Annabel Lee Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I read about "Billys" and "Expedit" bookshelves in the homeschool room organization thread. In the posted pictures, the shelves I saw didn't appear to be sagging (Quit your laughing, I'm trying to ask a serious question here!). I have $30 cheapo pressboard (like Sauder) bookshelves from Walmart that were supposed to tide me over until I built my own of sturdier wood. I picked out plans from the Knock Off Wood site, but then realized I don't actually know what the heck I'm doing with any of that, to include identifying certain types of saws and such. So my cheapo shelves are now sagging badly & I'm afraid they might break. I pile books horizontally on top of the books that are vertically lined up if there is space between the tops of the books & the shelf above. I do this with thick, heavy hardback things like encyclopedias. Would these "Billys" and "Expedits" hold up to that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 We've had billy shelves for years. They do hold up well but are not solid wood. One thing I might suggest is getting an extra shelf for each book case. That way you would have less weight on each shelf. We've found the problem points aren't shelves sagging but the holes for shelf pins wearing out. The extra shelf with a little less loading would help this. The other improvement I'd make is to put a wedge at the bottom of the back panel so it cannot slip down and spring out of its track. Our Billies are double shelved and heavily loaded. They are a great bookcase but they do still have limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 If you want to spend a little more and do your own finishing these have been very good shelves. Ours have made 5 major moves and are still very sturdy and solid. http://www.whittierwood.com/prod/indoor/491Windoor.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I'm looking for new bookshelves myself, but we're 800 miles from the nearest Ikea, and they don't drop ship here. Any suggestions for the Ikea-less? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I don't have an ikea, either. These shelves from Target have worked phenomenally well for me: http://www.target.com/p/threshold-carson-5-shelf-bookcase/-/A-11110053#prodSlot=large_1_1&term=shelves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Excellent! I may have to make a run to Target tomorrow to scope these out. For some reason I never think about Target for furniture-- thanks for the reminder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 All bookshelves can sag, even those made of solid wood. One simple thing to do is pull the shelf out and flip it over. If you are handy, go get a thin strip of wood, say an inch by an inch and cut it the length of the shelf and tack it on underneath. I have zero skill, but I can do this. Home improvement stores will cut these for you. You can also buy the shelf supports in a home improvement store and mount those to the back of a bookshelf. BUT many shelves, even Ikea's just have a bit of cardboard sort of material back there. So that won't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 We have the cheaper IVAR system from Ikea. Solid wood, shelves hold up beautifully, everything survived an overseas move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 We've used IKEA bookshelves for a long time and have never had a problem. Alternatively, you could check Craigslist and garage sells for a nice bookshelf and then refinish it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msk Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I like the way my Billy bookshelves look and they're pretty sturdy for the price, but they do sag if we fill a whole shelf with tall hardbacks or if we double-layer paperbacks. The side pieces will also bow outward over time if I fill them too tightly. If you watch the hardback content and don't stuff them they should be okay, though. The Ikea-looking bookshelves my parents passed on to us from my childhood don't sag or bow no matter what we do to them and are several inches deeper, which is very nice-- I think they're solid wood, though, so they'd be much more expensive nowadays. I wish I had more like them! ETA: Billy is some kind of particleboard, but a better quality particleboard than many I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Do you happen to live near any large universities? I'm in a college town, and the university has a surplus store where they sell all sorts of old computers, dorm furniture, office equipment, etc. They also have a steady supply of solid wood, very sturdy ex-library bookshelves at garage sale prices. If you're anywhere at all near a university it could be worth looking into whether they have anything similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Thanks for the ideas! I'm not near an IKEA or a Target, and I don't know if they'd ship here, but it's worth a try. I *REALLY* like those solid wood ready-to-finish ones posted in one of the links, because I enjoy painting. I can cut a 1x1 & tack it underneath the shelves - do you mean run it horizontally underneath, or vertically to prop it up in the middle? It might not look pretty, but it might make things safer until I settle on a permanent solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 You could look for a bare-wood furniture kind of store either in your town or within a couple hours driving distance. They will also often finish them for you for a fee. I have done this in a pinch when my bookcase-making husband was not able to make some more. Real-wood bookshelves are where it's at, as far as I'm concerned. I hate particle-board bookshelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 We've had billy shelves for years. They do hold up well but are not solid wood. One thing I might suggest is getting an extra shelf for each book case. That way you would have less weight on each shelf. We've found the problem points aren't shelves sagging but the holes for shelf pins wearing out. The extra shelf with a little less loading would help this. The other improvement I'd make is to put a wedge at the bottom of the back panel so it cannot slip down and spring out of its track. Our Billies are double shelved and heavily loaded. They are a great bookcase but they do still have limits. Our experience exactly. We've had ours for about 3.5 years now. The heaviest loaded shelves (hardback science and history resources) have broken holes where we put the pins. It's a bummer, but for the price we probably got our money's worth out of them. Would love for DH to make me a solid set, but honestly I'm super paranoid about heavy, tall bookshelves and little ones. My kiddos don't climb and we have the