How to Assemble a Floating Desk

Take the dimensions of the desk top you want to attach as a floating desk. Draw a level line on the wall where you want the desk that is the same length as the back of the desk top. Use a stud finder to mark the wall stud positions along the line.

Cut a piece of 2-by-2-inch lumber that is around 8 inches shorter than the length of the wall line. This is the cleat for attaching the floating desk.

Place the cleat centered on the wall line and secure it with 4-inch screws; two through the cleat at each wall stud position.

Place an L-bracket at either end of the cleat, with the horizontal arm of the L-bracket at the same height as the top of the cleat. Secure the L-bracket to the wall with 2-inch screws through each of the screw holes in the bracket arm.

Sit the desk top over the brackets and the cleat, pushing it back so it is flush against the wall. Have your helper apply downward pressure to the desk top at the back, so that it is sitting tightly on top of the cleat and L-brackets.

Secure the desk top to the cleat with screws long enough to go through the cleat and into about half the thickness of the desk top. For example, if the desk top is an inch thick, then 2 1/2 inch screws will suffice. Repeat with the horizontal arms of the L-brackets using screws that are long enough to go through around half the thickness of the desk top.