Put up open kitchen shelving on a lath and plaster wall

Put up open kitchen shelving safely, checking what's behind the wall before drilling and choosing a fixing that will hold the load.

KS-01Clear the area and gather your toolsClear the worktop and floor under the wall and lay a dust sheet down. Cover the worktop itself with an old towel to catch drill dust. You'll need a detector, spirit level, tape measure, pencil, drill, screwdriver and a vacuum for later.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 roll · Masking tape

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KS-02Mark the shelf line and bracket positionsDecide on shelf height and draw a level line across the wall with a spirit level. Mark where each bracket will sit, spacing them roughly every 400-500mm for shelves that will hold jars, mugs and tins. Check the line against the units below so shelf edges line up neatly.

1 each · Spirit level

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1 each · Pencil

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KS-03Confirm what's really behind the plasterA wall that looks like lath and plaster may have been patched with plasterboard, or sit over solid brick near a chimney breast. Tap along your marked line - lath and plaster feels slightly springy with narrow timber ribs roughly 25-30mm wide underneath, while brick sounds dense and dead. Run a detector or magnet along the line to find the timber studs or joists behind the laths. Drill a small pilot hole at one bracket mark: fine wood dust with bits of old lime plaster confirms lath and plaster over timber, brick dust means solid masonry, and shiny metal swarf means you've actually got a metal stud wall, which needs a different fixing entirely.

1 each · Stud and cable detector

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KS-04Choose the right fixing for your wallInto a timber stud or joist behind lath and plaster, use a wood screw long enough to pass through the plaster and lath (allow 10-15mm) and still bite at least 30mm into solid timber. Between studs, where you're fixing into plaster and lath alone, use a spring toggle or hollow-wall fixing rated for the shelf load, and don't overtighten - old lime plaster and laths crack easily. Into solid brick or block, drill a 6-7mm hole to 40mm deep and use a Rawlplug with a 50mm screw. On plasterboard over timber studs, screw straight into the stud centre. On plasterboard over metal studs, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or toggle - never a plain plastic plug or ordinary wood screw, both strip straight through 0.5mm steel. On dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing long enough (typically 50-75mm) to reach the solid masonry behind the adhesive dabs. Kitchen shelves get pulled and leaned on constantly, so a metal stud alone will not hold them - if that's what you find, fit a timber noggin between the studs first or fix through to the masonry behind.

8 each · Wood screws 4x50mm

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4 each · Spring toggle fixings

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8 each · Rawlplugs (red)

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KS-05Check before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a kitchen wall, especially near sockets, the extractor or a sink. Use your detector, but still treat every hole as if something might be there - detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, and anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

KS-06Drill and fit the bracketsDrill each pilot hole using the size and depth matched to your wall type from step KS-04. Fix each bracket loosely first, check it against your level line, then tighten fully. Work along the line one bracket at a time so nothing shifts out of true.

4 each · Shelf brackets

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1 set · Drill bits (masonry and wood, mixed sizes)

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KS-07Fit the shelvesLower each shelf onto its brackets and check it's level and sitting square to the wall. If your brackets are the concealed-rod type, this is the point where the shelf gets glued or pinned onto the rods - follow the maker's instructions for glue open time. Wipe away any excess glue straight away.

2 each · Timber shelves (18-25mm)

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1 bottle · Wood glue

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KS-08Load test and tidy upAdd weight gradually - a few jars or tins at a time - and check for any movement or creaking before loading the shelf fully. Vacuum up plaster or masonry dust, wipe down the worktop and remove your dust sheets.

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