We just purchased several freestanding bookcases and plan to put a bank of four on a wall. We don’t want them to lean haphazardly — they need to stay together and not shift once we get the books in. Does anyone have a good suggestion as to the best way to accomplish this? The firm that finished them for us suggested clamps, but we are not sure what kind of clamps might be out there that wouldn’t be obvious. I suppose we could drill a hole in the back of the cornice and put a bolt through. What would be best?
Thanks
Replies
I've put toggle bolts through the back into the wall between stud spaces.
I've screwed the units to the studs.
I've screwed them to each other (and used clamps to hold them in registry).
Other people have probably used other methods too.
Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the Handyman
Vancouver, Canada
Screw them through the sides to each other using the large binder screws typically used for that duty. These are available from most well-equipped hardware stores (in the "furniture hardware" bins). "Binder screw" sets consist of a pan-head machine screw and a sort of nut with a matching head, so that they look the same on both sides, and nothing sticks out.
Also known as sex bolts.
If you want to get fancy, you could make a cornice out of crown molding and attach it to each unit. This will keep the tops of the bookcases together, where the bookcases are most likely to move apart. You might have to shim the units a little at the bottom to make sure that they're all level with each other before you attach the molding. Fastening at the bottom should also help if the floor sags under the weight of the books, and the cornice could hide some blocking to further help tie the units together at the top.
My father did this with some pressboard cases back in the 1970s, and they looked good (considering that they were pressboard) when Mom moved a few years ago. Personally, I just throw my bookcases together out of birch plywood, but it's an idea.
SK, did this quite a while ago, no pictures but this is how I remember it. Customer purchased separate bookcases from Lowes. The could be slid next to each other and screwed together and to the wall. The crown looked all chopped up, so removed that, screwed them together and fastened to the wall. I added new stiles to the joint between them and used another rail and new full length crown across the top. Ended up looking like one complete custom built unit. Search "Bookcases I have known" here using advanced search (upper left corner). Mike Smith's shelf cabinet resembles the finished product. It'll give you an idea what I tried to explain.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time