How to Install Wire Shelving Tips

How to Install Wire Shelving Tips

Tips you won’t find in the manufacturer’s instructions

Wire shelving is fantastic stuff: versatile, inexpensive and DIY-friendly. Manufacturers give you all the details you need to know, but here are some pro tips you should know for a faster, smoother, stronger installation.

Buy extra parts

Even if you’re putting up just one shelf, have extra thingamajigs on hand. Returning a few parts later is better than halting the progress of your project and running to the store.

A bolt cutter works best

Cutting a shelf to length means cutting through four hard steel rods. A hacksaw will do the job just fine. But if you’re installing lots of shelves, consider spending $30 or so on a bolt cutter. It will save you time and arm strain.

Cut shelving short

Before cutting a shelf, measure wall to wall and then subtract an inch. That allows for the thickness of the end brackets, plus a little wiggle room. Cutting to the exact spacing between end brackets leads to gouges in the wall as you install the shelf. And don’t skip the end caps. Without them, clothes will snag on cut ends.

Avoid uplift

Back wall clips will hold the shelf up, but when there are a bunch of clothes hanging on the front of the shelf, the back edge can lift. To hold it down, screw a retaining clip to a stud near the center of the shelf. If the shelf is more than 8 ft. long, install a couple, evenly spaced.

Prevent tipovers

Wire makes great pantry shelving, except for one thing: Small cans and bottles tend to tip into the gaps between wires. To prevent that, pick up some pegboard when you buy the shelving. It’s inexpensive and comes with a white coating that’s easy to clean. Some home centers will even cut it to size for you.

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