two tall ones attached, but still... Tall, solid wood bookshelves carry a *lot* of weight behind them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Woodland Mills has solid pine bookshelves that are sturdy, reasonably priced, and made in Pennsylvania. We started buying from them a few years ago, and now have several of their framed bookcases, as well as a few of the media units (which aren't currently in stock) for paperbacks. We haven't had any sagging, but we don't pile up the books as you've described, as all of the shelves are just the right height. The manufacturer sells extra shelves, and the cases have plenty of adjustment holes. By contrast, we have one wall with built-in bookcases, and the plywood shelves sag pathetically when I try to use them for heavy textbooks and Bible commentaries. Particle board might be better than that, but I'd still go with solid wood as a first choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 My parents went with the 15" wide Billys to prevent any sagging issues. They have them very loaded and nary a problem after about 3 years or so. My wide ones aren't really overloaded.... Yet. I haven't had them long enough to know what they will do. The shelves are thicker and stronger than the cheap $25 units from office depot they replaced (that had a couple of shelves with minor sagging because of overloading. We had oak units in CA we didn't want to move. Which was a mistake given the perfect spot we had for them in this house! Oh well...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threedogfarm Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Rather than buy new look in small antique or "decorating" stores (recycling AND shopping local!). We have one in the next town over and she specializes in some new things but mostly things she finds at flea markets, etc. She has a great eye for quality and looks (and price!). I have bought bookcases, lighting, etc. from her--always at a good price and always solid (and usually less than what I would have paid at Target). This place is in a rather pricey area but she's not expensive. So poke into those kind of stores--you might be surprised. Of course these aren't rock bottom prices like if you had found them at a flea market or a thrift store but you're also not doing the looking and sifting and traveling--some one else is who has a good eye and can do a few repairs if necessary. Also the items will be displayed in a very pleasing way so it's easy to make a decision as to whether it will work in your house. You just have to be willing to have pieces that might not match but definitely have style. Also another cheap style bookcase are old barrister bookcases--they are stackable and usually interchangeable. I have picked up ones without the glass fronts for next to nothing and they are so easy to mix and match and change the heights when necessary (for under a window, behind a couch, etc.). And they are SOLID. Always make sure you get a base and a top so that they will look right. And the bonus: so easy to move because each shelf piece unstacks so you are essentially moving one at a time. And no issues with sagging! FWIW I love the look of the Whittier Wood Furniture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I have Billy's that I've had for over 10 years and have moved 6 times (usually taking them apart since I was moving myself). I stack books on top of books, paperbacks on top of hardcovers. My paperbacks are in decorated boxes sorted by author so they face out and I can fit more in each space (the boxes hang over the front edge) and I stack other books on top whenever I get something new. I also have a Billy currently holding 5 3" binders on their side, a heavy electronic sewing machine. I haven't had any problem with shelves sagging or the holes pulling out. We did have a problem with one of the backs breaking during a move, but we now have two of our Billy's over windows (very small space with little wall space) and we pulled the backs off the top so the sunlight can shine through, so that didn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 http://www.overstock.com/search?keywords=book+shelf&refinematerial=Wood&searchtype=Header#Home-Garden/Montego-5-tier-Bookcase/6345338/product.html?recset=0dddf76d-b1a6-4973-af4a-8ce4aa7cc09f&refccid=O5G4MIJRHLUI6ASENAU7Q7ZZSA&recidx=2&recalg=61&searchidx=2 I have something like this. I've had it for awhile and it belonged to a friend for nearly 10 years prior. No sagging, no wobbling. If you don't mind the open design (I love it, seems to take up less space.) Also very cheap shipping from overstock. This style is even better for moving, rearranging furniture. http://www.overstock.com/search?keywords=book+shelf&refinematerial=Wood&searchtype=Header#Home-Garden/Folding-Student-Bookcase/6975437/product.html?recset=0dddf76d-b1a6-4973-af4a-8ce4aa7cc09f&refccid=O5G4MIJRHLUI6ASENAU7Q7ZZSA&recidx=4&recalg=61&searchidx=4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Are you within an hour's drive of an Ikea? I have one of the walmart units and know exactly what you mean. The cheapest Ikea shelves we have do not sag when fully loaded with books, after several years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Thanks for the ideas! I'm not near an IKEA or a Target, and I don't know if they'd ship here, but it's worth a try. I *REALLY* like those solid wood ready-to-finish ones posted in one of the links, because I enjoy painting. I can cut a 1x1 & tack it underneath the shelves - do you mean run it horizontally underneath, or vertically to prop it up in the middle? It might not look pretty, but it might make things safer until I settle on a permanent solution. Across the length of the shelf. I think it is called a cleat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Woodland Mills has solid pine bookshelves that are sturdy, reasonably priced, and made in Pennsylvania. We started buying from them a few years ago, and now have several of their framed bookcases, as well as a few of the media units (which aren't currently in stock) for paperbacks. We haven't had any sagging, but we don't pile up the books as you've described, as all of the shelves are just the right height. The manufacturer sells extra shelves, and the cases have plenty of adjustment holes. By contrast, we have one wall with built-in bookcases, and the plywood shelves sag pathetically when I try to use them for heavy textbooks and Bible commentaries. Particle board might be better than that, but I'd still go with solid wood as a first choice. Oh these are great! And free shipping. The cost is *barely* more than materials would cost to build myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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