Bookshelf hanging on wall

Danny30

Hi, I had a thread before regarding making floating shelves which I still haven't managed to do as I have no garage and it has been too cold to go outside and attempt to cut down the wood. 
I have another chimney breast that I wanted to sort out in the dining room and wanted to make things simple there. I want buy 2 units, a unit with drawers for the base and then I was thinking to attach a bookshelf to the wall above the base unit.  I would cover the gaps with moulding /beading around the sides, bottom and top to make it look inbuilt.
My question was would I be able to attach a bookshelf to the wall above my other unit (can it handle the weight) or would the bookshelf have to be supported by the floor.  Images are below. Thanks 

This unit would be the base. 
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/brusali-cabinet-with-doors-white-70439752/

And I wanted to attach this bookcase to the wall. 

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/billy-bookcase-white-00263850/

williamgriffin

Are you planning to sit the book case on top of the unit?

tacpot12

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Danny30

williamgriffin said:

Are you planning to sit the book case on top of the unit?

Yes, possibly if it would help. 

Danny30

tacpot12 said:

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with such detail. I would put 2 brackets on the bottom of the shelf to support the shelf as you suggested but would juts 2 brackets be enough to hold the weight of a fully stacked bookshelf? The wall is solid wall with plaster. 

williamgriffin

tacpot12 said:

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Are you suggesting he suspends a load billy book case from the top shelf?

tacpot12

williamgriffin said:

tacpot12 said:

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Are you suggesting he suspends a load billy book case from the top shelf?

No, that is exactly what I said would be a disaster. The OP needs to hang the bookcase from the side members. 

tacpot12

Danny30 said:

tacpot12 said:

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with such detail. I would put 2 brackets on the bottom of the shelf to support the shelf as you suggested but would juts 2 brackets be enough to hold the weight of a fully stacked bookshelf? The wall is solid wall with plaster. 

It is important that you don't attach anything to the shelves. Attach the brackets to the sides only. Two strong brackets at the top is what you need for stability. If you fix two strong brackets at the bottom, the shelves will tip over because you have created a fixed point about which they can rotate. The brackets at the bottom (if fitted) are just there to pull the bookcase against the wall.  Like this: 

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi Danny.

Are your walls 3 metres high? If not, it ain't going to fit anyways :-)  

But, assuming you can make it fit - by chopping Billy to size, for example - then it should work fine. That base unit has legs, so all its weight is transferred down through them - ie the unit's sides. Billy is a bit like that too - almost all its weight is taken by its sides. So if you sit Billy on top of Brusali, then the bookcase's weight should largely travel down the sides and on to the legs - so it should be fine.

If very heavily laden - which it likely will - there's a small chance of Billy 'sag', where the width between the sides bend downwards a bit, and that would then press down on Brusali's top. I don't think it'll happen to any noticeable degree, but see that bottom plinth along the front of Billy? That makes it more rigid and anti-sag. If there isn't a similar full-width panel along the back of Billy, that might be something to consider adding.

The only other issues are, you may wish to stop Billy from toppling over as you withdraw a sizeable tome, so a simple straight bracket fitted to the backs - to span Billy and Brusili - should sort that.

If you want to add actual wall brackets, fill yer boots - but I personally can't see why it's needed (I wouldn't bother, provided Billy is attached to Brusi). But don't come crying on here if...

That base unit is a round 500mm deep? Ok, once you attach Billy on top, just see how stable it is - very good chance it'll be fine. But if, say, your carpet is thick and plush or your floor super-springy, and you find it all a bit wobbly, then all that's needed is for Billy to be tethered to the wall at one point on its top. Find where a wall stud runs, and screw a bracket in there - you won't see it there above eyeline.

williamgriffin

tacpot12 said:

Danny30 said:

tacpot12 said:

If the wall is strong enough, and the fixings are strong enough and spread the load across enough of the sides of the Billy bookcase, you can attach it to the wall. If I was doing this, I would put the fixings at the top of the bookcase, so that all the load is pulling down the sides.  If the wall is a stud wall, it probably isn't feasible to attach this bookcase to the such a wall unless you get really lucky with the stud spacing.
I would use two brackets like these Adjustable Angle Bracket 55 x 100 x 30mm (toolstation.com)
 with the short side connected to the wall using all four screw holes, and the long sides connected to the inside of the sides of the bookcase. The need to be mounted so that when you look down onto the bookcase from above, the brackets form L shapes. If you connect them so that they form L shapes when you look at the bookcase from the side, you will destroy the bookcase. You can fit them inside the bookcase so that the back hides the part that is fixed to the walls - you will need to cut slots in the back for the brackets to protrude through (make sure that no part of the back touches the brackets), and you will need to fit the brackets first, assemble the bookcase, and slide it onto the brackets before securing it with screws at the base. 

You could do the same at the base (and I think I would do so), but you can use much smaller brackets, and fewer connections to the wall and sides - the main purpose of brackets at the bottom would just be to hold the base against the wall, not to bear any of the weight of the books. 

To attach the top brackets to the wall, you really need to know what the wall is made of. If it is solid brick with solid plaster, then long wood screws with two red or brown plastic plugs stacked on top of each other would be good. If the wall is solid brick but drylined, you need Corefix fittings (Google Corefix). If it is a stud wall and you have been lucky with the stud spacing, you can screw the brackets to the studs using long wood screws, but make sure to drill pilot holes for the screws in the studs. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with such detail. I would put 2 brackets on the bottom of the shelf to support the shelf as you suggested but would juts 2 brackets be enough to hold the weight of a fully stacked bookshelf? The wall is solid wall with plaster. 

It is important that you don't attach anything to the shelves. Attach the brackets to the sides only. Two strong brackets at the top is what you need for stability. If you fix two strong brackets at the bottom, the shelves will tip over because you have created a fixed point about which they can rotate. The brackets at the bottom (if fitted) are just there to pull the bookcase against the wall.  Like this: 

I'm with you now but what's the side of a billy bookcase 18mm chipboard and it weights 35kg empty. Is your suggestion serious or are you humouring the OP?

Danny30

I just realised the height of the walls wouldn't be sufficient. A bit careless. I will be using these 3 instead. 

CABINET 
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/brimnes-cabinet-with-doors-white-40300662/

SHELF
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/billy-bookcase-white-30263844/

ADD ON SHELF 
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/billy-height-extension-unit-white-40263853/