# Built-in bookshelves



## Andres (Apr 8, 2011)

I am interested in building some bookshelves into one of my walls in my new study. I would like, if possible, for the shelves to be from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, so essentially one whole wall of the room would be bookshelves. The picture I have in my head has the actual shelves stopping about 2.5 feet from the floor and from there down, I would put some type of cabinets for storage. 
I am thinking maybe something similar to these:












Does anyone here on the board have any experience building something like this? Would I actually need to have some plans or is it possible to just wing something like this? Thanks for any input anyone has to share.


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## TexanRose (Apr 8, 2011)

Wow, those are some beautiful images, the first one especially. I hope to have shelves like those someday too.

How much carpentry experience do you have?


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## Andres (Apr 8, 2011)

Sharon, yes, I am pretty sure that mine won't look quite that nice, but I wanted to give the idea of what I was shooting for. I was actually inspired while sitting in the office of a title company. They had these amazing bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling. Their ceiling was like 15 feet high so it was much more beautiful than it will look in my house! 
To answer your question, no I don't have any carpentry experience, but my previous next door neighbor works as a carpenter so I would be enlisting his services. I am confident he would be capable of handling all the actual measuring, cutting, nailing, etc. I just didn't know if we needed actual plans for this or maybe if someone had plans they used previously.


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## Grillsy (Apr 8, 2011)

Is this where you plan to store your _Left Behind_ collection?


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## westminken (Apr 8, 2011)

It would be better to have some plans. That way you can do it right the first time and save on expenses. I had some shelves built recently and I had a contractor make them for me. If you want to use solid wood, the expense can get high. If you use a sturdy plywood, the expense will be a little better. It also depends on how much the labor will be. 

The bookshelves I had made are stand alone shelves. They are 7 feet high, 5 feet long, and 18 in deep. Total price was 500 dollars. However, that was for 2 shelves. I would expect it would be a little higher. It depends on your dimensions. 

There are probably other more astute people that could tell you more specifically about the cost of shelves and how to do it correctly.


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## Southern Presbyterian (Apr 8, 2011)

You MUST have plans! Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This is especially true when it comes to carpentry.


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## Notthemama1984 (Apr 8, 2011)

Is it better to build freestanding shelves or floating shelves? I am in need of building some shelves as well.


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## Andres (Apr 8, 2011)

Grillsy said:


> Is this where you plan to store your Left Behind collection?



No sir, those must remain by my bedside! 

---------- Post added at 03:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------




Southern Presbyterian said:


> You MUST have plans! Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This is especially true when it comes to carpentry.


 
so where would I find plans for bookshelves? Can I just buy some plans or do I have to have someone prepare them?

---------- Post added at 03:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ----------




Chaplainintraining said:


> Is it better to build freestanding shelves or floating shelves? I am in need of building some shelves as well.


 
I will continue to show my ignorance in this field...what are floating shelves?

okay, I just googled and now see the difference. It is a good question...


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## Southern Presbyterian (Apr 8, 2011)

Andres said:


> Originally Posted by Southern Presbyterian
> You MUST have plans! Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This is especially true when it comes to carpentry.
> so where would I find plans for bookshelves? Can I just buy some plans or do I have to have someone prepare them?



I built mine by modifying a set of plans I found in a book on home improvement projects.


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## Andres (Apr 8, 2011)

Southern Presbyterian said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted by Southern Presbyterian
> ...



thank you sir. I have come across a few online. I think I will show them to my neighbor and see what he thinks! thanks!


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## Wayne (Apr 8, 2011)

Most work like that can be done using plywood for the majority of the construction (shelves and vertical members).

However, if at all possible, stay away from the big box stores and get your materials from a hardwood supply source. You'll get a better grade of plywood that will be easier to work with and will probably take a nicer finish.

Higher grade plywood shelving will also not bow as much under the weight of books. On that note, the shorter you can make the shelves the better. If plans look nice with 24 inch wide shelves, that dimension will be less likely to bow than longer 36 or (_me genoito_!) 48 inch shelves.

Will you be staining or painting?

Face frame construction, if painting, can be a good grade of pine or poplar. If you want a great looking unit that will take minimal care over the years, go with a nice hardwood with a good clear finish. Hardwoods go through cycles and whatever is most popular at the time will have the higher price. If you can locate some guy who mills his own lumber and sells it kiln or air dried, planed and edged, then you will likely get a better price than what you'll find in some specialty lumber store. There are some sawmills in your extended area. Your mileage may vary. If you like the look of it, you might easily locate some mesquite lumber in your area.

And as you are expecting, you'll definitely want cabinet doors on the lower section. Start child-proofing now.


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## Edward (Apr 8, 2011)

Before you start building, check your floors and walls for pitch and angles. You are going to be very fortunate indeed if all of your corners are exactly 90 degrees and all of your edges are straight. If you use built ins, you'll need to adjust the cuts for the reality of the room.


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## Notthemama1984 (Apr 8, 2011)

Would floating shelves hold up thick theological books?


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## Kevin (Apr 8, 2011)

I have built in shelves on 2 walls in my den at home. My advice is make sure at least one person on the project is a carpenter (of some kind). My shelves are solid wood. One tip is to make the shelves only as deep as you need them to be. Mine are 8" deep. That holds 95+% of my books, and saves me 8" of floor space that would have been lost by using 12" depth. 

Also My shelves only allow the bottem two rows to be 12" high. This allowed me to add an extra shelf per unit. I have shelves all the way to the floor. As it is these shelves only hold my collection of books on politics & public policy & half of my history books on one wall. The other unit is full of home school books. All of my theological texts are in the church office. (plus every bedroom has a 5' unit, the LR has 3...)


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## Andres (Apr 9, 2011)

All of the advice is very much appreciated and will certainly be taken to heart. I am still a few weeks away from beginning as I have a few other projects taking priority, but I will keep everyone updated on the progress. Thanks again gentleman!


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## seajayrice (Apr 9, 2011)

Don’t neglect bottom shelves, this is where you store the Dr Seuss theological collection.


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## Scott1 (Apr 9, 2011)

I would echo Kevin's advice regarding less deep shelves (e.g. 8", rather than 10-12"). Over-sized bookshelf items can be stored elsewhere. You'll be amazed how much more space this gives you.


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## LawrenceU (Apr 9, 2011)

Andrew,
Is your neighbour a trim carpenter or a framer? I'm not trying to be mean, but most framers cannot come close to building anything that you want to be visible. And, no I'm not being a joiner snob. (I am a joiner/carpenter, btw. That means not only can I build anything in a house I can also build the furniture  ) Building basic good shelves is not hard, if you know some fundamentals. You MUST draw them out or have plans. If you don't you will waste a lot of money.

You will need some proper tools. If you are using plywood you will need access to a table saw. If you don't have that you will need a straight edge, clamps, and a skil saw (preferably a worm gear drive saw). A mitre saw makes all the difference when making your cross cuts. I know it may sound like overkill, but good cuts make a huge difference in your project. Without them you will never be able to join the wood well. About joinery, take a look at the Kreg website. If you are smart you will go ahead and buy a Kreg kit. It will save you a lot of time and money when it comes to putting the pieces together. Kreg is a pocket screw system. A lot of times Lowes sells the kits pretty inexpensively. I'm in a hurry this morning and can add some more later.


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## caddy (Apr 9, 2011)

Nice ! Mine are similar, Andrew.


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