How to Secure a Bookcase for Kids
Some children seem to be natural born climbers and enforcing a no-climbing rule is sometimes difficult. Your child may become impatient while waiting for an adult to retrieve an item too high for him to reach and decide to use the shelves as a ladder. The bookcase can easily topple over from the weight of your child and hurt him. You can put your mind at ease by securing bookcases to the wall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Stud finder
- 2 L-brackets, 4-inch
- 4 wood screws
- Screwdriver
- Pencil
- Drill
- Drill bit
- Socket wrench
- 4 lag screws 3-inch
Instructions
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1
Locate the wall studs behind the bookcase using a stud finder. Wall studs are generally placed 16 inches to 24 inches apart.
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2
Position two L-shaped mounting brackets on the top of the bookcase. Align each bracket with a wall stud.
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3
Secure the bottom of the brackets to the bookcase with wood screws. The length of the wood screw will depend on the thickness of the wood holding the screw. Use the appropriate screwdriver for the screw head, either a flathead or Phillips screwdriver.
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4
Align the upright L-bracket with the wall studs and push the bookcase against the wall. Use a pencil to mark the holes of the L-bracket to the wall studs.
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5
Drill a pilot hole using a drill and drill bit. Make the pilot hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the lag screw.
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6
Insert the lag screw through the bracket hole and into the pilot hole. Attach the appropriate size socket wrench to the screw head and turn until the screw is firmly secured into the wall stud. Repeat with the remaining three lag screws.
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Tips & Warnings
Place heavy objects on the bottom shelf so your child will not harm himself taking items off the bookcase.
A lag screw is a thick screw used for wood and has a square or hexagonal head.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
