Furniture

Drywall wall shelves: a complete guide to work

Drywall is great for any incredible ideas. Drywall is great for the embodiment of any incredible ideas.Shelves are appropriate almost everywhere – both in spacious apartments and in an apartment whose area is extremely small. And they are especially relevant precisely in small areas, since they allow you to use the wall space to the maximum for storing things. Plasterboard wall shelves are one of the easiest and most aesthetic ways to create a comfortable new space..

Benefits of shelves

A drywall shelf is, first of all, a functional element, but by making it backlit, you can turn it into an object of art A drywall shelf is, first of all, a functional element, but by making it backlit, you can turn it into an object of art

Plasterboard shelves are appropriate in any room. They can be done:

  • in the bedroom;
  • in the living room;
  • in the nursery;
  • in the kitchen.

 By placing the shelves do:

  • on the wall;
  • in a niche.

The most important plus of DIY drywall shelves is that they can have a wide variety of shapes. In this case, everything depends solely on the general concept of the room and the imagination of the shelf creator..

If you plan to put something heavy on the shelves, then it is better to refuse drywall in the direction of wood If you plan to put something heavy on the shelves, then it is better to refuse drywall in the direction of wood Plasterboard shelves in the kitchen can be a great replacement for overhead hanging cabinets. Plasterboard shelves in the kitchen can be a great replacement for overhead hanging cabinets.

Drywall is valuable precisely because the shelf can be made of it in any intricate shape, including radial semicircular structures and complex geometric shapes. This allows you to create unusual exclusive interiors with your own hands..

Features of drywall

Why is it worth making do-it-yourself shelves from drywall? The thing is that this material has many advantages, because it is one of those rare materials, which is absolutely safe in terms of its hygienic qualities and is ideal for decorating interiors with your own hands..

Drywall differs in its thickness, so before buying, check with the seller if the selected sheet is suitable for your purposes Drywall differs in its thickness, so before buying, check with the seller if the selected sheet is suitable for your purposes The indisputable advantage of drywall is the ability to embody almost any ideas The indisputable advantage of drywall is the ability to embody almost any ideas

Advantages

Pros of drywall:

  • does not contain toxic substances harmful to health, hypoallergenic;
  • differs in soundproofing qualities;
  • fireproof;
  • non-flammable and fireproof;
  • able to breathe – absorb moisture or give it away, which allows you to create comfortable climatic conditions in the room;
  • easy to process – easy to cut;
  • easy to install.

disadvantages

Cons of drywall:

  • the material does not withstand prolonged exposure to moisture and is deformed;
  • requires accuracy in installation, especially when it comes to complex geometric structures – careless execution can lead to deformation of the structure;
  • the material does not like shocks and drops of heavy objects and can be damaged.

Important: Plasterboard shelves require special fasteners in order to increase their load capacity and stability. Inside the structures, especially if these are shelves for household appliances and a TV, it is worth placing a mortgage in the form of a sheet of plywood.

Plasterboard structures after assembly require decorative design. Do not leave drywall as it is. Shelves and other products from it must be painted. The seams between the drywall sheets are carefully masked. To do this, the seams are glued with tape and covered with putty, achieving the illusion of a single whole. If the puttying work is done carelessly, the seams will be visible and the product will lose its aesthetic appearance..

Varieties

Plasterboard shelves can be made into the entire wall of the kitchen. In this case, a lot of usable space will appear, which significantly compensates for the thickness of the plasterboard wall. Plasterboard shelves can be made into the entire wall of the kitchen. In this case, a lot of usable space will appear, which significantly compensates for the thickness of the drywall wall. Drywall can be used in conjunction with wood shelves. In this case, you have the opportunity to rearrange the shelves without rework. Drywall can be used in conjunction with wood shelves. In this case, you have the opportunity to rearrange the shelves without rework.

Drywall can be:

  • waterproof;
  • fireproof.

Waterproof drywall contains substances that prevent mold and mildew from growing on it. From such drywall, you can make do-it-yourself shelves in the bathroom and on the loggia. Again, it must be borne in mind that moisture-resistant drywall will get wet and deformed with prolonged exposure to water. Therefore, the shelves must be kept out of the reach of water. And they should be covered with moisture resistant paint or ceramic tiles. The latter – reliably protects drywall from getting wet.

There is a particularly durable drywall – tongue-and-groove. It even has seismic resistance, so it can be used to make shelves of special strength for heavy equipment. However, such drywall is expensive and is not sold everywhere..

Preparation

In order to make a shelf on the wall, you will need tools and the most basic skills in working with them..

Tools and materials for work:

  • jigsaw;
  • screwdriver or drill;
  • level;
  • Bulgarian;
  • hacksaw;
  • roulette;
  • hammer.

