How to Build Floor-to-Ceiling Shelves

Measure the distance from the ceiling to the floor, and divide that by the desired distance between the shelves. For example, if you have an 8-foot ceiling, which is standard, and you want 16 inches between each shelf, then divide 96 by 16 to get 6, which is the number of shelves you'll need.

Measure up from the floor to the first shelf point --- in this example, 16 inches --- and mark a level line on the wall the desired length of the shelves. Continue up the wall, marking a level line at each shelf point.

Place a stud finder on the level lines to locate the wall studs, and mark their position on each line.

Cut a piece of 2-inch by 2-inch lumber to the length you want the shelves, one for each shelf. These are shelf cleats. Place a shelf cleat on the first shelf line on the wall and secure it with 4-inch drywall screws driven through the cleat into each wall stud point on the line. Repeat for all the shelf lines.

Cut a piece of 3/4-inch-thick plywood into shelves that are the length of the shelf cleats and the desired depth of the shelves; 12 inches is pretty typical. Cut another cleat-sized piece of 2-inch by 2-inch lumber for each shelf, which will be the front stiffening aprons for the shelves.

Lay a shelf flat on your work surface and place a stiffening apron along one side. Clamp the stiffening apron to the plywood, and then turn the plywood over and secure the apron to the underside of the plywood with 1-5/8-inch screws driven every 5 inches through the top of the plywood into the apron. Repeat on all the shelves.

Fit the apron-free edge of a shelf on top of the bottom shelf cleat. Secure the shelf to the cleat with 1-5/8-inch screws driven every 5 inches through the back of the shelf into the cleat. The weight of the apron will make the shelf sag down at the front a little, but this will be amended with side supports later. Repeat until all the shelves are attached to a cleat.

Measure the distance from the floor to the top of the top shelf, and cut two lengths of 2-inch by 3-inch lumber to this length for side supports. Clamp each side support upright on the sides of the shelf ends, flush with the stiffening aprons at the front. Use the level to make sure each shelf is clamped horizontally to the side support.

Secure the side supports to the shelves with 3-inch wood screws driven through the side supports into the ends of the stiffening aprons of the shelves.