How to Anchor Shelves to Concrete

Many of us have storage shelves in a garage or basement, but give little thought to the safety of these shelves. Heavily loaded shelves can tip over, either through natural forces, like an earthquake, or by the unsuspecting action of taking something off the shelves. Anchoring the shelves to the wall is an obvious way to prevent these kinds of accidents. If you have concrete walls, you may hesitate to do the work. But with the right tools you can get the job done and rest more easily knowing your home is safer.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Drill
• 1/4-inch wood bit
• 1/4-inch masonry bit
• Masonry wall anchors with matching screws
• Screwdriver

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Remove all the items from the shelves. Measure and mark spots 1 foot from the top and 1 foot from the bottom of the shelves' vertical supports.

   • 2

     Drill holes through the marked spots with a drill and wood bit.

   • 3

     Drill through the holes and into the concrete wall with a masonry bit.

   • 4

     Move the shelves out from the wall and insert a masonry wall anchor into each of the holes. Reposition the shelves.

   • 5

     Insert screws through the holes in the supports and into the masonry anchors. Tighten the screws until they are firmly embedded in the masonry anchors. Reload the shelves.