How to hang a shelf on a plasterboard wall

Drywall is probably one of the most popular materials used for interior decoration. After its installation, the owner receives a perfectly flat surface on which the finishing is applied. It could be wallpaper or something else. But along with the wall, the homeowner also has the problem of installing various wall items, such as shelves or decorations.

Features of a plasterboard wall

Drywall is a rather delicate material and quite often, a shelf hung on a wall made of it ends up on the floor, and the sheet is hopelessly damaged. It is really quite difficult to repair.

There are several reasons that lead to shelves not being able to stay on the walls. These include:

• The fragility of the material is determined by its composition; 93% of this material consists of gypsum. And as you know, this material is no different.
• The homeowner used fasteners that were not suitable for use.
• Wall-mounted items are heavy, which limits their ability to be mounted on a wall. That is, placing such a load on the wall can lead to the formation of cracks or the destruction of the wall as a whole.

The maximum load-bearing capacity of drywall depends on:

1. The quality of the materials used in the manufacture of sheets.
2. Reliability of fastening sheets to the wall.
3. Dimensions and weight of mounted products.

According to the manufacturers of these products, some sheets are capable of carrying up to 55 kg of additional load. But you shouldn’t count on such an opportunity. In some cases, the maximum load capacity can be 15 or 5 kg.

Is it possible to hang a shelf on a plasterboard wall?

Is it generally acceptable to install shelves on walls made of plasterboard? The answer to this question is very simple - yes. To do this, you can use special fasteners or try to strengthen a sheet of this material.

What tools are needed to attach a shelf to drywall?

In order to securely mount objects on a sheet wall you will need:

• tool for making holes;
• dowels with screws;
• Anchors may be required;
• when performing individual works, a cementing mixture may be required.

Which fasteners to choose

To secure it to the wall, different types of fasteners are used. Among the large number of fasteners, the following can be distinguished:

1. Butterfly. This mounting kit consists of a plastic self-expanding dowel and a long screw. As it is screwed into the body of the dowel, the “wings” open, which rest against the back of the wall. The maximum load on such fasteners is from 6 to 12 kg.
2. Dowel made of metal or plastic. It is installed in drywall by screwing it into a pre-prepared starting hole with a diameter of 5–6 mm. During the twisting process, the spiral blades open, which expand inside the hole.The maximum load on this one is 20–30 kg.
3. Fischer Pd. This fastener consists of a screw and a massive dowel that expands and pushes into the drywall. The maximum load is up to 16 kg.

How to hang a light shelf on a plasterboard wall

To secure a wall object with small dimensions and weight, it is permissible to use dowels specifically designed for performing work on drywall. It could be a dowel - a butterfly or an umbrella.

The operation of fasteners of this type is based on one principle: as the screw is screwed in, the head opens, thus forming a stop that will help reduce the load.

On a note! If the structure does not have a large mass, then it is quite acceptable to use various adhesives that can be purchased at any construction supply store.

How to hang a heavy shelf on a drywall wall

It is quite difficult to secure a heavy load onto drywall. The weight of the product can simply crumble the sheet. Therefore, for such purposes, a fastening method is used - through the wall, directly to the sheathing. That is, the self-tapping screw is screwed directly into the beam or metal profile from which it is constructed. And after that you can hang a heavy shelf.

Another fastening method is anchor bolts. To install them, holes are made in the drywall board. Through which holes will be made for installing anchors in the wall of the house.

Such fastening of an attached object can be called the most serious.