Two fischer Products Go “Plus”

fischer Fixings have released new and improved versions of their original SX Expansion Wall Plug and FAZ II Bolt Anchor, adding “Plus” to the title. Introducing the new SX Plus Expansion Wall Plug and FAZ II Plus Bolt Anchor! (Please note that both original products are being discontinued and are only available while stocks last.)

So what’s different with the “Plus” versions in comparison to the originals? Keep reading to find out!

New fischer product images - SX Plus Expansion Wall Plug and FAZ II Plus Bolt Anchor.

 

SX Plus Expansion Wall Plug

  • Designed to be a high quality replacement for the traditional red, yellow and brown wall plugs.
  • New fixing wings lock the screw into place after inserting the plug – perfect for overhead applications like lighting.
  • Improved tightening torque makes it easier to identify when the the screw is properly installed.

Original features such as four way expansion in solid and hollow building materials, serrated edges and a pronounced rim, all remain the same with the new SX Plus.

 

FAZ II Plus Bolt Anchor

  • Increased tensile strength means fewer anchors and fixing points are necessary.
  • Now suitable to fit in steel fibre concrete and solid sand lime brick, as well as concrete (cracked and non-cracked).
  • Diameters 10mm-24mm can absorb seismic loads (performance categories C1 and C2).
  • Diameters 16mm-24mm now have approval for dynamic loads, such as lifting platforms and conveyor belts.
  • Cleaning of the drill hole beforehand is no longer essential, meaning installation is quicker and easier.
  • 10mm-24mm diameters have a 120 year service life.

The new FAZ II Plus still functions in the same manner as the original, with an expansion sleeve that secures it in the drill hole upon tightening.

If you have any questions about the new fischer SX Plus, FAZ II Plus or any other products in the fischer range, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can find out more about fischer themselves on their website here.

 

*We are an authorised fischer distributor but this post is not an ad and does not contain affiliate links.

Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket Now Available in Two Sizes

Heavy-Duty-Floating-Shelf-Bracket-150mm-and-250mm

The Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket has been part of our range since 2018, but we only ever commissioned it in one size. At the time, the business was making oak shelving and we needed a strong, reliable bracket specifically for our 275mm-400mm deep shelves. So since then the Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket, with its 250mm long bar that sits inside the shelf, has helped to install many thousands of deep, heavy shelves.

In recent years, especially since we stopped making shelving and have been focusing on shelf brackets and hardware, one of our most frequently asked questions has been whether we have a smaller version of the heavy duty brackets available. We are pleased to confirm that following sales of a small test batch earlier in the year, we have permanently added a smaller size to our range.

The smaller version of the Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket has a 150mm long bar that sits inside the shelf. Therefore it is suitable for shallower shelves from 175mm-275mm deep that require a higher weight capacity. All other dimensions of the bracket, such as the retaining plate and diameter, remain the same as the 250mm long version. The weight capacity is also the same at 20kg per bracket or 40kg per bracket when fitted alongside a chemical resin.

To find out more, or purchase the Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket in either size, you can visit the product page here. If you have any questions, please contact us.

 

Wall Fixings for Dot and Dab Walls

Dot and dab walls are becoming an increasingly common type of wall in UK homes, especially in new builds and renovations of older properties. Dot and dab walls have many advantages, such as increased insulation value and speed of finishing. However there are few options for fixings for dot and dab walls, so it can be tricky when it comes to hanging or fixing items onto them.

What is a dot and dab wall and what makes it tricky to fix to?

Dot and Dab Wall Dabbed Wall Dry Lined Wall what type of wall do I have

Dot and dab walls are typically solid walls, like brick or stone, with a layer of plasterboard fixed on top using “dabs” of adhesive. This creates a small cavity between the plasterboard and solid wall, typically spanning anything from 5-25mm.

