What Can I Repair The Back Of My Bookshelf With

Be it the Billy Bookcase from Ikea, or any other bookshelf the cardboard back is non cute. Using wainscoting to replace the bookshelf bankroll is a quick & easy update which tin can requite your shelf a little extra back up and a lot of extra style.

Showtime the paper-thin backs of bookshelves are simply the worst. The only thing worse is not having a back at all. Trust me because I've tried to sell many shelves and book cases without back. No one wants them!

I get it, your books slide out the back or things autumn off dorsum there. No! Just no.

Here's what the shelf I'k talking near looked like in my shop. I did my best to stage this bookshelf without a dorsum on it, but it's only not cute. You lot can see the wall color and the baseboard. See I was right this is worse than a paper-thin backing.

I'm not a huge fan of the green simply we're in motel country so green is a pop choice. Peculiarly when the bookshelf has a behave cut out on information technology similar this one does. I tin can only be use in a cabin. If information technology doesn't sell I'm going to have to deal with that bear. Let'south hope it merely needs a dorsum!

Permit'due south Replace this Bookshelf Backing!

You tin add a lot of different materials to back a bookshelf. I've seen ceiling tins, corrugated metal, even wallpapered plywood. For my project I've decided to upward the cabin quotient and go with bead board or wainscoting.

This is an easy to use natural language and groove design.

I cut the boards in half (they were 8 feet long) and painted them to match the bookshelf. Then it was time to attach the boards.

The first board always goes down piece of cake. Just makes sure the edge of the bookshelf is covered by the board and that you board is direct. I cannot stress enough how important the outset lath being straight is. It's the lath that all the other boards will line up next to . If this board is crooked your shelf back volition look like this – //// and you don't want that. Not unless you want a funhouse look.

Screw the boards to each of the shelves.

Yous desire the next board to slot into the first lath. That's why it'due south called natural language and groove. The tongue goes in the groove.

Unfortunately one of my boards was a little warped. Y'all can nonetheless use the board but you'll need a piddling aid. I slotted and attached the acme and and so used a clamp to concord the bottom in place while I screwed the warped lath to the shelf and information technology was skillful to go.

As you can encounter in the phot in a higher place, it wasn't all smooth sailing. You lot know when the rubber mallet comes out we're getting serious folks! Yes, some of the boards near the end needed a little more convincing than others. Just remember to tap them into place. If you hit it too difficult the tongue or groove will intermission and them your looking at more problems.

In one case they were all in I had to use the jigsaw to remove the excess board. on the bottom so the shelf would stand up direct.

So much better than an open or paper-thin backing!

You could stain or paint the boards to match your bookshelf. Replacing the cardboard backing on your bookshelf can make an cheap shelf look high end. The wainscoting is more or a country/cottage experience. If yous used corrugated metallic it would have a more than industrial feel. The possibilities are countless!

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