Shelf Brackets Buying Guide

Undoubtedly, shelves help to store our books and other items and thus give a neat look to the place, but these shelves are kept in their place by shelf brackets, which basically bear all the load of the shelf. The shelves will be of no use in the absence of supporting brackets.

Apart from providing that essentially needed support, the brackets have a decorative role to play in your scheme of things for any room. There are many kinds of brackets available in different styles, designs and a variety of materials. Here are some of the varieties for you to choose from:

Wooden Shelf Brackets



There is little doubt that wooden shelf brackets were the first to be used, wood being in abundance in nature. So, wooden shelf brackets deserve a salute!
Wooden shelf brackets have a warm nice look around them, whether it’s a study, a child’s bedroom or any great room.

Metal Shelf Brackets

When thinking in terms of brackets, most people tend to think of different kinds of metals that could be used for making the metal shelf brackets. Of course, most of the shelves use metallic brackets these days. Like any other product available in many variations, you ultimately get what you paid for. You get cheap shelf brackets with capacity to hold very limited weight, while there are others that are very strong, can hold a lot of weight and are obviously better priced.

Glass Shelf Brackets



When you have glass shelves, you require especially made brackets that keep the shelves in place. That’s how glass brackets come into picture here. As a matter of fact these brackets are not made from glass. These are made from metal and are provided with rubber pads to support glass shelves and the whole arrangement looks very neat.

Decorative Shelf Brackets

Simple and plain brackets remain functional, but decorative brackets are not only functional but also add to the décor of the place they are used in. Thankfully, these are available in many attractive designs.

Wrought Iron Shelf Brackets



These days the brackets with a classic look are made from iron. Shelf brackets made from wrought iron are strong and sturdy and come in very eye-catching designs.

Floating Shelf Brackets

The idea of having floating shelf brackets is quite cool. That floating effect is achieved using floating shelf brackets. These are quite unlike other brackets and have a unique design with exclusive looks.

Heavy Duty Shelf Brackets

The normal brackets prove inadequate for installation in a garage or a workshop, as you need something exceptionally strong there. That brings into picture heavy duty shelf brackets. Be prepared to pay a better price for these strong brackets you intend using for heavy jobs.

Folding Shelf Brackets

At your workplace it’s nice to have shelves which can be used as and when required, and rest of the time, these don’t come in your way. You can use these folding shelf brackets as per requirements and they prove to be very helpful when you are short of space, which in any case is getting costlier by the day.

Shelf Brackets And Size - What Do You Need For Granite

The right size of angle brackets to support granite surface and overhang is largely dependent on the quality of angle or bracket support you buy.

Certainly, all angle brackets are not the same. Understanding the quality of wrought iron angle bracket needed to provide support to a heavy surface like granite or other stones is vitally important. Not all iron products are strong enough to provide the support needed for holding heavy items in place. You should understand that it’s the thickness of the metal used for making heavy duty bracket that determines the load it can bear. Usually, one is able to make out the quality, craftsmanship and strength of the bracket by looking at it. One should prefer having hand forged wrought iron brackets for being used in the exteriors or interiors of the house. Such brackets last long as they are better able to bear the outdoor environments.



Generally, you’ll get corner brackets, angle brackets, support brackets or whatever name you might like to give them, in standard sizes that are correct for standard shelf size. The normally accepted standard sizes are 8”, 12”, 14”, and 16” or 18” inches deep.

Conventionally, wrought iron brackets are slightly undersized the depth of standard shelf size. For example, a 7.5” bracket can hold an 8” shelf size and so on. That’s to prevent the bracket from projecting out of shelving or counter.

Counter tops are a bit different in the sense that they may deviate from the standard size, depending on specific requirements. These may be 18”, 22” or 24”deep. You get quality hand forged iron brackets to hold that kind of weight. Your contractor or designer can help you deciding on an appropriate angle bracket to suit your requirements.

The size of wrought iron angle bracket to be used below the surface of overhanging granite offers you some flexibility. In case of an overhang, the size of a bracket can be varied for getting a nice profile. As most of the weight is carried by the counter, you get many options on the size of the iron bracket. You may allow the contractor or designer to decide the size that would give the best profile and needed support.

Apart from being an ideal choice for counter top support and shelving support, the hand forged wrought iron brackets also offer an enormous architectural element.

