Built-in bookshelves - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

The_Jazz · 07-31-2003, 02:10 PM

Has anyone ever had any experience building these? I've got a couple different sets of plans (neither of which I particularly like), but I've got 14-foot ceilings in that room, so I'm worried about the top anchor. Unfortunately, the joists run perpendicular to where I want to put the shelves, so I can't just attach it there.

I've done a few home improvement projects around the house, but I've never tackled anything this big without professional help. My fiancee wants the shelves but won't let me hire someone to do it or help me. My friends think that hammers have something to do with pork.

Anyone have any advise or even plans that they could share?

clavus · 07-31-2003, 02:48 PM

If you anchor the shelves to the studs in the wall, you won't need to anchor the shelves to the ceiling. Just attach them low, middle and high. I don't know where you are located, but if I was doing it, the thing I'd keep in mind is "Will this stay up during an earthquake?"

Leave the hammer alone. Build and secure it with screws.

Do as much painting/finishing as you can BEFORE you put them up.

Good luck

deverell · 07-31-2003, 03:34 PM

very difficult without seeing the room but if they are really built in why not run a batten along the back of each shelf. If they're more than 4 feet long you'll need intermediate brackets of some kind, or you could have slotted uprights the same depth as the shelves, and slot (halve-joint or " eggbox") them together. If you eggbox the whole thing then you'd only need to put a batten under the middle and top shelves, to stop the whole lot falling forward. I love jobs like that.

07-31-2003, 02:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	Built-in bookshelves Has anyone ever had any experience building these? I've got a couple different sets of plans (neither of which I particularly like), but I've got 14-foot ceilings in that room, so I'm worried about the top anchor. Unfortunately, the joists run perpendicular to where I want to put the shelves, so I can't just attach it there. I've done a few home improvement projects around the house, but I've never tackled anything this big without professional help. My fiancee wants the shelves but won't let me hire someone to do it or help me. My friends think that hammers have something to do with pork. Anyone have any advise or even plans that they could share?

07-31-2003, 02:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
clavus pow! Location: NorCal	If you anchor the shelves to the studs in the wall, you won't need to anchor the shelves to the ceiling. Just attach them low, middle and high. I don't know where you are located, but if I was doing it, the thing I'd keep in mind is "Will this stay up during an earthquake?" Leave the hammer alone. Build and secure it with screws. Do as much painting/finishing as you can BEFORE you put them up. Good luck __________________ Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

07-31-2003, 03:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
deverell Upright	very difficult without seeing the room but if they are really built in why not run a batten along the back of each shelf. If they're more than 4 feet long you'll need intermediate brackets of some kind, or you could have slotted uprights the same depth as the shelves, and slot (halve-joint or " eggbox") them together. If you eggbox the whole thing then you'd only need to put a batten under the middle and top shelves, to stop the whole lot falling forward. I love jobs like that.