This often presents a problem – plasterboard fixings can be too long or too deep to properly expand or set within the cavity, and solid wall fixings aren’t usually long enough to fully secure into the solid wall beyond the cavity. Being able to use a fixing that secures into the solid wall will generally provide more strength in comparison to fitting solely to the plasterboard. However it is not always possible to reach the solid substrate behind.

Thankfully the market is now seeing some reliable, strong, high quality fixings especially designed for dot and dab walls. These fixings are long enough to span the gap and secure into the solid wall beyond, whilst offering support right out as far as the plasterboard surface.

Dot-and-Dab-Fixings-High
L to R: Multi-Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Fixing – Dot and Dab Variation, Corefix Dot and Dab Wall Fixing, fischer DuoXpand Frame Fixing

Fixing floating shelves to dot and dab walls

Our very own Multi-Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Bracket has a variation developed especially for dot and dab walls. This bracket can be used for floating shelves from 80mm-250mm deep, produced from any solid material that is at least 20mm thick.

The dot and dab floating shelf bracket has a 100mm long screw and 100mm long wall plug, which can span a cavity up to 25mm and provide a secure hold into the solid wall. Each shelf bracket provides up to 8kg of weight capacity.

Fixing TVs, radiators, wall units, boilers and other heavy items to dot and dab walls

The brand Corefix specialises in dot and dab wall fixings that are ideal for installing heavy, large items on dot and dab walls. They have two screw lengths of 100mm and 120mm, named the Corefix 100 and Corefix 120 respectively. Thanks to a reinforced steel core that fits around the thread and provides additional support through the cavity, each Corefix wall fixing provides up to 25kg weight capacity. Use them for installing a range of items such as boilers, radiators, wall cabinets/units, timber battens and more. There is also a Corefix 100 TV Fixing Kit available, especially for fixing wall mounted TVs and TV brackets.

Alternatively, fischer’s DuoXpand range is also suitable for dot and dab walls. Part of the Duo Line range from fischer, the DuoXpand utilises a cleverly designed wall plug that will give increased expansion within the voids of the substrate. They offer a wide range of screw lengths starting from 80mm all the way up to 230mm. This makes them especially useful in constructional circumstances, for example, fitting door and window frames, steel plates and balustrades.

Summary

In our opinion, these are the best fixings available for dot and dab walls. If you are not sure which product would be most suitable for your installation, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you’re trying to identify your wall type, our What Type of Wall Do I Have? post may help.

 

Why Choose the fischer DuoLine Wall Plug Range?

fischer DuoLine Wall Plug Range
L-R: fischer DuoBlade Plasterboard Wall Plug, fischer DuoXpand Frame Fixing/Dot and Dab Wall Plug, fischer DuoPower Wall Plug, fischer DuoSeal Wall Plug, fischer DuoTec Plasterboard Toggle Fixing

What is the fischer DuoLine range?

The fischer DuoLine range consists of cleverly designed, high quality wall plugs, many of which are award winning across the globe. There are five different types of wall plugs within the range. Each provides a different function into varying types of walls and building materials. Fischer describe this range as a “duo of power and intelligence”.

What sets the DuoLine wall plugs apart from others?

All of the DuoLine wall plugs are made from two components, which is highly noticeable from the contrast of colours. Firstly is the grey nylon and secondly is the red polypropylene. Generally speaking, the combination of these components means the wall plug has more capacity to expand. This results in a more secure fixing and a higher load capacity per wall plug. The red polypropylene is softer than the grey nylon, which means it is able to expand more easily. As it expands, it is also able to adjust as appropriate into the specific wall or building material. Therefore the majority of the DuoLine range are suitable for use in more than one type of wall or building material.