Shelf Brackets Installation - Fast And Easy

With the shrinking sizes of houses most of us find it difficult to have the required storage space. Every now and then on buying even a small gadget or an accessory, you are hard put to find suitable storage for it, and there never seems to be enough floor space at home.

Under the circumstances that most of householders face, it is a good practical proposition to create storage space vertically, along the walls. One of the options for making better use of storage along the walls is to include a couple of shelf brackets, made of boards that get attached to the wall. Apart from creating additional space for you, they also add to the beauty of your place. These create the impression as if the wall were a big closet or dresser.


But, you may not like the mounts needed for supporting the shelf brackets. The mounts are not attractive by any definition. That should prompt you to consider having floating wall shelves. These are available in many shapes and sizes and there are many manufacturers offering these in many attractive designs. They help you taking care of the clutter around the house and give a neater look to your home.

Installation of a floating wall shelf is a bit difficult, but you have professionals available for doing this job for you. Nevertheless, if you are determined to do it yourself, go ahead, but learn the tricks before hand and have patience, else you may get discouraged to leave the job half way thru.

Readily available shelving kits come to your rescue when you decide to install a floating shelf on your own. These kits are complete and come with the needed shelves and hardware. All that you need to learn is how to hide the brackets and mounts that hold your shelf.

Having a shelving kit makes installation simpler. Having got that you should mark the place where the shelf is going to be placed. To eliminate the chances of error, remember the golden rule “measure twice before making any cut”. And, as is always the case, the first few cuts are a bit difficult but at the end of it all you’ll feel happy that you decided to go ahead slowly.

Next, comes the process of drilling and that is the most critical part of this job and that calls for two precautions: first is to align the shelf before drilling and the second is to observe the basic safety measures needed for any kind of drilling. In case you have never handled a drill machine, you would do well to familiarize with that by drilling a couple of holes.

Having drilled the holes on either side, you put in place the wall anchors and bolt it. Check that it is secured perfectly and you are ready to start storing your stuff in this good looking and space saving device.

Solid Brass And Bronze Shelf Brackets

Apart from being sturdy and durable, solid brass and bronze shelf brackets make a good choice to adding décor and elegance to any shelving arrangement. For many generations shelves have continued to be used not only or the purpose of storage of items, but also for the element of decor associated with them. Perhaps this was one of the earliest accessories discovered and designed by mankind to facilitate storage and display.

A shelf is the simplest weigh carrying structure that one could imagine. Its design may vary from being the simplest to the most decorative. Different materials like wood, stone and metal have been employed for making of shelves, bur the advantage of using solid brass is that it can be cast to get a number of intricate designs and aptly finished to suit any decorative style.



Inclusion of solid brass shelving into any space brings its special aura. Brass is one such material that can be exploited to usher in novel and exciting designs to otherwise bare and simple shelves. Apart from that, this metal can bear heavy weights without any fear of getting damaged in the process. Of course, they need to be fixed up properly to bear heavy weights.

The vast variety of solid bronze and brass shelving being produced these days in simple and intricate designs makes it very convenient to choose a design and style that goes well with almost any design of interiors. The choice is so wide that you can easily introduce them to have new theme in your home or add to the décor of your existing style and arrangement.

You need to follow a few simple steps and precautions while installing new shelves or replacing the old ones. You should not overlook the weight of the objects to be displayed in the shelves, and if need be, you should provide more than two brackets. Remember that it’s not the weight of the objects alone, brass is a heavier metal, and the bracket has to support its own weight also.

To ensure a uniform distribution of weight, the brackets should appear in the middle of the shelf. Further, you may be required to replace your existing or worn out doorknobs and cabinet knobs to have a uniformity of design with the newly acquired shelving. And, finally look for an appropriate lighting arrangement to highlight your shelving. You can surely get many ideas if you browse thru some design or home décor magazines. Else, engage an interior designer for getting the desired effect in your room.

It’s not much of an effort to locate the kind of solid brass shelving that you may have in mind. You may shop online or visit a store. Be on the look out for solid brass, bronze or iron shelving for durability and sturdiness. You can create a beautiful theme by choosing different styles and shapes of solid brass in such a manner that they jell with each other. You may view and buy solid brass shelf brackets online from Look In The Attic & Company; they are pleased to offer you free ideas and help on designing of such shelves.

