Install bookcase

Step 6: Paint the bookcase. Giving a bookcase a fresh coat of paint can help it blend in with the surrounding aesthetic of the room. Matte paints are generally recommended for painting shelves.

Alternatively, you may also choose to stain the bookcase instead of painting it. Step 1: Find a suitable wall or corner. Finding a suitable wall to place your bookcase up against is almost as important as the bookcase assemblage. Nestling your bookcase against a corner is recommended, as this will maximize its stability. On the other hand, there are areas of the house that are less suited for placement. For instance, placing a bookcase right beside a doorway can cause undue inconvenience if it partially obstructs a pathway or view.

Step 2: Secure the top of the bookcase with a wall bracket. While an unsecured shelf can fall and crash, a secured bookcase with a fixed wall bracket will stay steady. Climb up with a stepladder and make pencil marks to show where you'll want to screw in a wall bracket.

Drill in some pilot holes and put the screws through the bracket, including a washer between the two. Fortunately, many taller bookshelves come with these additional parts to secure it. Although many bookcases come with more than one bracket, one should usually be more than enough to keep it stable.

Step 3: Check the shelf restraints regularly. Checking the tightness of your bookcase's restraints shouldn't take more than a few seconds.

Pull up a ladder or chair to stand on and re-tighten the screws holding the shelf in place. There shouldn't be much risk of an issue if you tightened the restraints sufficiently in the first place, but popping up to look every six months or so will ensure that it's always well secured. Bookcases and built-ins can transform a room.

Not only can they be aesthetically pleasing but also functional as well. Many times people choose to have a custom built in made to fit into a specific spot. In this case the homeowners had a built in desk area that they wanted to transform into storage space. At the same time they wanted something that would add to the details of the room and not take away from them. This desk area and closet also had an unfinished top and the homeowners wanted us to install finish plywood and a molding to clean up the top space.

Remove baseboard trim and any shield or desk trim that was in the way. Many times this trim can be used to tie in the new built-in to the existing trim. Scribe the unit to fit or shim if needed.

In order for the built in to sit plum I needed to cut the bottom to match this uneven floor. I then slid in the bookcase until it touched the baseboard trim. I used a sharp pencil to mark the baseboard and trim intersection and then used my Fein tool to cut the baseboard at that line. Creating a Built-in Entertainment System. Step 1: Design of the Space and Ordering of Components The project began by coming up with a design plan and then choosing bookcases and cabinets that would fit comfortably into the space without leaving too much space to fill on the sides and top.

Step 2: Preparation of the Area First, the wood flooring was removed from this area since it was no longer needed. Step 3: Painting and Installation All the pieces were painted and then positioned in the wall space, leaving some gaps between them, which will later be covered with mouldings.

Step 4: Installation of Wiring and Power Access Before the pieces were permanently installed, it was necessary to run wires from where the media components go to where the speakers and TV will go. Step 5: Finishing the Installation of Doors and Accessories The outer two bookcases were screwed to the side walls to ensure they do not move, while the center pieces were then screwed to the side pieces.

Step 6: Installation of Equipment Equipment was installed in the entertainment console. Step 7: Installation of Moulding Around Frame Unfinished moulding was then nailed to the wall and face frame of the bookcases and cabinets. Step 8: Painting of Moulding The moulding had holes filled, caulk applied to any gaps, and was then painted so everything flowed seemlessly together.

Step 9: Finishing Touches Finally, everything is installed and plugged in. Creating a Great Entertainment System. Entertainment System.

Entertainment System Diagram. Hidden-Pivot Bookcase Door. Here are detailed drawings for a nifty swinging-bookcase hidden door. Bookcase Front View.

Bookcase Front View Open. Front View Opening. Bottom View. Bottom View Beginning to Open. Casing Opening a Little More. Casing clears flanking case, but not by much. Strike side viewed from top.

Rixson Center Hung Pivot. Swing-in Bookcase on Offset Pivot Hinge. But the strike side would still hit. How to Install a Light Bridge in a Bookcase. Built-in Bookcase and Mantle Installation. By Robert Robillard Installation This post provides an example of how to install a bookcase, fireplace mantel and the panel above the mantel. We took care to install all of the lags in the same spots on each stud. Installing The Fireplace Mantel: After furring the walls we set the mantel in place.