What wall plugs are in the fischer DuoLine range?

fischer DuoPower Wall Plug – Arguably the best known product in the DuoLine range. Its clever design means that it either expands, folds or knots; it automatically adjusts depending on the wall type. Therefore we recommend the DuoPower wall plug if you do not know what kind of wall/material you are fixing into. It is also ideal if you are fixing to multiple wall types in the home. For example, you are fixing to an internal plasterboard wall and then an external brick wall and do not want to buy a different plug for each.

fischer DuoTec Plasterboard Toggle Fixing – A heavy duty fixing for fitting directly to plasterboard walls, drywall and wooden panels. It is also suitable for use in solid materials, where is acts like an expansion plug. This is perfect if you hit a timber stud or batten behind the plasterboard, saving the time and money of having to source an alternative plug. We are so impressed with the DuoTec fixing that we use it as part of the plasterboard variation of our Multi Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Brackets.

fischer DuoBlade Plasterboard Wall Plug – A lighter duty alternative to the DuoTec, for fitting directly to plasterboard. This is the only wall plug in the DuoLine range not able to adapt to other wall or material types. It has a self-drill tip for easy installation.

fischer DuoSeal Wall Plug – This wall plug is specifically for use on tiles in wet areas. The name DuoSeal highlights the fact that this plug automatically seals the drill hole in the tile. Therefore there is no need for any sealing compound. It works similarly to the DuoPower wall plug, as it is able to automatically adjust to the wall type behind the tile.

fischer DuoXpand Frame Fixing/Dot and Dab Wall Plug – The newest addition to the DuoLine range, primarily for fixing either timber or metal to masonry. It can adapt to secure in solid, hollow and perforated masonry. The fischer DuoXpand also has the capability for use as a dot and dab wall plug thanks to its long fixing length.

(Click on the green product names to read about each one in more detail.)

What are the negatives of the fischer DuoLine range?

Be prepared to pay more for the fischer DuoLine wall plugs compared to your average plastic and nylon wall plugs.

Summary

The fischer DuoLine wall plugs are a premium range, consisting of high quality, adaptable and flexible wall plugs. They are suitable for a wide variety of applications and wall types. They are more expensive in comparison to others on the market, but in return you can be assured of a reliable, secure fixing.

 

*We are an authorised fischer distributor but this post is not an ad and does not contain affiliate links.

How Much Weight Can Floating Shelves Hold?

Heavy duty kitchen wall shelves floating shelves solid oak floating shelf for kitchen plate shelves oiled oak finish

How much weight can floating shelves hold? More often than not the answer to this question actually lies with your wall and the floating shelf brackets you use, not the shelf. Please bear in mind that we are referring to solid wood floating shelves in this article and not the hollow, mass produced, cardboard core type shelves.

There are varying types of floating shelf brackets available on the market, each one will have a different weight rating but some don’t specify one at all. How much weight they can hold is usually affected by what type of wall they are designed to fit to and also potentially by the design of the bracket. For example, floating shelf brackets designed to fit to solid walls, like brick and concrete, will generally have a higher weight rating then a bracket designed to fit to plasterboard or drywall. Plasterboard is not designed to be a load bearing surface, therefore if you are installing a shelf that is solely fixed to plasterboard, the load rating will be significantly limited.

The depth of the shelf also plays a key role in how much weight a floating shelf can hold. As the depth (distance from the front of the shelf to the wall) increases, so does the leverage effect on the floating shelf bracket. This is why we specify not just a weight rating on our brackets but also a maximum recommended shelf depth. Taking all of these factors into account, we then recommend a minimum quantity of brackets that should be used per running metre of shelf.


Floating Shelf Bracket Weight Ratings

We have our own range of floating shelf brackets. We extensively test these so that we are able to offer definitive guidance on what will work for your scenario. Our range of brackets are suitable for use within the following weight ratings (please bear in mind both the weight of the shelf and its intended load, when calculating the overall weight the shelf brackets need to hold);

 

Floating shelf brackets for solid wall dot and dab plasterboard wall concealed shelf fixing hidden shelf brackets invisible shelf bracket fischer duotec multi wall bracket 22

Multi Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

Solid Wall – 10kg per bracket

Minimum shelf depth: 100mm
Maximum shelf depth: 250mm
Minimum shelf thickness: 20mm
Minimum qty per metre: 2 per/m for 200mm | 3 per/m for 250mm

Plasterboard Wall – 6kg per bracket

Minimum shelf depth: 100mm
Maximum shelf depth: 150mm
Minimum shelf thickness: 20mm
Minimum qty per metre: 4 per/m

If securing to the timber stud work rather than the plasterboard itself, use the solid wall bracket for a 10kg rating and a maximum shelf depth of 250mm.

