How to Secure a Bookshelf So It Doesn't Tip Over
A tall bookshelf is stable right up until something pulls the top of it forward, whether that's a kid using the shelves as a ladder or somebody leaning on it to reach the top. Because so much of the weight sits up high, it doesn't take much, so the fix is to tie the top of the unit to something solid in the wall that can hold it back.
Fix it at the top, into something solid
The fixing goes near the top of the unit, because that's where it does the most to stop the tipping. It needs to go into a timber stud or into brickwork, since plasterboard on its own is only a thin sheet of plaster and a fixing in it'll pull straight through under that sort of load.
Finding a stud
Studs in most houses sit at 450 or 600mm apart, so once you've found one the next is usually easy to find. Knock along the wall and listen for where the hollow sound turns solid, and look along the skirting and the cornice for the line of fixing heads that marks where the sheet was screwed on. A small pilot hole in a spot the bookshelf will hide tells you for sure whether you've hit timber.
What to fix it with
A steel angle bracket does the job well. Screw one leg to the top rail or the side of the unit, never into the thin back panel, which is usually hardboard and will tear out. Screw the other leg into the stud with a screw long enough to get a good 30mm into the timber. On brick, drill with a masonry bit and use a plug or a masonry anchor that suits the screw.
If there's genuinely no stud where the bookshelf needs to go, a spring toggle or a hollow wall anchor through the plasterboard is a lot better than nothing, though it's still second best to timber or brick.
Why adhesive strips aren't the answer
Adhesive hooks and strips are rated for a straight pull down the wall, and a tipping bookshelf pulls outwards and sideways at once, which isn't the load they're made for. For anything tall enough to hurt someone, use a screw.
Load it so it wants to stay put
Keep the heavy books and boxes on the bottom shelves and the light things up top, because the lower the weight sits the harder the unit is to tip. If the floor isn't level, pack the front feet so the unit leans very slightly back into the wall rather than forward.
If you're renting, have a word with your landlord or agent before you drill, and there's more on what holds in a rental wall in how to hang shelves in a rental without losing your bond.
Shop related products
- Zinc Plated Angle Bracket 50 x 50mm. A good size for fixing the top of a bookshelf to the wall.
- Zinc Plated Angle Bracket 75 x 75mm. For a bigger or heavier unit.
- Sutton D600 6mm Masonry Drill Bit. For drilling a brick wall before the plug goes in.
- MACSIM 8-10 x 45mm Chipboard Screws. Long enough to get a solid bite into a stud.
Did you know we also stock spring toggles, hollow wall anchors, frame wall plugs and screwbolts in the shop. Most of them aren't on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf, or bring in a photo of the wall and we'll help you pick.
More of the range is in fasteners and fixings.
Read next
- How to reinforce a bookshelf so it holds the weight
- How to choose anchors and screws for heavy items
I'd much rather patch 2 small holes in a wall one day than spend a second wondering what's climbing the bookshelf.
Candeece
Follow our Facebook page: Strathalbyn H Hardware
