Removing vertical joining strips from walls?

[michelle2008]

Hi again everyone!

I am wanting to put up some shelves that will be quite wide. Problem is they go over those vertical timber joining strip things (no idea what they are called?) on the walls that occur every 1.8 metres or so. I want to remove these cover strip things, so that my shelves go right back to the wall without a leaving a gap. I would leave the joining on in the places above and below the shelves, too, for looks.

The walls I believe are asbestos sheeting. So - can I remove these easily without damaging the walls? Or otherwise, can I connect the brackets directly into the cover strip things [they are dome] (because one end of the shelf finishes on top of one of them)?

Thanks again!
Michelle

[Ronaldo451]

I assume the cover strips would be fixed to the wall studs underneath, which is where you want your brackets to be anyway. Rather than removing them or cutting out a section to let your shelf sit flat (which sounds like a bit of work) against the wall, can you glue or screw strips of timber or whatever the thickness of the coverstrips along the back edge of your shelf. That would let the shelf sit flat against the wall without affecting the coverstrip.

[michelle2008]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

So I can nail and/or screw directly into the cover-strip?

Thanks!
Michelle

[journeyman Mick]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

So I can nail and/or screw directly into the cover-strip?

Thanks!
Michelle

If it's timber,plastic ar anything other than asbestos cement, yes. Some older places had AC coverstrips and corner trims as well.

Mick

[michelle2008]

Hmm, that's what I was worried about.

My original plan, to avoid drilling into the AC, was to remove the coverstrips, then nail on a timber frame (aligned with the studs). Then I could screw my brackets and pegboard directly to the frame.

There would still be a gap, but eliminates the drilling into the AC. But, that leaves me with my original problem - how do I remove the cover strips?

Thanks