To attach the shelves to drywall, special butterfly dowels are used, which, due to the larger area, allow you to hold the mount without damaging the drywall To attach the shelves to drywall, special butterfly dowels are used, which, due to the larger area, allow you to hold the mount without damaging the drywall You need to store drywall exactly so that the sheets lie on top of each other and do not deform You need to store drywall exactly so that the sheets lie on top of each other and do not deform

Of the materials you will need:

  • self-tapping screws;
  • metal profile;
  • guide rails;
  • reinforcing mesh;
  • putty.

Before you start making a shelf, you need to decide on its sketch and develop a concept for its placement in the room..

After the sketch, a detailed drawing is made, where all dimensions are indicated in real size. According to the drawing made, the space for the shelves is measured, which will have to be done by hand. And also the necessary details are cut out.

Important: Drywall must be properly stored before starting work. The sheets of material must be kept flat on top of each other. This will prevent them from deforming. From deformed sheets, the shelf will turn out to be flawed. In addition, it will not have the required strength..

Do it yourself (instruction)

The very beginning of work involves the construction of a frame from a metal profile The very beginning of work involves the construction of a frame from a metal profile Next, the frame is sheathed with plasterboard, fastening it with self-tapping screws Next, the frame is sheathed with plasterboard, fastening it with self-tapping screws Final processing can be different - wallpapering, painting, whitewashing and much more. Final processing can be different – wallpapering, painting, whitewashing and much more.

The basis of any drywall shelf is a frame. Otherwise, the shelf will not be a supporting structure. Only the metal frame makes the shelf strong and stable. A frame is assembled from a metal profile with your own hands on self-tapping screws. The metal profile is cut with a grinder of a certain length, according to the size of the future shelf.

Mark on the wall where the shelf is to be installed. After that, the assembled frame, which is an exact copy of the structure of the shelf itself, is fixed on the wall with self-tapping screws..

Important: If you need a particularly strong shelf, then you need to use a thick plasterboard with a thickness of 18 mm or more. In this case, instead of self-tapping screws, butterfly screws are used. Crossbars and frames will strengthen the structure too.

To create the volume of the shelf, the guides are attached. These are slats in the longitudinal and transverse directions. If the shelf is supposed to support a weight of 15 kg, then it is better to use additional floor supports or ceiling cables..

What are the types of profiles and what is each for What are the types of profiles and what is each for

After that, you need to sheathe the frame with drywall. Sheathing begins with vertical parts. Drywall is attached to self-tapping screws, trying to accurately fit the parts. The joints are then covered with tape and carefully putty. It is necessary to ensure that after applying and leveling the putty, the joints are absolutely invisible and the surface seems perfectly flat. If the joints are visible, you need to repeat the operation and sand the place with sandpaper..

Important: the stronger the load on the shelf is supposed to be, the more often the drywall sheet should be attached to the profile. The joints of the sheets are placed in the middle of the profiles and covered with a reinforced mesh.

If it is supposed to organize the illumination of the shelf made by hand, then the holes for the lamps must be made before installing the drywall.

After the shelves are assembled, you can paint them with any paint of your choice that matches the concept of the room..

How to make a drywall niche shelf with your own hands (video)

Painting

How to choose paint

Suitable for painting:

  • water-based paint;
  • acrylic paint;
  • alkyd enamel.

The paint can be combined with wallpaper. For example, as in the photo: cover the inside of the drywall shelf with wallpaper, and paint the outer ends of the shelves gray The paint can be combined with wallpaper. For example, as in the photo: cover the inside of the drywall shelf with wallpaper, and paint the outer ends of the shelves gray

Water-based paint is not waterproof. It can be used to paint parts in dry rooms, such as a bedroom, living room, hallway, kitchen. Alkyd and acrylic paints are waterproof and durable, so they can be used to paint products that are expected to be heavily loaded in difficult rooms.

Surface preparation

Drywall is putty before painting. After that, the shelves must be primed. For the durability of the structure, it is better to choose an acrylic primer. After the primer is dry, you can start painting the product..

Stages of work

Initially, you need to carefully paint over all the corners and joints of the material canvases. It is best to use a thin, small brush for this. It is better to paint the surfaces of the shelves with a wide brush. If the shelves have a large surface, you can use a roller – then the painting will look smoother and more aesthetically pleasing. The paint is applied in 2 layers, each layer after the final drying of the previous one.

Important: the room looks very nice and stylish, in which the drywall shelves are painted in the same color as the main wall. This gives the design some kind of integrity..

Conclusion

Hand-made drywall shelves, with neat execution, will decorate any room and give it a non-standard look. So don’t be afraid to experiment. Good luck!