Homemade Floating Shelves Use Wobble Wedges ® to Achieve Perfection
Floating shelves are a sophisticated way to add storage capacity in your home without the clutter of metal shelf brackets. There are a variety of floating shelf styles and kits that are available for purchase online. The truly industrious home improvement junkies will opt to build their own floating shelves using basic carpentry skills and tools. However, even the most perfectly built floating shelf may not rest flat against the drywall. Any gaps between the bottom of the shelf and the wall will cause the floating shelf to be out of level. Luckily, Wobble Wedge ® plastic shims provide an easy fix! Our sturdy plastic shims will help you install perfectly level DIY floating shelves.
How to Build a DIY Floating Shelf
DIY floating shelves are constructed with an internal support that gets attached to the wall and an exterior “box” that slips over the support. This style of design creates an incredibly strong shelf without any visible support. If mounted to drywall, use drywall anchors to increase the weight capacity of the shelf. Otherwise, mount the floating shelf into studs for a seemingly indestructible shelf ready to hold your heaviest house plants, books, and decorative items.
Installing a Floating Shelf
Use a level while installing the internal support for your floating shelf. This ensures that the shelf is level from side to side. Once you have mounted the internal support, slip the box that comprises the exterior of the shelf over the support. Use finishing nails to hold the exterior box to the internal support bracket.
Level DIY Floating Shelves with Plastic Shims
At this point you may notice that your shelf is level from side to side, but does not sit flush against the wall and is therefore not level from front to back. This could cause items to slide off the shelf and could even pull the shelf off the wall. Place a level on the shelf to see if it dips tilts downward. If your floating shelf is not level, use clear/translucent Wobble Wedges ® plastic shims under the bottom, against the wall, to make your shelf level from front to back. Once you have confirmed with your level that the shelf is now even you can trim the Wobble Wedges ® so they are not visible to the naked eye. Using a marker draw a line on each plastic shim, and then remove it. Trim the Wobble Wedge ® plastic shims to size with scissors or an exacto blade. Replace each plastic shim and recheck the shelf for level.
Congratulations! You built a beautiful floating shelf that is unique and customized to your space. Now it’s perfectly level thanks to Wobble Wedge ® plastic shims!