12 Ways Your DIY Shelving Could Be Destroying Your Walls

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DIY shelving is an easy way to organize and even add some fun character to a space. However, without the appropriate techniques, your well-intentioned project can destroy your walls.

Even small errors can most certainly cause big damage. Below are some of the most common pitfalls that will be a disaster caused by the shelves on the walls.

Weak Anchors

Assorted Labeled Bottle on Brown Shelf — Photo Credit: Juliana Stein/Pexels

It can seem harmless to use anchors that can’t support your shelf’s weight, but drywall screws can tear through anchors. This is often the case, which leads to shelves slowly being pulled away from the wall. In time, heavy items on weakly anchored shelves can make the situation worse. Even though things may seem safe to start, installing the wrong anchors can lead to visible damage with repeated stress.

Ignoring Studs

Wall stud — Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A fast track to wall damage is mounting a shelf directly into drywall, without securing it to a stud. Putting them in without stud support may seem fine, but shelves may sag or fall. Even enough weight to support the shelf, by itself, can accentuate stress points, expanding or cracking holes over time. Whenever possible, it’s best to find your stud, and drill the hole into the stud to provide the maximum support.

Overloading Shelves

A shelf full of jars of pickles and other food — Photo Credit: Pexels

Sturdy shelves have their limits, though, even to the point of straining the wall, and loading over them is an easy way to do that. Weight that is heavy can put a strain on the anchors, drywall, or shelves. Small cracks or gaps often go unnoticed and become larger problems until it’s too late. Always take into account your shelf’s load bearing capacity when you are to keep shelves safe.

Uneven Weight Distribution

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The thing with heavy items out on a shelf is that if you put them on one side of the shelf you are forcing the other side to be uneven, causing damage to the wall. One sided weight is cantilevered and will cause a shelf to sag or anchor failure. This imbalance may, over time, weaken the wall material, causing dents, or other visible cracks.

Brackets Not Positioned Properly

If the brackets are not installed the same distance apart, or the brackets aren’t spaced far enough apart, they can’t distribute the weight properly. It leads to undue strain on some part of the wall, hence cracking or distortion can occur. If brackets are too far apart the shelf bows in the center. If it’s not placed properly, it can damage the wall and impede proper support.

Not Checking Wall Material

Shelves on Green Wall in Room — Photo credit: Avery Arwood/Pexels

Materials such as plaster or thin drywall can’t support the same loading as standard drywall. Most DIYers miss this and end up with shelves that are too heavy for the wall type. These shelves will crack or crumble if not adjusted behind the installation. Knowing your wall type is important; it will help you find the right materials and techniques.

Using Inadequate Screws

Shallow Focus Photo of Screw — Photo Credit: Steve Johnson/Pexels

Thin, short, or non-load-rated screws might seem to be all you need to do the job, but sometimes they fail to have the strength to hold shelves. Weak screws can tear out pieces of drywall when the shelf pulls away or make expanding holes otherwise. The trouble is that even though the damage may not be apparent immediately if you use subpar screws, you can wind up paying through the nose for wall repairs. They must be strong and load-bearing screws.

Skipping a Level Check

Unlevel shelves cause extra stress on walls as items shift and roll around. The weight of items may also create pressure points on one side of a shelf when it is less than level. Eventually, this imbalance can cause anchor pullout or wall damage. Make sure that your shelf is level; out of balance can lead to future issues.

Forgetting Wall Reinforcement

Wall material in older homes is less durable, and shelving usually requires reinforcement. Not doing this step can cause cracks. Mounting plates or specialized anchors will reinforce against damage and keep shelves in place. Gradual wall deterioration may be caused by ignoring reinforcements.

Drilling Too Many Holes

Man Holding Wooden Stick While Drilling Hole — Photo by Thijs van der Weide

While drilling for the “perfect” placement, some become somewhat overzealous and weaken the wall around the shelf. Holes close together may create a spot that isn’t as strong as it ought to be, which may crumble if enough weight is put on it. However, holes don’t need to be visible for them to contribute to long-term instability and erode the wall material. Fewer holes keeps walls stronger and more secure.

Using Adhesives Rather Than Anchors

10 Game-Changing Discoveries Found by Accident — Image Credit: Ben Sale/Pexels

Shelving is very rarely properly supported with adhesives anyway. Even lightweight shelves without anchors can cause the adhesive to fail and damage the wall. This often results in sudden, severe cracking or chunks of missing drywall. Anchors offer far more durability for shelving.

Improper Shelf Removal

Removing a DIY shelf can cause a lot of damage if it’s removed quickly. Otherwise, removal can pull off pieces of drywall or leave large holes that are hard to repair. It helps to keep the wall integrity by gently removing screws and anchors. Removal requires care, though, and if done carefully, it helps to avoid unnecessary damage to your walls.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.