When you rent an apartment, a dorm room, or any other accommodation, you usually have to put up with the owner's requirement "not to change anything in the environment", and this does not allow you to hang anything on the wall with nails. Do not despair, because there is an easy way to hang anything on the wall, including a shelf, without financial losses due to the safety deposit.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Using Adhesive Mounting Tape
Step 1. Take a shelf made of lightweight hollow material
Unfortunately, without fasteners such as nails, it is impossible to hang very heavy shelves made of dense, hard material such as steel or oak. But duct tape can be used to secure lightweight shelves that are made from a hollow material such as cork. The generally accepted rule says that in this case, you can hang a shelf weighing no more than 1, 4 kilograms.
- Play it safe and for safety reasons, do not try to hang the shelf with duct tape if it weighs more than 4.5 kilograms.
- Look for a suitable hollow wood shelf at a furniture store, and a light wood plank shelf can be found in the building materials department.
Step 2. Buy adhesive mounting tape
To hang the shelf, you need to buy high-quality adhesive mounting tape on which you can hang pictures or other bulky items. Before picking up a set of straps, find out their capacity and make sure they can support your shelf or any other items that need to be hung.
- Buy an adhesive mounting tape that's covered in glue on one side and a stiff, velcro-like material on the other. Be aware that this is not the same material used in the popular Command tie-down hooks.
- Popular adhesive mounting tapes include Command Picture Attachment Strips, reusable double-sided tape Velcro and Velcro adhesive mounting strips. You can buy these items at most stationery and handicraft departments.
- If the shelf is very small and light, a plastic adhesive such as Sugru Moldable will suffice. You can buy such glue at a hardware store or order online.
Step 3. Wipe the shelf and wall with rubbing alcohol
Dampen a clean piece of cloth with rubbing alcohol. Then, gently wipe the cloth over the wall and the side of the shelf that will be adjacent to it. Let the surfaces dry for 5 minutes before you start attaching the mounting tape.
- The rubbing alcohol will remove grease, dirt and wax from surfaces and make the shelf more secure.
- You can buy rubbing alcohol at a hypermarket or pharmacy.
Step 4. Press the duct tape against the shelf and hold for 30 seconds so that it adheres securely
If the Velcro strips are not initially connected, press the hooked tape against the eyelet side. Then peel off the protective layer from one of the tapes and press the adhesive side against the shelf and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat the process for the rest of the ribbons.
- Spread the tapes evenly to keep the shelf firmly in place.
- Use a furniture stapler to staple the strips to the surface of the wooden shelf.
Step 5. Press the shelf against the wall for 30 seconds
Once you stick the sticky strips on, peel off the remaining protective layer and attach the shelf to the wall. Then press down firmly and hold for 30 seconds for a secure fit.
If possible, stick adhesive tapes on both sides of the shelf that are against the wall and hang it in the corner. This mounting method will be the most reliable
Step 6. Remove the shelf, press down on each tape and hold down for 30 seconds
With slow, careful movements, grasp the edges of the shelf and separate it from the wall. Each pair of strips should be separated so that one part of it remains glued to the wall and the other to the surface of the shelf. Then firmly press all adhesive strips against the surface of the shelf and wall for 30 seconds to fully secure.
If one of the tapes comes off completely, place a new strip on the shelf and repeat the entire process
Step 7. After one hour, hang the shelf back in place
Wait about an hour for the adhesive tapes to fix securely. Then reattach the shelf in place by joining both pieces of adhesive mounting tape together. At the final stage, check the reliability of the fastening so that the shelf does not fall off over time.
You can place blankets and pillows under the shelf so that it doesn't break if you fall
Step 8. Store light, durable items on the shelf
Without reliable fasteners such as nails, your shelf is unlikely to be able to support the weight of heavy items such as textbooks or household appliances. But you can put small knick-knacks, light electronics and other similar items on it.
- As there is a risk of the shelf falling over, do not place glass or fragile items on it.
- If the shelf is more than 10-13 centimeters deep, place the items close to the wall to prevent the adhesive tape from coming off.
Method 2 of 2: Alternative Fixation Methods
Step 1. Buy special glue clips for lightweight items
Before you hang a shelf for light items such as clothing, jewelry, or small appliances on the wall, try using special tools. The most common types of such fasteners are hooks and hangers, which are sold in most hypermarkets, hardware stores, hardware stores, and furniture stores. But you can also buy beautiful holders over the Internet, for example:
- Hook bars are great for storing keys.
- Hanging boxes with Velcro for storing small items such as mobile phones, kitchen spices or bath accessories.
- Open shelves for storing trinkets and antiques.
Step 2. Stick the adhesive mounting tape directly to the items so that they can be mounted directly to the wall
Instead of placing photographs, paintings, or other flat items on shelves, try attaching these items straight away to the wall using mounting tape. For a secure fit, wipe the back of the item with rubbing alcohol and let dry for 5 minutes. Then stick the mounting tape to the corners of the item and fix it to the wall where you previously wanted to hang the shelf.
- Before gluing the tape to the photo frame, make sure that there are no fasteners on its surface.
- Check the load capacity of your mounting tape before buying and make sure it will hold up to your painting.
Step 3. To get extra space for your home furnishings, buy a floor rack with a shelf on which you can safely place them
Sometimes it is not possible to place everything you need securely enough on a wall shelf. Therefore, in some cases, it is better to buy a free-standing shelf like a bookcase or storage rack.
- Freestanding shelves can be found in hypermarkets or furniture stores.
- To install such a shelf, follow the assembly instructions that came with it.