- Whole Time: 3 days
- Talent Degree: Intermediate
- Estimated Price: $500-$1,000
Putting in DIY built-in bookshelves is the last word approach so as to add character to your private home, and so they can improve and complement any model, from Craftsman to Victorian to midcentury fashionable.
Whether or not you intend to load them together with your guide assortment, model them together with your favourite decor objects, or a mix of the 2, built-in bookshelves are a foolproof method to combine your persona into your private home’s design whereas rising purposeful storage. Hiring a carpenter to construct bookshelves may price you 1000’s, however we have got a DIY built-in bookshelf undertaking that prices a fraction.
Earlier than Getting Began
In case you have a selected room in thoughts on your DIY built-in bookshelves, search for methods to naturally combine them into the area. It is a lot simpler so as to add built-ins to the nook of a room or inside a nook somewhat than in the midst of a wall. Plus, this can typically yield rather more aesthetically pleasing outcomes. Work with your private home’s structure to attain a simple look.
Greatest Wooden for DIY Constructed-In Bookshelves
It doesn’t matter what look you are after on your built-ins, you may possible discover the wooden on your undertaking on the ironmongery store. When you plan to stain and seal the cabinets to indicate off the wooden itself, you may possible wish to spring for a wooden species that’s engaging and accepts stain properly, akin to oak or maple.
Nevertheless, when you’re planning to color the built-in bookshelves, cheap softwoods or engineered woods will do the trick. The steps under will define learn how to construct DIY built-in bookshelves utilizing nominal lumber from the ironmongery store, however they will simply be adjusted to accommodate various wooden choices.
To attain a thicker shelf look when utilizing costly wooden like oak, nail a wider piece of wooden to the entrance fringe of thinner cabinets.
No matter wooden species you select, simply make sure you use wooden that’s no less than 3/4-inch thick, which is the precise thickness of 1″ nominal lumber. For instance, a 1×4’s precise dimensions are 3/4-inch by 3-1/2 inches.
What You may Want
Gear / Instruments
- Miter noticed
- Round noticed
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Caulk gun
- Portray instruments
- Stud finder
- Oscillating multitool
- Utility knife
- Sq.
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Pry bar
- Hammer
Supplies
- 2×12 pine boards
- 1×2 pine boards
- 1×12 pine boards
- 1/2″ x 4′ x 8′ paint-grade plywood sheet
- Substitute trim and mouldings
- 2″ wooden screws
- Naked-wood primer
- Paint
- Acrylic caulk
- Portray provides
- End nails
Directions
Set up DIY Constructed-In Bookshelves
The steps under define learn how to set up built-in bookshelves created from nominal lumber, supposed to be painted.
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Measure the Room
Measure the peak, width, and depth of the area you want to fill with built-in bookshelves.
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Take away Present Trim
Mark the trim with a sq., then use an oscillating multitool to chop the trim. Earlier than prying it off, rating the paint and caulk with a utility knife.
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Rip and Cross-Lower Plywood Items for Sides, Cabinets, and Again
Utilizing a desk noticed, reduce the again piece to the width and peak that you just simply measured.
Subtract 1-1/2 inches from the width measurement, and utilizing a desk noticed, reduce a 2×12 into two items for the highest and backside.
Utilizing the identical width as the highest and backside items, reduce nevertheless many cabinets you need from the 2×12.
Rip aspect items to width on the desk noticed.
Even when you plan for a number of of your shelf’s sides to relaxation on a wall, do not forgo including the aspect items. It will make set up simpler, strengthen the general unit, and enhance the look of the completed product.
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Rip and Cross-Lower Lumber Items for Face Body
Cross-cut face body items to peak with the miter noticed.
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Prime and Paint Plywood Items
Prime the wooden with a naked wooden primer and paint following the producer’s directions for utility. Let dry.
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Align Cabinets with Sides and Fasten with Screws
Screw the 2 2x12s between the 1x12s to kind an oblong body. Place the underside 2×12 so it peeks out simply above the peak of the baseboard. Place the highest 2×12 flush with the highest of the 1x12s or, if there’s crown molding, the place it should peek out slightly below the crown molding.
Fasten them in place by screwing via the 1x12s into the top grain of the 2x12s with three equally spaced 2-inch wooden screws. To stop splitting, drill pilot holes or use self-drilling wooden screws. Use a sq. to make sure all the pieces is straight.
Repeat this course of with the remaining cabinets, spacing them equally between the highest and backside boards or in no matter format you like.
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Connect Again
Mount the pre-cut again piece to the again of your completed body with 2-inch wooden screws.
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Align Face Body with Cabinets and Assemble
On a flat floor, lay out your body. Verify the corners with a pace sq. and clamp the corners. Utilizing a Kreg jig, make two pocket holes on every of the longer body items on your face body. Utilizing 2″ screws, drill via the pocket holes into the adjoining piece. Repeat on all 4 corners.
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Find Wall Studs
Discover and mark the studs utilizing a stud finder or your go-to stud-finding method.
When working with cumbersome objects like giant cabinets, it may be useful to mark the situation of the studs on the ground utilizing painters tape. This fashion, if the merchandise covers the marks on the wall, you may preserve a reference level.
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Set up Constructed-In Bookshelf
Mount the built-in shelf to the wall by screwing via the again piece into the studs on the high, backside, and center.
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Connect Face Body to Bookcase
Connect the face body with a nail gun. Add 1×2 boards to the entrance edges of the perimeters to create a thicker look and canopy the joints on the ends of every shelf.
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Fill Nail Holes and Paint
Fill the nail holes within the face body. Prime and paint the wooden following the producer’s directions for utility.
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Change Trim
Use a nail gun to exchange any trim that was eliminated for the DIY built-in bookcase set up.