Shelving carpentry

There are lots of ways of putting up shelves. Some systems are fixed, others adjustable – the choice is yours.

Deciding how much shelving you’ll need is always tricky – because, the more shelves you have, the more you’ll find to go on them! So it’s always wise to add an extra 10 per cent to the specification when you start planning. Think carefully about what you want to store and display, and try to categorise it by size and weight. The size part is fairly easy. Concentrate first on the depth (from front to back) and length; a collection of paperback books, for instance, might need 3.5m (10ft) of 150mm deep shelves.

shelving cupboards

Having the shelves a bit deeper than you really need is always worthwhile, and if you add 10 per cent the length should look after itself. Next, the heights in each grouping will tell you roughly how far apart the shelves must be. Most paperbacks are 175mm (7in) high – allow an extra 25mm (1 in) for easy access and removal. Finally, weight. The trouble here is that, even if you weigh what you’ll be storing, you can’t translate the result into shelf, bracket and fixing materials or sizes. Instead, think in terms of light, moderately heavy and very heavy. Items such as the TV and stereo, while not especially weighty, are best treated as very heavy, because it would be nothing short of disastrous if a shelf did give way under them!

Shelf design

Where you put the shelves affects the amount of storage you can gain, how you build them, and the overall look of the room itself. This last may not be important in a workshop, for instance, but in a living room, where the shelves may well be the focal point, a bad decision can be serious. The obvious spot for shelving is against a continuous wall. This offers most scope to arrange the shelves in an interesting and attractive way. An alcove is another possibility. Shelving here is neat, and easily erected; it is a very good way of using an otherwise awkward bit of space. A corner has similar advantages if you make triangular shelves to fit – though they’re really only suitable for displaying plants or favourite ornaments.

Planning it out

If appearance matters and you’re putting up a lot of shelves, a good way to plan is by making a scale drawing of the whole scheme to see how it looks. Then check for detail. If your TV has an indoor aerial, make sure you have room to adjust it. With stereo systems, ensure the shelf is deep enough to take all the wiring spaghetti at the back. And do think about the heights of the shelves from the floor. Finally, make sure you provide adequate support for the shelves and the weight they’ll be carrying. There is no very precise method of gauging this, but you won’t go wrong if you remember that for most household storage a shelf needs support at least every 750mm (30in) along its length. This will usually be enough even with chipboard, which is the weakest of shelving materials. But bowing may still be a problem, so for items in the ‘very heavy’ category it’s advisable to increase the number of supports by reducing the space between them.

PLANNING SHELVES
When you design storage, plan ahead and think about how you’re going to use it.
Height.
Keep everyday items well within reach. That means between 750 and 1500mm (30 and 60in) off the ground.
Depth.
Shelves that are deepest (from front to back) should be lower, so you can see and reach to the back.
Spacing.
An inch or two over the actual height of the objects means you can get your hand in more easily.

Which material?

Chipboard is usually the most economical material, and if properly supported is strong enough for most shelving. It can be fairly attractive, too, since you can choose a type with a decorative wood veneer or plastic finish. These come in a variety of widths – most of them designed with shelving in mind. Natural timber, though more costly and sometimes prone to warping, is an obvious alternative. You may have difficulty obtaining some timber in boards over 225mm (9in) wide, but narrower widths are readily available. For wider shelves, another way is to make up the shelf width from narrower pieces. An easy method is to leave gaps between the lengths and brace them with others which run from front to back on the underside, forming a slatted shelf.

Blockboard and plywood are also worth considering. Both are a lot stronger than chipboard and have a more attractive surface which can be painted or varnished without trouble. However, in the thicknesses you need – at least 12mm (1/2in) – plywood is relatively expensive; blockboard is cheaper, and chipboard cheaper still. All these man made boards need to have their edges disguised to give a clean finish. An easy yet effective way to do this is just to glue and pin on strips of timber moulding or ‘beading’. Also remember that the cheapest way to buy any of these boards is in large sheets (approximately 2.4m x 1.2m/8ft x 4ft), so it’s most economical to plan your shelves in lengths and widths that can be cut from a standard size sheet. Shelves needn’t be solid, though. If you want them extra-thick, for appearance or strength, you can make them up from a timber frame covered with a thin sheet material. Hardboard is cheap, but thin plywood gives a more attractive edge; alternatively use a timber edging strip.
MDF is the material of choice for most professional carpenters.

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