Scaffold board bookshelves

[AlisonPP]

Hi

I am new here... wondering if any more enlightened souls can help me.

I have decorated a room to (IMO) perfection. But I now want to build some bookshelves out of scaffold boards with cast or wrought iron hanging basket style brackets as supports.

My question is, how do I know, without risking ruining my newly decorated walls, whether the walls will tolerate the weight of these?

Many people in real life have told me not even to go there. But I am unwilling to give up until I get some more opinions.

Would you attempt this or is it a fools game?!

Should I put up some kind of baton to distribute the weight of the cast iron brackets?

Or should I just use very long screws and try to get right into the brick?

Any advice or experience would be much appreciated.

 

[big-all]

build in a ladder fashion to transfer the load to the floor
what width are the shelves going to be side to side and depth front to back [9/18/27"]
at say 39" the 3xno10 x4" per shelve end pilot and countersunk into the uprights but not the shelve ends or 4x iff 1200mm/4ft
more than 1200 central support recommended

 

[AlisonPP]

Thanks for that it’s really helpful to have some figures....

 

[KenGMac]

AlisonPP, good evening.

What age is your property? that may ??? hold a clue as to what the alls are made from? plasterboard or plaster applied to solid brick walls.

Ken

 

[Adam182]

Sounds totally possible to me.

Without a doubt you want to be fixing into the brick though.

Anchor Bolts would be one option to go for.

 

[AlisonPP]

AlisonPP, good evening.

What age is your property? that may ??? hold a clue as to what the alls are made from? plasterboard or plaster applied to solid brick walls.

Ken

Thanks Ken

I am pretty sure it’s plaster over brick as I have already drilled into the walls for some other things

The property was built between the wars, it’s an old fashioned council house

 

[AlisonPP]

Sounds totally possible to me.

Without a doubt you want to be fixing into the brick though.

Anchor Bolts would be one option to go for.

Great thanks Adam I will look into those anchor bolts

 

[blup]

Brick should be fine to drill into with screws and plugs as mentioned above, the trick is to get the holes, and therefore the brackets, horizontal. Try drilling smaller pilot holes first and build up the masonry bit diameter. I use a bradawl to prick a hole in the plaster to prevent the tip of the bit slipping. You won't need to use hammer action when drilling through the plaster, which will help with accuracy when you reach brick.

Select the scaffold boards carefully as new or used, some will be twisted, or show signs of twist.

Good luck!

Blup