Below you will find the most common questions about our shelves. If you can’t find the answer you are looking for here, please feel free to contact us, we will be happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can we help you?
Are your shelves 100% solid hardwood?
Yes, our shelves are genuine solid hardwood unless stated otherwise (for example, our MDF range). Only the finest cuts of solid hardwood are used in our shelves too – no knots, splits, shakes, or discolouration. Our hardwood shelves are designed to last a lifetime.
What bespoke work can you do?
Our experienced joiners can do pretty much anything! Common bespoke requests include holes for cables and wires which, unlike many competitors, is a service we offer completely free of charge.
We can also produce L-shaped shelves to wrap around corners, oversized (long) shelves and can rout small channels to display plates or photographs. For a small charge we can also produce bookends for your shelves. Whatever your individual requirements, the chances are that we can make it for you – just ask.
Can I put the shelves up myself? Is it easy?
Fitting our shelves is relatively straightforward and prior experience is usually not necessary, as long as you are comfortable safety drilling holes into a wall. Please take a look at our fitting instructions page for full step-by-step instructions on how to fit your shelves and, if in doubt, ask.
I want a floating shelf wider than 300mm, is that possible?
In general, we advise the use of wooden or chrome brackets for wall shelves wider than 300mm. Once the shelf exceeds 300mm (12 inches) there is a risk that, over time, the shelf will ‘droop’ down from the wall. It usually is not an issue if you are displaying something very light, however, if you intend to put some weight on it, it will increase the risk.
For alcove shelves 300mm (12inches) to 450mm (17 inches) and corner shelves, we supply supporting battens instead of concealed brackets. These battens simply fix to the wall (plasterboard walls included). The three battens will support the rear and two ends of the shelf and the shelf simply sits on top of these battens. Although you will lose the ‘floating’ effect, the battens are still very discreet and offer solid support for even the heaviest loads.
How much weight can the shelf hold?
The heavy-duty brackets we provide for our floating shelves can easily withstand 35-40kgs, this includes the weight of the shelf – please check with us if you want to know the weight of the shelf you are ordering.
We provide 2 brackets for all shelves up to 1200mm. 3 brackets for shelves 1201-2000mm and 4 brackets for all shelves over 2 metres.
Our wall shelves (using wooden or chrome brackets underneath the shelf) and our alcove shelves can hold even more weight. It is simply a case of securing the battens or brackets with the best screws and rawl plugs you can find. It is especially important to use specific plasterboard rawl plugs for plasterboard or dot and dab walls.
Can I put my television on a floating shelf?
If it is a modern LED flatscreen TV, then this is no problem at all. However, we strongly advise fixing the TV to the wall too, for safety, as it could still easily be knocked off the shelf.
Can you produce thinner shelves?
Yes, we can. We believe 44mm is the ideal thickness for shelves – they are solid and look substantial. However, we will gladly plane your shelf down to a minimum of 32mm thickness if that is what you require. Unfortunately, anything less than this would make the shelf too flimsy and, therefore, unstable. We only use heavy-duty brackets for supporting our wooden shelves and for this we drill a 14mm hole into the shelf. At 32mm thickness, there would be 9mm of wood either side of the drill hole (top and bottom of the shelf). This is the absolute minimum that we would advise for a long-lasting secure shelf.
Can you supply the shelf unfinished?
Yes, no problem. Simply request this in the ‘special requirements’ box when placing your order online or advise us if placing the order over the phone. We understand that some customers wish to varnish or paint the shelves themselves. Varnish is preferable if sitting the shelves in a bathroom or other high-moisture environments.
Please see answers further down this page regarding painting and staining our wooden shelves.
Do you offer a staining service?
Yes, for all oak shelves. Please see our range of finishes here.
Can I paint my shelf?
Yes. Many customers want a solid hardwood shelf but wish to paint it to match the style of their room. We normally supply shelves with 3 coats of protective oil or wax before despatch, but as paint will not hold onto an oiled surface, please request that the shelf is supplied ‘unfinished’ or ‘unoiled’ in the ‘special requirements’ field when placing your order online, or mention this to us if ordering over the phone.
Alternatively, you can choose from our quality hand-painted MDF shelves, available in a range of colours as well as unprimed.
How long does delivery take?
The average turnaround is 4 weeks. This is because our skilled joiners craft every single shelf exclusively for each individual customer. It takes time and care to produce a quality product; select the timber, cut it to size, plane it, apply the corner and edging styles, rough sand, main sand, fine sand, pre-drill the bracket holes, apply three coats of protective oil, pass it through quality control, securely wrap it and despatch it.
Do you provide samples?
Sorry, we are unable to provide samples. As wood is a natural product, there are slight colour variations; any small sample we send to you cannot be completely representative of the shade of colour that you would actually receive.
Got A Question?
We’d be happy to help!
Give us a call:
0800 772 0275
Or email us:
sales@floating-shelves.com