SHELVING & STORAGE

Put up a scaffold board shelf with pipe brackets on a solid brick or block wall

Fit sturdy pipe-bracket shelving to a solid brick or block wall, from planning through to a finished, level shelf.

SB-01Check this guide fits your wallThis guide is for solid brick or block walls only. If your wall sounds hollow when you tap it, or a magnet sticks to screw heads in a line, you have plasterboard on studs and need different fixings. Solid brick or block sounds dense and solid all over, and a pilot hole brings out grey or red masonry dust, not timber dust or steel swarf.
SB-02Plan the height and positionDecide where the shelf goes and mark the top edge lightly in pencil. Hold the scaffold board against the wall at this height to check it looks right and clears any switches, sockets or window reveals. Measure the board length and mark where the two brackets need to sit, roughly a fifth of the board's length in from each end for good support.
1 each · Tape measure
1 each · Pencil
SB-03Find your stopcock and check for cables and pipes before drillingBefore you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. Run a cable and pipe detector over the marked bracket positions, but still treat every hole as if something could be there — detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, and anything outside the usual safe zones near sockets and switches. If you have any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off at the stopcock before drilling anywhere near a kitchen or bathroom pipe run.
1 each · Cable and pipe detector
SB-04Mark and drill the first bracketHold the first pipe bracket against the wall at your marked position and mark through its fixing holes with a pencil. Drill each hole with an 8mm masonry bit to a depth of about 55mm, matching the length of your wall plug and screw. Blow or vacuum the dust out of the hole before pushing the wall plug in flush with the wall.
1 each · 8mm masonry drill bit
1 each · Drill
4 each · Red wall plugs (60mm)
SB-05Fix the first bracket and level across for the secondScrew the first bracket in place with 50mm screws until it sits tight against the wall. Place a spirit level on top of this bracket, extend it across to the second bracket's marked position, and pencil a level line so both brackets end up at exactly the same height.
1 each · Spirit level (600mm)
4 each · 50mm wood screws
SB-06Drill and fix the second bracketRepeat the drilling and fixing process from step SB-04 for the second bracket, using the level line to keep it lined up with the first. Check both brackets sit flat against the wall with no rocking before moving on.
1 each · 8mm masonry drill bit
4 each · Red wall plugs (60mm)
4 each · 50mm wood screws
SB-07Prepare the scaffold boardSand any rough or splintered edges on the scaffold board, especially the cut ends, so it is safe to handle and rest items on. If you want a finished look, wipe on a coat of danish oil or clear varnish and leave it to dry fully before fitting, following the tin's drying time.
1 sheet · Sandpaper (120 grit)
1 500ml tin · Danish oil
1 each · Cloth
SB-08Rest the board on the brackets and check levelLift the scaffold board onto the two brackets so it sits evenly on both. Put the spirit level on top of the board and check it reads level along its length; if not, loosen a bracket slightly and adjust before retightening fully.
SB-09Secure the board to the bracketsMost pipe brackets have a small screw or clip that locks the board in place from underneath or through the bracket's cradle. Fit this now so the board cannot be lifted off accidentally, following the fixing method that came with your particular brackets.
2 each · Small fixing screws (if not supplied with brackets)
SB-10Tidy upVacuum up masonry dust from the floor and skirting, and wipe down the wall below the shelf. Give the board a final level check with a spirit level and a firm push test to make sure it doesn't move.
1 each · Dust sheet

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