A bookshelf is a place where people go to seek sanctity from the daily stress of human life. Reading books is still the favorite pastime for a lot of people. Think about a place where you go to find peace.
Would you love it if the place was crooked? Nobody would. No one likes a place to be crooked or a piece of furniture to wobble. Especially when you have your favorite books or your pastime friends sitting there.
So, in this article, I will show you a perfect way how to stabilize free standing bookshelves. After this [rpcess, if you have a wobble free standing bookshelf at home, it will stop wobbling altogether. So, follow these methods. Let’s start with method one!
5 Methods of How to Stabilize Free Standing Bookshelves
Method 1: Tightening The Screws
Sometimes bookcases wobble because the screws of the case are not fixed properly or have come off due to the weight pushing the shelves down creating friction between the screw and the hole.
It can also happen if only one screw wasn’t fixed properly. It can potentially make all other screws loose due to the calibration issue. So, initially, to stop the bookcase from wobbling and stabilizing, take down all the books from the bookshelf and tighten every single screw using a screwdriver. If you didn’t know how to fix leaning bookcase, this is how you do it.
The better fitting can make sure that the bookshelves don’t rock from left to right or front to back. After screwing tightly, put the books back. Make sure you keep the weight balance properly by keeping heavier books on the lower shelves.
Method 2: Adding a backing
If you want to know how to stabilize bookcase by adding a backing, this is how you do it.
If the bookshelf lacks a backing and is wobbling side to side, add one. Keep the bookcase on the floor. Using a carpenter’s square, square up the top and sides.
If necessary, loosen any of the screws you tightened to do this. Using a tape measure, measure the width of the bookcase from the outer edges and the length from the top surface to the underside of the lowest shelf.
You’ll need a circular saw to complete this process. Using a circular saw, cut a piece of 1/8-inch plywood or hardboard to the dimensions you measured.
Place the backing in position. Square the case once again, then use 1-inch finish nails to secure the backing to the bookshelf. Nail a couple nails into each of the shelves for extra support.
Method 3: Adding adjustable Legs
Our third option is to add adjustable feet on the bookcase’s corners. These things are also called gliders. You can buy them in almost every home appliance or hardware store. They’re easy to put together—just drill a hole and insert the feet. You won’t have to worry about damaging the carpet, but your feet may be visible, which you may not enjoy.
To prevent back-and-forth swaying, add adjustable feet to the bookshelf. Reduce the height of the bookcase to the floor. Drill a hole in the underside of one of the legs for each foot and tap in the foot with a hammer.
Return the bookshelf to its original location. Raise or lower each foot until the bookshelf is no longer wobbly. Turn the feet clockwise to raise them and counterclockwise to drop them.
Method 4: Wall Secured Bookshelves
We recommend attaching the bookshelf to the wall, regardless of whatever option you pick. An unsecured bookcase might be knocked down by a youngster climbing or pushing on it. Hundreds of kids are injured each year by falling furniture.
For best stability, secure the bookshelf to the wall. Drive 3-inch screws through the backing and into the studs behind the bookshelf if it has one. To disperse the load, use washers with the screws. If no support is present, attach 1-inch metal corner brackets to the studs and the bottom of the top shelf or the sides of the bookcase.
To protect the bookshelf from toppling over, attach a furniture belt to the walls and the bookcase. Screw 3-inch screws through the rear of the bookshelf (at hidden spots) into studs to secure it to the wall. Make sure you hit studs. You’ll need 4 screws—2 screws into each of two studs—is sufficient. This is how you secure the bookshelf to the wall without screws
Method 5: Adding Metal Brackets
Metal L brackets are an excellent choice for individuals who have backless bookshelves. As with the last approach, you will need to locate the stud in your wall to which you will connect the bracket.
After you’ve found the studs, slide the L bracket beneath or on atop if you don’t care about it being more apparent, the top shelf. Next, use a screwdriver to insert correctly sized screws.
How far can a shelf span without support?
The span limit is the maximum distance between shelf supports that can be placed. The span restrictions of glass, particleboard, solid timber, plywood, and other typical shelf materials can span from 18 inches to over 5 feet.
How to tell if my Bookshelf is Overloaded?
We sometimes get a bit carried away packing books into bookshelves to make the most of our storage capacity, but shelves cannot support an unlimited amount of weight.
So, how do you know whether your bookshelf is jam packed? There are a few tell-tale indications. The first type is a sagging shelf. This is the point at which the shelf starts to droop in the center. It might shatter and dump anything it’s carrying onto the floor, necessitating shelf repair or the purchase of a new bookshelf.
If your bookshelf is attached to the wall, you should inspect it on a regular basis for any destruction to the walls or the shelf where it may be pushing away from the wall due to weight.
How Much Weight Can A Bookshelf Hold?
The amount of load that a bookshelf can support is determined on the sturdiness of the shelf. A solid wood shelf constructed of oak or pine, for example, will hold 200-300lbs, but a plywood or MDF shelf will hold roughly 100lbs on average. If you want to put significant or numerous goods on your shelf, make sure to verify the item specs to see how much load it can support.
How Do You Support a Shelf in the Middle?
Making supports is simple; simply cut pieces and glue or nail them in place. The finest strips are those that run vertical to the shelf. Make them a couple of inches tall and run the length of the shelf. Two of them, positioned in thirds, may lend a lot of support to a large wooden shelf.
You may go one step further and support the entire bookcase. From the top, attach the bookshelf to the cleats. Adding a back to bookshelves is another technique to strengthen them. Use 1/4-inch hardwood-plywood or 1/4-inch hardwood for the rear for economy and efficiency. Apply adhesive around the bookcase unit’s border and the rear of the shelves.
Final Words
So, this is the way how to stabilize free standing bookshelves. Using any of the above mentioned methods will result in your bookcase having a very solid stand where it will not wobble. The feet of the shelves are made of wood and wood decays over time.
So, it’s just natural that after a certain time, anything that stands on its legs is bound to wobble. So, even if your bookshelves are not wobbling now, having this info will help you in the future.
