need to pull out the plugs and cause a hideous crater.
 
I bought my twin slot stuff from eBay for my brick shed, went with OSB rather than MDF for the shelves as it's anti-frost heating only and I couldn't guarantee it being totally dry, not too expensive but a bit "functional" looking.
 
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