Installing The Bookcase: The bookcase was then installed. Bookcase Installation. By Robert Robillard Bookcases and built-ins can transform a room. Installing a built in cabinet: 1. Fill the nail holes with wood putty and sand flush. The closet top received finish plywood and some molding along the edge to clean it up. Shop for Products. Search Search:. All rights reserved.

Of course your books are special to you since you have bought them by spending so many dollars so you do not want to see them getting spoiled that way! The best way to protect your books is to install a bookcase that has got doors. It will not only organize your precious books but will also guard them against harmful environmental factors.

So install your bookcase today without spending a lot of money. Taking Measurements: Get started by choosing the place where you want to install the book case.

Then with the help measuring tape, take and record the length, width and height of the area where the bookcase can be best installed. Planning: After taking the measurements, brainstorm a rough map of your bookcase on a piece of paper. Want to do this on a small scale. Great job!!!! Sue Ames, Iowa. Great article Gary. The unit looks super, and that UHMW shim is a clever little thing.

I plan to give the Collins Ply-Prep bit a try, as I recently finished two large cabinets that had umpteen miles of edge banding and now have another three sets to go. Much appreciated. I am a working with a local cabinet maker to build a Hidden Door. He has never built one but is happy to jump in. I have read all I can find and am printing out all of Mr. Katz articles. Polite but the person responding only knew of one such door using their hardware and recommended a lb capacity center pivot set at about 1K.

What resource might I provide the maker? He does not use the internet. Tom, You should contact a distributor or dealer. Do a search for Rixson hardware and find a good dealer. I think Qualified Hardware is a pretty thorough site. There are other good sites, too.

Rixson was very polite and did call me back. It seems to be the only set mentioned on any sites with info on building a hidden door. What do you think of the hidden door being constructed as a pre hung unit.

There is a lot of quality local oak. This will be done in solid oak, at an unbeatable material cost! Opinions, anyone? That is exactly what I did on my last hidden bookcase project.

I wrote about that in the 1st comment above. In my case the trim work was pretty elaborate — arched and carved, by others so I just sent the bookcase to be installed all set up on the pivot within an outer box. I could just as easily have sent it all trimmed out if that had been necessary. Tom, I used The Rixson It was completely fine for the two units I described.

Just would wonder if I went much wider. I repeat that doing a Sketch Up or the like drawing before hand was essential as it allowed me and Gary to determine the pivot point and the clearances required precisely.

Here are a few photos of the case within the case. I am an architect and when I try to figure out how things are done I end up googling until I get a good explanation, yours is excellent and well presented, thanks. So well done. Gary Katz, Wow, the security room behind the bookcase and the pivoting bookcase are an asset to any home, very nice.

My skills are not there yet but when they improve I will be putting one of those bookcases in my home. Thanks for the information, Freddie. We want this as part of a wall of bookcases rather than standalone. Conceptually simple enough — just move it forward eight inches and frame the rest of the bookcases around it.

Reducto ad absurdam: If you tried to build this into a stand-alone case, it would tip forward as soon as you started to swing the weight out. Think of it as wanting this to look like a freestanding bookcase against the wall. Did a bit more research… It looks like the sideways force on each of the pivots is the weight of the door, times half its width, divided by its height.

Nontrivial, but not as bad as one might expect. To say this has been an adventure would be an understatement.

Please take a moment to answer one more critical question. Cabinet maker chose not to mortise the pivots into the top of the shelf unit nor the top of the jam. It created a problem with concealing the top edge, I understand that. Wife likes to ask me about it at the end of each project. I am remodelling my basement and completed the demolition, stripped everything down to studs and floor slab.

Each bookcase is to be a hidden door, one for the office and one for the closet. Since I am starting from scratch and can build the walls to suit I wanted to ask if there is an easier way to plan this. The office would open inwards and the closet would open outwards. He just said it was a heavy duty pivot hinge, I think? Most hinges are pretty easy to install if you think through the process, make templates, and do some test mockups to be sure your mortises are correct. I am trying to build a small bookcase into my pantry.

I need it to pivot out and away from the cabinet so I can put storage behind it. What kind of hinge would I use for this and do you know of anywhere I can see something like this to help me out? Thanks Debi. What is the thickness of the new jamb that you placed between the original jamb and the bookshelf?

Marshall, Sorry I missed your question and it took me so long to catch it. I use a dowel hidden behind a book, but i like the idea of pulling on a book, too. And maybe cut an emergency hold somewhere, just in case the wire breaks!!! Marshall, I will readily admit I am not an expert cabinet maker but am a decent carpenter and I am in the process of building a hidden door as described above.