Dot and Dab Wall – 8kg per bracket (this increases to 10kg per bracket if strengthened in the cavity with a chemical resin dab)

Minimum shelf depth: 100mm
Maximum shelf depth: 250mm
Minimum shelf thickness: 20mm
Minimum qty per metre: 2 per/m for 200mm | 3 per/m for 250mm

Heavy duty floating shelf brackets strong floating shelf bracket concealed shelf supports for solid walls 3

Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Brackets

Solid Wall / Timber Stud Work – 20kg per bracket (this increases to 40kg per bracket if fixed with a chemical resin)

Minimum shelf depth: 275mm
Maximum shelf depth: 400mm
Minimum shelf thickness: 35mm
Minimum qty per metre: 2 per/m for 300mm | 3 per/m for 400mm

These brackets can be cut down to work with shallower shelves, which does not affect the weight rating.

 


As you can see from the above, the weight floating shelves can hold varies significantly. This depends mostly on wall type, shelf size and of course, the brackets and quantity used. However, armed with all of the information above, you will be able to ensure your floating shelf is fitted with the right brackets to sufficiently hold your required weight.

We are often asked if extra brackets can be used over and above the recommended quantity per metre in order to increase the weight capacity. The answer is absolutely! This doesn’t cause any issues and it is always better to be over than under. However we do not recommend exceeding the maximum recommended shelf depth as this will rapidly overload the fixing. This, and an incorrectly identified wall type, are the most common causes of floating shelf bracket failure. For a helpful guide on identifying wall types, check out our post What Type of Wall Do I Have?.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions regarding the information detailed in this guide, or have suggestions for future topics, please contact us. You can read our previous guides here.

How Deep Should Floating Shelves Be?

How deep should floating shelves be? It might seem straightforward selecting a depth for floating shelves. However, there are a few important things to consider. (When we say “depth” we mean how far the shelf sticks out from the wall – also often referred to as “width”.)

Firstly, you need to consider the wall type you are intending to fit the shelf to, especially if using concealed floating shelf brackets. This is because the strength of the wall type may limit what depth of floating shelf you are able to fit. The main three wall types are solid wall, plasterboard wall and dot and dab wall. If you are unsure what type of wall you have, our post here may help you identify it.

Once you have identified the wall type and any size limitations as a result, you can then choose a suitable shelf depth, taking into account the size of the items you intend to place on the shelf. This handy guide will help you make sure you buy the right floating shelf for your purpose.

100mm Deep Floating Shelves

oiled oak floating shelf solid oak shelves oak wall shelf oak shelf 120

100mm deep shelves are great for small, tight spaces. They are well suited for displaying small items such as photo frames. Fit them in a bathroom for a small toothbrush shelf or ledge underneath a mirror. This depth of shelf will be very lightweight, so you can install them with floating shelf brackets to solid walls, plasterboard walls and dot and dab walls. For this size of shelf we recommend our Multi Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Bracket in all wall types, using the short 80mm barrel. You can use these brackets in shelves as thin as 20mm.

150mm Deep Floating Shelves

150mm deep shelves offer a bit more practical shelf space, as they are large enough to accommodate small books and ornaments. They make a great floating surface for a porch or entrance hall as they won’t protrude too far into the room. As above, this shelf depth is suitable for all wall types using our multi wall floating shelf brackets. However, in this case, we recommend the long 120mm barrel.

