Building bookshelves?

Trialia

I'm starting from scratch and, while my dad is helping me put them up, I still don't know exactly where to start. I know I need a kind of lumber or MDF that will stand up to bearing lots of books, and I want to attach them to the wall, but I also want to be careful and not have my walls so crowded with shelves that I cause damp by crowding.

Any tips, please?

amcluesent

Book are heavy and MDF shelves need a lot of support. TBH, I'd attach a horizontal batten of MDF to the wall under each shelf.

Alternatively, look at http://www.jali.co.uk/, you can design a bookcase to exact dimensions and they'll cut the MDF and send as a flat-pack.

ormus

cheaper to buy em from ikea and bolt em together.
ikea billy bookcases. cheap as chips.

27col

That's a new one on me. Causing dampness by overcrowding. You must have some peculiar ideas as to what causes dampness. We have got a whole wall at least 12ft long or more completely covered with shelving. All supported by narrow channels fixed to the wall. Similar to what you see here.http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tradelines.co.uk/images/ubrk.crm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tradelines.co.uk/index.php/cPath/21. We just used painted Contiboard for the shelves but I suppose the MDF would do just as well.