Metal Shelf Brackets - Use Them For Decoration

The very mention of metallic shelf brackets is very discouraging to most of the people, who imagine these to be just factory produced crude looking uneven pieces of angle iron that are often used to support shelving in manufacturing plants or garages. There is no doubt that such type of brackets continue to find wide application in and out of manufacturing industries but what is not so well known is the fact that there is large and beautifully styled collection of decorative brackets in different metals for being used a number of applications other than just supporting of shelves.

There is a vast variety of decorative brackets available in different metals like aluminum and steel and their respective alloys. We get sturdy cast iron brackets, forged iron brackets in unique designs and beautifully detailed aluminum brackets. Further, these metals can be treated to get different colors.

Materials Used In Decorative Metal Brackets

Aluminum Brackets:

Aluminum metal comes in silver white color. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Its alloys are extensively been used to replace a steel in a lot of applications involving hard, light weight and corrosion resistance parts. Some of the alloys have high tensile strength and durability and give the same technical feature as iron at one third of the weight of the latter. Strong and durable Aluminum bracket are prepared by casting from No 319 Alloy of aluminum



Cast Iron Brackets:

Cast iron is characteristically brittle and hard. It can not be given a shape by rolling, pressing or hammering as is the case with wrought iron. Though hard and brittle by nature, it is capable of withstanding high compression loads. It derives its name from the fact that it needs to be melted and put to a cast to give it any desired shape. This feature makes it most suitable for mass production of items at low prices. From one mold you can make hundreds of copies.

Tole Iron Brackets:

Tole is made from iron by rolling it in thin sheets. This is then cut to different shapes and designs like leaves or flowers that can be welded to forged brackets.

Wrought/Forged Iron Brackets:

Forging is a process wherein a piece of heated iron is hammered down on an anvil to bring it to a desired shape. Designs are made from rods of wrought iron that are heated and bent to get desired effects.



Ideas for Using Decorative Metal Brackets

Their availability in sizes varying from 4” to 24” makes corner brackets enables one to use them for a wide application, be it for supporting shelves and counters to framing windows and doorways. The beautiful designs them come in, is prompting for any one to give shape to his or her creativity.

Corner Brackets

Corner brackets present a very distinctive way of highlighting an ordinary looking doorway or a window. You just need to fix a pair of elaborate brackets at the corners of an opening to add decorative value to a doorway or an entrance. You could also use them in conjunction with posts to beautifully highlight your front or screened-in porch. You get these decorative brackets in a range of styles and are designed to give a rustic or traditional look. Whatever be you style, you are sure to come across some that meet with your discerning taste.

Counter Support Brackets

Beautifully designed and styled brackets in cast or wrought iron are available to go with any décor. Should you have any creative ideas, feel free to design something unique of your own! Primarily not meant or designed to support counter overhangs, their shape and strength is prompting for being used as replacements to wooden brackets or corbels. Quite many people, including some kitchen designers, have very successfully exploited them to bring in a feeling of freshness to their homes or kitchens.

Hanging Brackets

Decorative hanging brackets offer enormous possibilities of being used around the house, particularly in open spaces like your lawn or kitchen garden. Here’s your chance to demonstrate your creativity by putting them to use for supporting a plant or a bird feeder or even for hanging a candle holder.

Mailbox Brackets

One may explore the possibility of combining intricately detailed designs of aluminum and iron brackets to create an ornamental support for a mailbox.

Mantle Brackets

In stead of using the conventional wooden brackets, experience the thrill of using attractive cast or wrought iron bracket over the fireplace.

Floating Storage Shelves Tips - How To Build Them

It will not be wrong to say that most house owners use the garage as a storing, or more appropriately, a dumping place for all the unwanted items at any part of the year. Any item that is infrequently put to use is sent to the garage. The list of such items too long and varies from sporting equipment to old dated electronic devices. As a consequence, over a period of time a garage loses its main purpose of parking a car.

Perhaps to some extent this practice can’t be helped out, as everybody wants to have a neat and organized home. But, why people fail to extend the same idea to management of space in the garage is a difficult question to answer. May be there is no arrangement for a proper storage of items. Ever thought of having some kind of shelving over there? It could surely simply things and facilitates better organization of space and objects. It will be an interesting DIY project too. As a result you will be left with a lot of extra space even after you have properly placed your tools and hardware.

