ᐅ How can I securely fasten Ikea Hemnes shelves to the wall?

Hello everyone,

I recently bought a Hemnes shelf from Ikea and want to securely attach it to my wall. My question is: How can I safely mount Ikea Hemnes shelves so that they hold reliably and, especially under the weight of books or decorations, do not tip over or fall down? I also want to consider the type of wall (e.g., concrete, drywall) and am therefore looking for a general approach including recommended wall plugs, screws, and fixing points. Are there any special tips or practical experiences regarding useful tools or additional safety measures (such as brackets or safety straps)?

I look forward to your advice and experiences!

You should first check the wall type, then choose the appropriate anchors: for concrete or masonry, use standard expansion anchors; for drywall, use hollow wall anchors.

Always attach the shelf using the wall fixings provided by IKEA, as these are designed specifically for the shelves.

Use at least two screws per shelf, or more for safety if the shelf will be heavily loaded.

Please note that the fastening materials provided by Ikea are designed for standard walls.

- For concrete walls, nylon expansion anchors with screws approximately 6-8 cm (2.4-3.1 inches) long are suitable.
- For drywall (plasterboard) panels, special cavity or toggle anchors should be used since standard anchors do not provide sufficient support.

Additionally, the alignment of the shelf is critical: the wall brackets must be installed perfectly horizontal and at least centered on structurally sound points (ideally on wall studs or solid masonry).

Load distribution can also be improved by adding brackets fixed to the lower part of the shelf.

Before installation, please check the included mounting materials and supplement them appropriately according to the type of wall.

RETRAVIS schrieb:
When using drywall panels, special cavity or toggle anchors should be used because regular anchors do not provide enough support.

That’s an important point. For drywall walls, I also recommend using metal cavity anchors or toggle bolts, which have significantly higher load capacity than plastic types. Additionally, the screws should penetrate at least 5 cm (2 inches) into the cavity.

Maxtau schrieb:
At least two screws per shelf should be used, and more if the shelf will be heavily loaded, to be on the safe side.

For larger shelves like Hemnes, I would even choose three mounting points on the wall, especially if heavy items such as books will be placed on them. This helps to better compensate for less-than-ideal wall conditions.

Also make sure that the supplied brackets are firmly screwed into the shelf, otherwise loose material may cause problems.

I clearly remember how uncertain I felt during my first DIY project with a Hemnes shelf. Especially for shelves holding many books or heavy items, I placed great importance on secure wall mounting because I was afraid of it tipping over.

At that time, in addition to the IKEA fasteners, I used metal brackets. I screwed these to the bottom sides of the shelf and fixed them to the wall. This made the entire shelf much more stable.

I also recommend using a level before drilling to align the brackets precisely. This particularly helps prevent the shelf from tilting or hanging unevenly later on.

As others have mentioned here, a lot depends on the wall material. My apartment has concrete walls, so regular anchors work perfectly. For drywall (plasterboard), I would even suggest mounting a small board behind the shelf as a load-distributing element to better spread the weight.

Overall, patience and carefulness during installation are key. It’s better to spend a few extra minutes and be satisfied than to have problems with a loose shelf later on.