Commonly Asked Questions About Wall Shelves
Wall shelves are perfect in nearly any lineup. Who can resist more storage while saving valuable floor space? All in all, wall shelves are a viable replacement for standard shelving (provided you have the wall space, of course). With that said, many types of wall shelves exist & installing them the correct way can present a challenge.
In this article, we will review 5 of the most common questions about wall shelves & provide some insight to guide you. Let’s start with the most popular question.
1. Do I Need One? Why Can’t I Buy Standard Floor Shelving?
Although we alluded to this in the intro above, the answer to this question will entirely depend on your current layout & how much space you have available.
Wall shelves are meant to complement your major items. We find that wall shelves are commonly paired with worktables, compartment sinks & dishtables for easy access to important wares. Having your tools within arm’s reach is invaluable & it’s a big advantage over standard floor shelving.
Standard floor shelving also takes up a large amount of space, no matter what size you get. Wall shelf alleviates this problem entirely.
Here are some IMC installations with wall shelves paired up with main equipment:
Remember – you never want to be short of storage, especially if you are a growing facility. Keeping organized & tidy should be chief goal #1.
2. What Sizes Do They Come In? Is a Custom Size Available?
It will depend on the specific model, but the standard width of most IMC wall shelves is 10″ – 24″ & lengths range from 24″ – 144″. The height is consistent at 7″. Specific sizes can be found in our latest price book, pages 106-110. Custom sizes are indeed available, but please contact us for confirmation on a specific size.
It goes without saying that larger wall shelves will need more real estate & thus there will be additional brackets to secure it to the wall (installation can also be slightly more complicated, more on this later). Always confirm that your wall space is sufficient enough to accommodate a larger wall shelf.
3. Shelving Types – What is the Difference?
Three shelving types exist for wall shelves:
Solid Shelving
- Best for dry storage
- Store items of any size
- Easier to clean
Louvered Shelving
- Best for wet storage
- Ideal for air circulation
- No standing liquids
Tubular Shelving
- Great for drying applications
- Easiest to clean
- Most hygienic
Which is the best? It’ll depend on what your tasks for. Solid shelves are the most economical choice, but louvered & tubular are best for wet items so no pooling water occurs. Here’s a visual breakdown:
4. Any Installation Tips?
We’ve written an in-depth guide on properly installing a stainless steel wall shelf here. A couple of things to remember & be mindful of:
A. Placement – always use a stud finder so the wall shelf is securely fastened to the wall. The worst outcome is to have your wall shelf installed on a weak surface & it comes crashing down. For larger wall shelves, multiple installation points are needed so placement is key.
B. Leveling – make sure your wall shelf is 100% level & not tilted. A crooked shelf will not hold objects firmly.
C. Testing – place a couple of test objects on your wall shelf to check for stability, gradually increase the number of items if necessary.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions on installation.
5. What Are the Weight Limits of a Wall Shelf?
Generally, depending on your anchor & length, 200-275 pounds of items can be comfortably accommodated. Always avoid stacking if possible. If you notice any extreme sagging, eliminate some weight. Overloading can cause permanent damage to the wall shelf & your wall may be compromised as well.
IMC manufactures a full lineup of stainless steel wall shelves. Available in solid, louvered or tubular shelving, IMC wall shelves can be customized to fit your needs. Custom shapes such as “L” shapes are also available to fit into your application. For a closer look at our wall shelf lineup, click here.