Bookshelves - frequency of support

Depends how thick your shelves are.

You can of course provide additional support by having a batten at the back of the shelf - this would help prevent sagging over a long area by making the shelf effectively thicker.

I've seen several sets of sagging contiboard shelves. Proper wood (ok, even cheap softwood) seems to work well - 22mm x 200mm is pretty sturdy stuff. Actual calculations are probably a job for that beam program mentioned in the joist thread :-)

cheers, clive

to

I have a mainly hardbacks on chipboard shelves supported at 450-500mm intervals over 3.5m. It's sagging very slightly. Spending a bit more on real wood might save on supports. One thing I noticed on some professionally-made shelving is a groove routed underneath to take steel U-channel.

I'm slightly worried by those Screwfix strips, though -- they look a bit flimsy. I used the sort (from Homebase) that have vertical slots for the brackets made of about 2-3mm thick steel. Yes, the whole thing was expensive.

Chris

Screwfix do the steel ones, too. I have some, and they're fine.

================================== I think you're looking at the wrong support system. The bracket you cited is for fixing inside a bookcase and you would need four such strips (plus fittings) for each lot of shelves.

This kind of thing would be more suitable, assuming that you want to fix shelves directly to the wall:

Cic.

Why four?

cheers, clive

=================================== This type of support strip is usually rebated into the side uprights of a bookcase with two each side. Small brackets (Called 'Tonks fittings' - each about 3/4" square) are hooked into the slots giving support at each corner of each shelf. They used to be a standard fitting in library bookshelves because of their flexibility in use and may still be so used.

Cic.

This is exactly what I am doing.

Can I suggest these from DIY Essentials

I've got my supports at nominal 700mm centres. Haven't done any sums but with solid wood that thick that seemed reasonable on the 'looks right' basis.

Rob

Forgot the link to the fittings:

Ah yes, I know what you mean now. Ta.

cheers, clive

Wilko do them cheaper than Wickes or S'fix though a smaller range

BnQ do them but they're a cheap knockoff.

A google on "element 32" twin slot might bring up a local supplier.

cheers, Pete.

================================== I've got two or three of the uprights from B&Q in use as straight edges which is a good way of getting a few reasonably priced straight edges.

Cic.

I think the OP said he had used these in the past, not that he was going to use them now.

You need the Sagulator!

Owain

until I've put the shelves up I don't know the weight of books, nor do I know what variety of cheap, fast-growing softwood I'll be getting. I suppose I can retrocheck my figures and gnash my teeth when I realise that I've overspent by about a zillion pounds over-engineering as usual.

Edward

Not really since you really want 3+ brackets per shelf and it becomes a continuous beam system. SuperBeam only handles simple (2-support) members.

Doh! You take a representative sample of books with spine widths totalling 1 metre, and weigh them on the bathroom scales.

Thicker shelves look more opulent, so no harm to over-estimate. Cheap and thick, like sausages.

Owain

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================================== I don't think he was very clear about his intentions which is why I offered this suggestion:

There is interaction between bracket spacing, shelf thickness, loading weight and shelf material. So theres no one answer. 2' spacing with 3/4" real wood and heavy loading (much more than a row of paperbacks causes no sag.