Brass Shelf Brackets

Shelf brackets are architectural elements. They serve a very important function – providing the support to carry weight. The majority of shelf brackets come with simple looking L shapes, which are designed of 2 "legs".

And one of their sides attach to a wall, while the topmost leg extends outwards for supporting overhanging objects. There’re a wide range of materials, which might be used for the construction of a bracket.

But most common ones include wood, stone and metals. As brackets are meant for carrying a big amount of load, it’s important that you choose a top-notch material, which won’t bend or snap when put under pressure.

However, while choosing new-fangled brackets for your home’s shelving project, be sure to answer these following questions.

The first question is - what’s the number of shelves being installed? A particular shelving system might range from a single shelf to a lot of shelves for fitting in an area. You will need to consider what you are about to store on these shelves. Most common options are books, knick knacks and tools or so on. But do consider additional spaces these items might require.

The second question is - what materials are these shelves made out of? Shelves come with many designs and makes. Most common materials are however metal, wood, and glass or plastic.

Materials are especially the key issue to consider for storing heavier things like books and home hardware. And thinner materials tend to bend and might actually break when under tremendous weight. That means, you should choose a better quality materials like wood, when needed.

The third question is – what’s the number of brackets that needs to be used? This tends to depend mostly on the shelf size. The rule of thumb here is that, the longer your shelf is, the higher number of brackets it’ll need. When the shelf length goes beyond 30 inches, it is safe to use 3 brackets as a minimum. For preventing sagging/breakage, it’s important that you provide sufficient support when it comes to longer shelves.

The fourth question is - where would these shelf brackets be installed? Shelf brackets are most useful when they are installed in a stud – don’t mount your shelf bracket in any drywall, since it’s likely to come off the wall if you put heavy weight. Consider using a stud finder as it’s an easy and cheap tool now available in many home improvement and hardware stores. It’ll turn out to be great investment for most homeowners too!

When a bracket is installed in a solid wall (e.g. brick wall or a concrete one), wall anchors has to be used. To install these anchors in weaker areas like a mortar, you will be faced with similar problems that you face while installing straight in a drywall.

And here’s the fifth question - how much weight should we expect a shelf to carry? Speaking the truth, this’ll tend to depend a lot on what material your shelf is made out of. Similarly, what it’ll carry is also important here. Glass shelves typically don’t support any more than 50 lbs, while wooden and metal shelves may very well carry between 200 lbs to 400 lbs – things depend on the thickness of the metal, though.

On the other hand, shelf brackets made of solid brass can come with even more strength and stability in due course. They come in expansive varieties of metaphorical designs. So they add both utility and beauty to shelving systems. You need to understand the fact that brackets are the focal point of the underlying design.

So, unique looking shelving brackets are likely to transform an apparently unexciting shelf into an ornamental element in your indoor environment. If you buy the right shelf brackets, they can brilliantly match with the existing patterns inside your home. They are also brilliant as standalone decorative pieces appealing as a novel and thrilling change on any part of your home.