How to make DIY Scaffold Board Shelves

If you’re looking for scaffold shelving ideas then this project might be right up your street! I thought i’d share a home project from our old house, and I was delighted to complete these DIY scaffold board shelves for our living room!

We moved into our old home a few years ago, and whilst we had the living room liberally coated in Dulux Wild Water Blue 2 pretty quickly, there had been so many other bits of the room that remained incomplete, and therefore bugging me for a while. Those who know me best know that patience is not my strong point when it comes to house renovations, so to tick these scaffold board shelves off my list was a great thing. 

This living room contained two alcoves either side of our mirror and inbuilt fire: One side housed the TV and a relatively new scandi-style TV unit, and the other housed a perfectly functional-yet-ill-fitting bookcase which was making my OCD side go into overdrive with the fact it didn’t actually fit the space in this house properly (it was originally bought to house in a certain place in our old-old living room). We also had a narrower bookcase in another part of the living room that was kind of in the way, and I knew I wanted to create some shelving in the form of DIY scaffold board shelves that would hold all of our books and mean that we no longer needed these two bookcases. 

After the success of our Travis Perkins scaffold boards shelves (not an ad btw, just somewhere near us that we go to for any wood-related bits!) in the kitchen of this house, I decided that when it came to scaffold shelving ideas, this is what I wanted in the alcoves, and that I was going to sort them myself. 

I measured up and worked out how many shelves I would need to fit the space, and then went online to buy some specific scaffold board brackets. Now, these aren’t as cheap as usual brackets, but I thought they would be worth the money to get the look we wanted this time around and I’m really pleased we went with them. I then popped to good old Travis Perkins and bought 3 scaffold boards, before having them cut to size there and carting them home in the car.

After getting the scaffold boards home, I borrowed an electric sander from a friend of mine and got to work! They came up really well with a bit of sanding, but I was still wondering if the colour would be right for the room and if they would need treating with stain or wax or not (I have to admit that I was praying that they wouldn’t!).

I roped in my awesome Father-in-law, who put up the brackets for me as it’s a bit tricky to get any big jobs done at the moment with a nearly 4 month old!

As it happens, once up on the brackets with books on and the scaffold board shelving unit looked even better than I hoped they would, no stain or was needed.

Total cost of DIY Travis Perkins sscaffold board shelving unit = £173 

What do you think? I’d love to hear if you think these are a yay or a nay when it comes to scaffold shelving ideas!

FAQs: DIY Scaffold Board Shelves for your Living Room

Q1. What size scaffold boards are best for making shelves?
Most people use standard 225mm wide and 38mm thick reclaimed scaffold boards. You can cut them to your desired length—usually between 60cm and 120cm for home shelving.

Q2. Do scaffold boards need sanding before use?
Yes, sanding is highly recommended. Reclaimed boards can be rough and splintered. Start with coarse sandpaper (around 60 grit), then finish with a finer grit (120–180) for a smoother finish.

Q3. Should I treat or seal scaffold boards for indoor use?
Yes. After sanding, apply a wood treatment like wax, oil, or clear varnish to protect the wood and enhance its grain. Choose a product that suits the look you’re going for—matt, satin, or gloss.

Q4. How do I mount scaffold board shelves securely?
Use heavy-duty brackets or industrial-style scaffold tube fittings. Make sure to drill into wall studs or use suitable wall plugs for your wall type (brick, plasterboard, etc.).

Q5. Can scaffold board shelves hold heavy items?
They can hold a decent amount of weight if securely mounted and supported by strong brackets. For heavier loads (like books or kitchenware), use more brackets per shelf and anchor them well.

Q6. Where can I get scaffold boards for DIY shelves?
You can buy reclaimed scaffold boards from timber yards, reclamation yards, or online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or local salvage suppliers. Some hardware stores also stock new versions.

Q7. Are scaffold board shelves suitable for kitchens and bathrooms?
Yes, but make sure they are well-treated to resist moisture. Using a waterproof finish like yacht varnish or specialist wood oil will help protect the boards in humid areas.

Q8. Can I stain scaffold boards to change the colour?
Absolutely! Wood stain works well on scaffold boards—just test it on a small area first, as reclaimed wood can absorb stain unevenly depending on its age and condition.

See some more of our home, as well as other DIY posts here

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.