Fit a glass bathroom shelf to a lath and plaster wall

Fit a glass shelf in a bathroom by working out your exact wall type first, then using the right fixing for it.

GS-01Gather your tools and materialsGet your glass shelf kit, a cordless drill with masonry, wood and glass/tile bits, a spirit level, pencil and detector. Check what fixings came with the shelf kit before you buy anything else - many kits include plastic wall plugs that are wrong for stud walls or dot-and-dab. Buy the correct fixing for your wall type from the steps below instead if needed.

1 each · Glass bathroom shelf kit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Cordless drill with mixed bit set

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Spirit level

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Detector (cable/pipe/stud)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-02Work out exactly what your wall is made ofKnock along the wall where you plan to fix the shelf. A dead, dense sound means solid brick or block. A hollow sound with a slight bounce and a springy feel often means lath and plaster. A hollow sound near a masonry wall usually means dot-and-dab plasterboard. If it's hollow throughout, you have a stud wall - now work out timber or metal.

GS-03Check timber or metal studs if the wall is hollowRun a magnet or detector across the wall - it will catch on screw heads down a line if studs are timber-framed and screwed, or read solid metal if studs are metal. Drill one small 3mm pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: fine pale dust means timber, grey metal shavings (swarf) mean steel. Metal studs are common in flats, new builds and any bathroom refitted since the 1990s.

GS-04Mark and level the fixing positionsHold the shelf bracket at your chosen height - around 1200-1400mm from the floor works well for most bathroom shelves - and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Use a spirit level across the top of the bracket so the shelf doesn't lean. If drilling through tiles, put masking tape over the marks first to stop the bit skating.

1 roll · Masking tape

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-05Check for cables and pipes, and find your shut-offs firstBathrooms often hide pipework and cables in odd places, so run your detector over every mark - but still treat the wall as if something is there, because detectors miss cables in metal conduit, behind metal-backed board, and readings get confused by metal mesh in lath and plaster or by metal stud frames. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns before you start. If you have any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

GS-06Lath and plaster: drill and fix into the lathsLath and plaster is a thin plaster skim over wooden laths with an air gap behind, so an ordinary wall plug just spins in the void. Drill through the plaster skim with a masonry bit, then feel for the resistance of a lath and switch to a wood bit to go into it, using a screw long enough to grip the timber properly. If you can't reliably hit solid timber, use a long spring or gravity toggle fixing rated for the shelf's weight instead, which spreads the load across the plaster and laths rather than relying on one thin strip of wood.

4 each · Long wood screws (40mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Spring toggle fixing kit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-07Solid brick or block: drill and plugDrill with a 6mm masonry bit for a standard No.8 screw and matching plug, going about 5mm deeper than the plug's length to clear dust. Push in a plastic wall plug, then drive the screw through the bracket into it. This is the strongest and most straightforward fixing for a light shelf.

4 each · Wall plugs 6mm x 30mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · No.8 screws 40mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-08Dot-and-dab: fix through to the masonry behindDot-and-dab plasterboard sits on blobs of adhesive with a 20-50mm air gap before the real wall starts, so a short plug will pull straight out with the shelf. Use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard, cross the gap, and bite properly into the masonry behind - typically 75mm or longer - or use a heavy-duty hollow-wall anchor rated to cover that combined depth.

4 each · Long fixing screws 75mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Wall plugs for dot-and-dab

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-09Timber stud wall: fix into the stud or use a toggleIf your marks land on a stud, drive an ordinary wood screw straight into the centre of the timber - no plug needed. If a mark falls between studs, use a plasterboard toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for the shelf plus its contents, since bottles and wet glass add real weight over time.

4 each · Wood screws 40mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Plasterboard toggle fixings

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-10Metal stud wall: use the right hollow-wall fixingNever use a plain plastic plug or an ordinary wood screw in a metal stud - it strips straight through 0.5mm steel and won't hold. Use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing where a mark lands on the stud, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the shelf's weight where it doesn't. A glass shelf with bottles is light enough for this, but anything heavier - a mirror cabinet, a towel rail with a rail arm that gets pulled on - needs a timber noggin fitted between the studs or a fixing back to the masonry behind.

4 each · Self-drilling metal stud screws

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

GS-11Fit the brackets to the wallHold each bracket against its marks and drive the fixings in evenly, checking with the spirit level as you go. Don't overtighten - stop once the bracket sits flush and doesn't wobble.

GS-12Fit the glass shelf onto the bracketsLower or slide the glass onto the brackets as the kit instructs. Check any rubber or foam pads are seated to protect the glass, then tighten clamp screws evenly and only snug - overtightening is a common way to crack glass shelving.

GS-13Test the fixing before you trust itPress down and gently pull outward on the shelf to check for movement, creaking or crumbling around the fixing. Load it with the sort of bottles and jars you'll actually keep on it. If anything gives at all, remove it and refit using a heavier-duty fixing from the relevant wall-type step above.

GS-14Clean upVacuum drilling dust from the floor and windowsill, wipe down tiles and walls, and bin the packaging. Wipe the glass shelf clean with a lint-free cloth before you put anything on it.

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides