How to Remove Built In Shelves
Built in shelves may not always work to your advantage. If you are remodeling or just looking to get extra wall space, built in shelves can be an inconvenience. Maybe you just want to move the built in shelf to another location or just need to take it down temporarily. It is fairly easy to learn how to remove built in shelves.
Things you'll need:
- Pry bar
- Flat putty knife
- Hammer
- Drill
- Screwdriver bit
- Remove all the shelves from the brackets. If the shelves have clips located on a track built into the side walls, remove those and store in a safe place.
- Loosen the trim away from the side panels. Place the putty knife between the side panels and the outer trim of the shelves. Twist the putty knife gently to the length of each piece of trim. Loosen it just enough to put the tip of a pry bar in the gap between the trim and the side panels of the shelves. Push the pry bar into the gap and carefully lift the trim away from the side panels.
- Locate the screws that are holding the side walls together in place. Use a screwdriver to unscrew all the screws that secure the shelves either to the built-in frame or the wall. To prevent pieces from falling all over start at the bottom and work your way up to the top of the shelves.
- Use the pry bar to remove the framing from the walls and the floor if the frame was nailed in. If the frame was attached with screws use a drill with a screwdriver bit to remove it.