How to Anchor Bookshelves in Plaster Walls

Install the First Bracing Board

• 1

  Saw off a piece of 3/4-inch-thick plywood that is 4 inches wide and twice the length of the shelf bracket.

• 2

  Place one end of a 3-foot length of heavy cord in the middle of the plywood and staple it securely with a heavy-duty stapler.

• 3

  Mark the spot on the wall where the first bracket is located. Cut a 4-by-4-inch hole in the plaster wall with a keyhole saw.

• 4

  Hold onto one end of the heavy cord and feed the length of plywood up through the hole in the plaster wall until it is all the way inside.

• 5

  Pull on the cord until the middle of the plywood is centered in the hole and positioned lengthwise straight up and down.

• 6

  Pull firmly on the cord and secure the plywood against the inside of the wall.

• 7

  Use a power drill to screw 1 3/8-inch drywall screws through the plaster wall into the plywood. Attach the plywood with two screws above the hole and below it.

• 8

  Take out the staples from the plywood bracing board and remove the heavy cord. Mix patching plaster according to the directions on the container. Use a 4-inch-wide spackling tool to fill the hole with plaster while packing it against the plywood brace on the inside of the wall. Allow the patching plaster to dry overnight.

• 9

  Sand the patching plaster level with the surface of the wall, brush with primer and paint the wall.

Install the Second Bracing Board

• 10

  Position the second shelf bracket on the wall and make certain it is level and in line with the first bracket.

• 11

  Cut a piece of 3/4-inch-thick plywood that is 4 inches wide and twice the length of the shelf bracket. Staple a 3-foot-long cord to the middle of the board.

• 12

  Cut a 4-by-4-inch hole in the plaster wall at the shelf bracket. Feed the plywood into the wall, position it straight up and down and secure it to the wall with 1 3/8-inch drywall screws.

• 13

  Remove the heavy cord, patch the hole in the wall, brush it with primer and paint it.

Installing The Shelf Brackets

• 14

  Position the first shelf bracket over the first bracing board, using the drywall screws as a guide.

• 15

  Place the carpenter’s level against the shelf bracket, make certain it is straight up and down, and attach the bracket to the wall with drywall screws.

• 16

  The top of the second bracket must be on a line level with the top of the first bracket so you don't install the shelf on a slant. Use the carpenter’s level to make certain the bracket is straight up and down. Install the drywall screws through the screw holes into the plaster wall.

• 17

  Lay the shelf on the brackets and make certain it is correctly positioned, level and stable. The bracket the shelf rests on has screw holes in it. Look up under the shelf and mark the location of the screw holes on the bottom of the shelf.

• 18

  Remove the shelf from the brackets, turn it over and drill pilot holes into the marks you made on the bottom. Place the shelf back onto the brackets, line up the screw holes in the bracket with the pilot holes and screw in the screws supplied with the brackets to anchor the shelf.