How to Build a Built-In Bookcase
- 1). Sketch out the dimensions of the bookcase. This example is 5 feet wide, 7 feet tall, and will use runners for adjustable shelves.
- 2). Choose and have your lumber cut. The most important piece is the backing, which should be made of plywood. For a tower bookcase of this type, it should be 1/2-inch thick or greater, but a small case could use thinner plywood. Have the plywood cut to fit your dimensions.
- 3). Choose lumber for your shelves and walls. These should all come from the same type of board, but they will need to be cut to different lengths. Shelf boards should be cut to the width of the back minus 3/4 inches (1/4 inch for the width of each wall, plus 1/4 inch of "give" space). In this example, that makes the shelf boards 4 feet 11-1/4 inches long. Also, one of the sets of walls--either the top board or the side boards--will also need to be reduced in size by 1/2 inch so they fit together. For example, the side boards can be 7 feet long, but that means the top board (and bottom, if there is one) needs to be 4 feet 11-1/2 inches long to fit in between the side walls.
- 1). Attach the walls using wood screws. It is best to do this part with help so one person can hold the walls in place while the other drills one hole for every foot of length or width, and then drive in the screws. The walls should be attached to the face of the plywood along the perimeter. Then reinforce them with corner brackets, screwing these into place on the outsides of the newly formed case. The brackets will be recessed into the wall, so don't worry about anyone seeing them.
- 2). Smooth the inner surface of the case that is formed by the plywood backing with a power sander. This should be done in stages, first with coarse grit of sandpaper, then a medium grit, and finally a fine grit.
- 3). Cut some molding with a hacksaw or finger saw on diagonal lines, so that it will fit together nicely along the outside rim of the case. Wood glue should be used to fasten these into place for the most part, but something more will be needed to hold the molding down while the glue sets. Either use clamps or drive in discreet carpenter's tacks every 18 inches or so. The latter cannot be removed, but not everyone wants to invest in cumbersome clamps.
- 1). Use a tape measure, pencil, and level to mark out the space where your bookcase will be fitted into the wall. Check this space with a stud finder to make sure that you can align the bookcase along at least one of the studs, to serve as an anchor.
- 2). Drill a hole through one of the corners to get started, and then use a drywall saw to cut open the hole for the bookcase.
- 3). Check if the flooring extends under the drywall. It usually does not. In that case, you will need to cut some scrap timber or carpenter's wedges to fill this space and create a level floor space to support the bookcase.
- 4). Secure the bookcase to one of the wall studs, using three or four flat wood screws or anchors from inside the case. The best place for these is along the back corner, as they will be less noticeable there. This will require either a hammer or a drill and screwdriver. Nails are better, as they require no finishing (see Step 5).
- 5). Seal up any spaces between the bookcase and the wall with spackling putty, joint compound, and a putty knife. Also, if you used screws in Step 4, put a little carpenter's wood putty over those screws to fill in the screw head, and then sand that to a smooth finish after it dries.
- 1). Get out the paint brushes, and first prime and then paint the entire bookcase and all shelves. Doing this properly will require a layer of primer and at least two layers of enamel. The drying time between each stage makes this an all-day, morning-until-night job. Touch up the wall paint where necessary when you are finished.
- 2). Use a tape measure and pencil to mark the drill holes in the bookcase walls for the adjustable shelf runners. You will need two runners per side, and there should be a hole for every 18 inches or so of length.
- 3). Drive in the screws to secure the adjustable runners to the bookcase walls.
- 4). Put the shelf brackets into the runners as desired, and start laying shelves onto them.