How to Install Heavy Duty Garage Shelves

Locate the studs in the desired wall area using the stud finder. Mark the location of the studs with a pencil. Measure the distance between the center of one stud to the center of the next. This will be the distance between your shelf brackets.

Turn the shelf board upside down and arrange the brackets evenly underneath it, spacing them the same distance apart as the wall studs. Poke a pencil or a long wood screw through the pre-drilled holes in the brackets to mark the location of the bracket attachment to the shelves.

Attach the brackets to the shelving, being careful not to let the tips of the screws break through the top surface of the shelf. Make sure that screws are the proper depth, even if they are included in the packaging.

Hold the assembled shelf up to the wall, place the carpenter's level on top of it, and mark the wall by poking a pencil or long screw through the predrilled holes in the brackets. Place the shelf on the ground. Predrill the holes in the wall using a wood bit or masonry bit. Make sure that the holes hit solid studs. If there is some error and the studs are not found, the shelf will have to be adjusted or relocated to a position with proper support in studs at each bracket.

Hold the shelf against the wall and drill in each support screw halfway to ensure even spacing. Once you are certain the shelf is properly spaced, place the carpenter's level on top of the shelf to ensure that it is level. Finish drilling in the screws and check with the level once more.