Basically there are two types of garage shelving: the pre-fabricated kind and the custom built type. As can be expected a pre-fabricated product will be cheaper. This kind of shelving is conveniently available in various sizes and designs at any local handyman or a lumberyard. To further facilitate your project, building plans for shelves are offered by most of the home improvement stores.

Plywood or lumber is most often used for making of garage shelving that is kept in place by using shelf brackets. In such cases the brackets are attached to the studs by means of long screws. These may be further strengthened by bracing the studs. There is an option of using floor supported shelves also.

Material

Though plastic shelves can be used to a good extent, using pre-fabricated steel shelves make a better choice in the long run. One, because they have more life and two because plastic shelves are designed for light duty and are not well suited for heavier objects that you will eventually store on those. The drawback of steel shelving is that you can’t cut it to different sizes and have to go for standard sizes. So make sure to have a right assessment of the sizes needed if you wart them to fit perfectly.

Adjustability

Do not neglect this feature of adjustability when you decide to go for pre-fabricated shelves. For a better utilization shelves should be adjustable and the pins needed for the adjustment should have a locking arrangement to ensure that those are not misplaced or lost.

Safety

Take all the necessary measure to ensure that the shelving remains attached to the walls and it can’t trip. Otherwise it will be quite a risky and dangerous affair when you have them loaded with heavy objects.

Hooks

You can adopt another space saving measure to make still better use of shelving by having hooks into the ceiling joists. That’s a smart idea for hanging of bicycles, canoes and other miscellaneous tools.

Getting rid of clutter

Any amount of shelving will prove to be insufficient if you do not develop the habit of periodically spending some time in the garage and get rid of unwanted and discarded clutter.

Floating Glass Shelf Brackets

Glass shelving most often finds an application in the bathrooms but that should not prevent one from trying it at other places in the house. Try to picture glass shelves, in a corner of the kitchen at your eye level, with glass containers filled with colorful beans and other such kitchen-ingredients. You may also have one with family photos in a corner of one of your favorite rooms to get that feeling of warmth. The best feature of glass shelving is that it doesn't occupy any floor-area and gives an uncluttered look. Their contents almost seem to give the impression of floating in air, thus imparting a clean and beautiful look to the area around.

Well, the primary function of the bracket is to support the shelving. But, glass being such a transparent material is unable to hide anything, not even the brackets that support it. That's why it is good to have supporting systems that add to the beauty of glass. This continues to prompt designers to design brackets to enhance the grace of shelving. As such, it is not desirable to use brackets designed for glass shelves for supporting another kind of shelving.

Glass shelf brackets generally tend to be lightweight and delicate and in certain cases intentionally kept shorter than other types of brackets. It is understandable that a large bracket may dominate the glass shelf and thus present an uneven look to the shelving. Larger brackets are required when there is more of weight, be it of the shelving or of its contents. Glass shelves purported for display are not expected to be so heavy to call for larger brackets. It's only if you are going to use the shelving for storing of items that add to weight and necessitate a bigger bracket.



The nominal-sized glass shelf brackets are rails or clips. Such brackets hardly stick out of the wall, are often made of chrome, thus giving a glass like shine and naturally blend with the shelf that they support. These are first mounted on the wall, and subsequently the shelves are fitted onto them. No screws are driven thru the glass to keep the shelf fixed. In stead, they are provided with specially designed headless-screws that push down and grip the shelf in place. Their size is governed by the weight and thickness of glass that they are designed for. Rails and clips are recommended for glass shelves for keeping very light items and can't be used for display of heavier items.



There are many pages devoted on the subject of shelves of different design and materials, shelving accessories, brackets and much more at The Home Shelving Guide. The kind of information that is gathered there surely needs a visit by you.

If you have plans of keeping heavier items on these glass shelves and fear that this might cause sag, you should use only standard glass brackets. These brackets are designed to have more width than the width of the shelf. As such, the end that is not fixed into the wall will project out from the shelf but it ensures that all the base of the bracket is firmly supported. Thus you won't have to worry about sagging or depression of any kind.

These brackets have a raised foot on the end or an extended lip that firmly keeps the glass shelf in place. As we know that glass slides easily on the metal it is important to have a suitably designed bracket that prevents the shelf from gliding away.

There are a very large variety of brackets available for glass shelves. Depending upon your budget you may a choose one that goes well with the rest of décor, keeping in mind the kind of support your glass shelf might need.