 


200mm Deep Floating Shelves

oiled oak floating shelf shelves oak wall shelf solid oak shelfA 200mm depth is what we would consider a standard depth floating shelf. Great for plants, bigger ornaments and standard sized books, these are great size wall shelves for everyday use. However plasterboard floating shelf brackets are generally not able to support this depth, due to the leverage placed upon the plasterboard. Therefore we only recommend the solid wall and dot and dab wall variations of our floating fixings, again with the 120mm barrel.

Note – if your plasterboard wall is constructed with timber studs or battens and you are able to line up your fixing points with enough of these in the right place, then you can get around this problem by securing the shelves to the studs using the solid wall bracket variation. Metal studs are not suitable.

250mm Deep Floating Shelves

250mm deep wall shelves offer extra practical shelf space, perfect for holding more of what you love. Also great for bigger books such as cook books and for general use in kitchens, for holding jars and crockery. The same applies for fitting this shelf depth with floating shelf brackets as the 200mm depth.

 


275mm-400mm Deep Floating Shelves

Heavy duty floating shelves solid oak floating shelf for kitchen plate shelves oiled oak finish275mm deep is the point at which we upgrade the floating fixings to heavy duty ones. These Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Brackets are designed for use in floating shelf depths up to 400mm. We recommend a minimum 35mm thick shelf for these brackets due to the size of the retaining plate. They are extremely strong and very versatile. However, they are only suitable for fitting to solid walls or into solid material (e.g. timber studs). Dot and dab walls are possible, although it requires a different fitting process. This process is explained in more detail in our FAQs.

Using these heavy duty brackets with deep shelves means they are ideal for supporting large, heavy items. For example, set top boxes, games consoles, amplifiers or creating a floating bedside table. Many customers also use these heavy duty wall shelves for supporting sinks and basins in a bathroom.

 


After considering all of the above factors, you may find that floating shelf brackets are not suitable for your combination of wall type and shelf depth. In this case, you may need to consider traditional, visible shelf brackets, such as triangular shelf brackets or scaffold brackets.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions regarding the information detailed in this guide, or have suggestions for future topics, please contact us.

What Type of Wall Do I Have?

How do you tell what kind of walls you have? There are many different types of wall and it isn’t always straight forward working out what type you have. This is always the first question to answer before trying to fix something to your wall. This guide should help you work out what type of wall you have so you are able to order the correct product and get a secure fixing into it.

We aim to design our products to be compatible with as many wall types as possible to give the customer the best possible chance of fitment in all circumstances. In order to make this possible we designed our own range of multi wall floating shelf fixings.

We categorise walls into three basic types and we offer a different fixing method for each. Below you can find an explanation of each wall type, some tips on how to identify it, its makeup and what it might also typically be called by tradespeople.

Solid Wall

"</a

Solid walls can be made up of many combinations of materials but they are generally considered to be bare brick or brick with a plastered finish.

Solid walls will be very hard, if you tap on the wall whilst moving your hand around it is unlikely that you will see any flex or hear any hollow areas or voids.

Typical characteristics

  • Very hard, solid feeling wall with no flexing
  • Dull sound when knocking, rarely with hollow sounding areas

Also called or often referred to as

  • Brick/block wall
  • Exterior wall
  • Load bearing wall

Common materials

  • Plastered or tiled brick including; red, stone, breeze block, thermalite
  • Concrete

Suitable floating shelf fixings

Suitable general fixings

Suitable high load fixings


Dot and Dab Wall

Dot and Dab Wall Dabbed Wall Dry Lined Wall

Dot and dab walls are being used an increasing amount in modern houses. They comprise of a solid wall with plasterboard stuck on to it using “dabs” of adhesive. This creates a small void (usually around 10-20mm) in the wall which is faced with plasterboard.

Benefits to this type of wall are an increased insulation value and ease of adding additional services (such as cabling) to the area at a later date, due to the void. They also offer an increased speed of finishing due to the fact they don’t need to be plastered. They can however present issues when it comes to fixing items to them. Dot and dab walls have the benefit of the strength of a solid wall but long fixings are needed in order to get a secure hold.