I too had the desire to have more of a hidden latch than the dowel described in the article. I will post pictures once I am done with the project but let me describe what I came up with. What I decided to do, after much research and no good inexpensive solutions, was to use a basic latch out of a door handle.

I bored the hole for the latch between the top of the door and the false top described in the article to hide the top Rixon hardware and the hole for the set screw. In the end a simple tug of a hidden release hook releases the door latch much like a normal handle would.

In the right setting you could manipulate these pulleys and attach cable to a book for your purposes. I just am building a master closet and shelves will be used for shoes not books. In the photo you can see the cable as it comes out and runs down the side of the door. I will be hiding all this with the face frame. The latch is at top right. I bought all rigging for this set up from webriggingsupply.

Loved the whole concept. I noticed in this article there was a case inside a case approach and was intrigued by the design and was thinking this could be a way to meet the clients desire for a deeper bookcase. So what I was thinking about doing, because the location for this bookcase is a closet and is where the furnace is located.

What thoughts of wisdom could you pass on to me and do you think this could work? It will diminish the opening size by the depth of the case plus some. Joe, Do a search for Rixson Pivot Hinges. Builders Hardware is a good one. The pivot hing is a great idea, I can see where the way it swings could really help things fit together.

I once used a wheel for this application that helped but wore out the plywood it was mated to…. I suppose a piece of sheet metal would have helped. Any way thank you for the wonderful ideas.

I have a small broom closet in my kitchen. Not only is the door UGLY! It renders that wall space unusable. I had seen a picture of a bookcase being used as a door on Pinterest and knew that was my solution. Just wishing I had 1, the time and 2, the shop you do to even make a bookcase well alone a hidden door bookcase. I want to make one for my basement door , to really give the appeal of a hidden place for my family.

Do you have any suggestions? I think it might be a myth? I have a suggestion and would value your opinion. I would welcome your comments, since I am contemplating following your lead to build a similar bookcase. I obviously am not Gary Katz, but here are a couple of observations based on my experience recently building one of these hidden doors.

However, I think the idea that the front side of it will be touching the bookcase have no reveal will be very tough to pull off and I think you would be asking for trouble. You are dealing with so many factors hinges being plum, threshold being level, any sag of the case, etc. If it do get creative and make it work or I am not seeing what you are thinking exactly, I would still say it will be way more trouble than it is worth. I agree with Gary, if built well these doors will have little to no sag.

The shim is more a precautionary measure to extend the life of the door and hinges. I would suggest, instead of trying your luck with the roller, leave yourself a small reveal between the threshold and door and use a shim as described in the article. Gary, I just wanted to say thank you for the great article and detailed instructions on how to build a hidden door. I encourage anyone that is patient and decent with cabinetry, this is a project that is not that hard as long as you take your time and think things through.

Again, thank you Gary. Hi, quick question. The plans indicate placing bottom pin 3. Question, should I continue with original pivot point, or should I move pivot point closer to center for balance,. All the pivot point measurements are taken off the jamb.

You should probably draw it in Sketchup first and make sure the new pivot point works. Shawn, I took about two days to build and install. What type of material was used for your shelving? Mahogany veneer, maybe? Is it the hinge? Finished my door around 6 months ago. Used soft maple for solid stock.

Here is roughly what my estimated cost would be.. You can always expect to run into a few extra costs…but that would put it right close to the ballpark. I am starting research and gathering courage to do this project. Thoughts, concerns and advice please. You might have to use an offset pivot hinge. But it will show. Good luck! Hi Gary I am an interior designer with a fairly good experience in woodwork and manufacturing. I am in serious need of the correct Pivoting set for a heavy duty bookcase to a secret door.

They keep referring me to spring pivots for doors. I am in Johannesburg and need professional assistance in specifying the correct pivot mechanism to hold the bookcase. Could you assist me here or refer me to a Hardware that may be able to ship out to South Africa? Eddie, You can find the pivot hinges at numerous online dealers. I would like to ask if anyone knows how to install a revolving wall like the one from the batgirl movie in the old times.

No clue how this happened or how to even correct it. Rich, I feel your pain. I installed my first case perfectly plumb and learned the same lesson. You can shift the location of the bottom pivot in or out a little and that should fix a good part of the problem. You may have to shim the casing on the hinge side off the wall a little bit at the bottom, or you may have to cut that casing into the drywall a little as it nears the bottom of the wall. Cross stringing the opening is a prerequisite.