How to tell if you have a dot and dab wall? The easiest method is to tap on the wall whilst moving your hand around. You will hear that the majority of the wall sounds hollow and may even have a slight flex to it, however there will be hard, solid points dotted around. These are the areas that have adhesive “dabs” bonding the plasterboard to the solid wall behind, these would typically be placed in a grid pattern around 300-500mm apart.

Typical characteristics

  • A solid feeling wall with slight flex in certain areas
  • Generally hollow sound when knocking with solid/dull areas dotted around

Also called or often referred to as

  • Dry lined wall
  • Drywall
  • Dabbed wall

Common materials

  • Brick or stone faced with plasterboard, insulated plasterboard, tile, or moisture board

Suitable floating shelf fixings

Suitable general fixings


Plasterboard Wall

Plasterboard Wall Stud Wall Partition Wall Dry Lined Wall Sheet Rock Drywall

Plasterboard walls are typically made from some sort of board material that is supported by a framework. They are almost always internal, non load bearing walls and therefore have a limited capacity for supporting heavy items.

Plasterboard walls can have a timber or pressed steel framework. This will usually run vertically at regular intervals between 300 and 600mm with short horizontals or “noggins” between each. Plasterboard walls will almost always sound hollow when knocking on them and have some flex or movement in them.

Typical characteristics

  • A slight flex or movement to the wall when pushing on it
  • A hollow sound when knocking with slightly more solid areas in vertical lines

Also called or often referred to as

  • Stud wall
  • Drywall (note can be called similar to dot and dab)
  • Sheet rock
  • Partition wall
  • Dry lined wall (note can be called similar to dot and dab)
  • Dividing wall

Common materials

  • Timber or pressed steel for framework
  • Plasterboard, sheetrock, moisture board, plywood

Suitable floating shelf fixings

Suitable general fixings


The above information is designed to give a basic indication as to the most common wall types and their typical characteristics. There are however many variations to this and some instances when walls might appear to be one type but when drilling into them they turn out to be something different. You may often see cases where a wall is made up of a combination of the above due to modifications over the years, such as covering doorways or fireplaces.

If you are uncertain of your wall type then you should seek advice by contacting us. We will always to our best to help but sometimes it will require being on site to properly inspect the wall makeup which may require drilling to investigate. In which case we would advise that you seek the help from a professional trades person.

How to Fit a Floating Shelf

How to fit a floating shelf on a range of different wall types. Across our range of concealed floating shelf brackets you should find a solution to almost every scenario in which you may want to fit a floating shelf.

Fitting anything to the wall in houses can present a world of problems. There are many different types of wall and each presents its own issues. Here you can find some advice on how to fit a floating shelf to different types of wall, along with an explanation of our floating shelf bracket range. If you aren’t sure what wall type you might have then also see our guide What Type of Wall Do I Have?.

How to fit a floating shelf floating shelf brackets heavy duty shelf brackets plasterboard shelf brackets drywall shelf bracket wall bracket floating shelf solid wall and dot and dab wall


Multi Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

Multi wall floating shelf brackets for plasterboard drywall dot and dab and solid wall floating shelvesHow to fit a floating shelf with our multi wall floating shelf brackets. This is versatile and simple to install in any solid floating shelf. All you need to install them is a hole in the shelf and a hole in the wall. There is no need for cutting complicated pockets or cutouts in the shelf. Due to their carefully sized barrels there is also no need for a locking screw to hold the shelf in place. Their offset thread offers fine levelling adjustment to the shelf after installation.

Our multi wall floating shelf brackets have an interchangeable thread system. We offer threads and plugs for solid wall, dot and dab wall and plasterboard wall types. You can remove the threaded part and swap it for another type should your wall surface be different to what you initially thought once drilled. In the event of you having to change plans, you can purchase the individual bracket components from us and swap them out.

How to Fit a Floating Shelf Video


Multi Wall Floating Shelf Bracket Ratings

By testing all of our floating shelf brackets in house we are able to offer definitive guidance on shelf size and weight ratings for each wall type. Below are the maximum recommendations for each wall type.

Solid Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

  • Max shelf depth: 250mm
  • Max weight per bracket: 10kgs
  • Min fixing qty: 2 per/m (3 per/m for 250mm depth)

Dot and Dab Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

  • Max shelf depth: 250mm
  • Max weight per bracket: 8kgs
  • Min fixing qty: 2 per/m (3 per/m for 250mm depth)

Plasterboard Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

  • Max shelf depth: 150mm
  • Max weight per bracket: 6kgs
  • Min fixing qty: 4 per/m

Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Brackets

How to fit a floating shelf with our heavy duty floating shelf brackets. These are ideal for deep, heavy shelves from 275mm to 400m deep. They have you covered for the highest load rating that you should ever need from a floating wall shelf. We have tested a pair of these up to 100kgs and were confident they could have taken more (if we had another bag of plaster). See our weight test video below.

These shelf brackets will hold floating sink basin shelves, media shelves for record players and amplifiers. You can use them to form floating bedside tables and a whole range of other uses along the way. If strength and reliability is what you need then these are the bracket to go for.

We only recommend that you fit these to solid walls due to the support that is needed on the main floating shelf support pin. You can fit these heavy duty shelf brackets to plasterboard walls but they will need substantial timber work in place behind the wall in order to offer the support needed. It is likely after all that the failure point will be the wall and not the bracket!

We recommend cutting a pocket in the back of the shelf to recess the retaining plate. This can be done using our Heavy Duty Shelf Bracket Routing Jig as seen in the video below. We also recommend installation using a chemical resin method for guaranteed strength, see below for our video on how to fit a heavy duty floating shelf.

How to Fit A Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Video

How to Drill a Shelf for Heavy Duty Fixings Video

Heavy Duty Floating Shelf 100kg Weight Test Video


If you are unsure of which of our floating shelf brackets might be best for your application then feel free to contact us and we should be able to offer advice on what might work best for you.

Our Brightest Tree Shelf Yet

Our newest tree shelf commission has brought with it a whole new element to the designs that we can now offer by incorporating lighting throughout its branches.

We were approached to design a tree shelf that would make an interesting and unique feature out of an existing large, blank wall space. Very often overlooked, staircase walls are difficult to access and are a large area of the house that is usually just left as is. A staircase is a fantastic space for the bespoke design of one of our tree shelf installations. Spanning the floors of a house they very often present a tall, wide, inclined canvas to work with making them an ideal space for fitting a tree shelf into.

To add a whole new element to the design we incorporated lighting into this tree. This is the first time that we had done this and the results at the end were incredible! All of the cabling was run through channels cut out in the back of each branch meaning it is completely sealed. The transformers for the LED lights were set inside the base of the trunk meaning they too were out of sight.

Upon fitting the tree we decided to add some oak diffusing pieces to go over the lights. As the tree can be seen from a wide range of angles when walking both up and down the stairs, there were a lot of places where the direct light was dazzling and detracted from the natural look of the tree. The diffusing pieces allowed us to control this by individually setting each one after installation. This also allowed us to adjust the shadow of each light against the wall, to make sure the light coverage was even throughout the tree.

The tree design itself came from our standard Windswept Tree shelf, which gave us the starting point and inspiration for the design. We then added corner features to make the most of the available space. The branch that comes around under the window has an increased depth to create a reading area for the young children. You will notice we also included a matching bark edge stool with the tree to fit in seamlessly with the design.

We are intending to offer lighting as an option across our full tree shelf range later in the year and look forward to offering this as an option on future commission work as well.

If you would like to talk to us about the possibility of a similar commission then please get in touch, we would love to hear from you!