How to Anchor a Bookshelf to a Plaster Wall

Anchoring a bookshelf can prevent injuries.

Bookshelves offer a convenient storage and display solution and serve as a decorative part of a home. Many bookshelves are unsteady, however, and require anchoring to prevent them from tipping over. The possibility of a bookshelf falling is particularly a concern when you have small children or live in an earthquake-prone area. Anchoring a bookshelf to a plaster wall requires predrilling holes so that you don’t crack the plaster. Bookshelf brackets screw to the plaster wall, providing support.

Things You'll Need

• Stud finder
• L brackets
• Power drill
• 1/4-inch diameter drill bit
• Metal wall anchor bolts (optional)

Instructions

1. Identify the plaster wall to which you want to anchor the bookshelf, and slide the bookshelf along the wall until you find a desirable location. Then pull the bookshelf out from the wall so you have room to work.

2. Locate two wall studs behind the plaster using a stud finder. Place the back of the device on the wall and slide it until a light appears, which is a wall stud location. Mark the location with a pencil, and find a second wall stud. If no studs are in the location, you can simply use metal wall anchor bolts.

3. Place an L bracket on one side of the bookshelf about 12 inches from the bookshelf's top. Align the L bracket so that one edge of it is flush with the bookshelf and the other edge will be flush with the wall.

4. Hold the bracket firmly, and insert the provided screws into the two screw holes on the bracket. Use a power drill to ensure the screws are tight in the bookshelf wood. Repeat the process to attach another L bracket to the other side of the bookshelf. Depending on the type of shelf wood, you may need to pre-drill holes in the bookshelf using a 1/4-inch drill bit before inserting the screws through the L bracket.

5. Push the bookshelf against the plaster wall, and use a pencil to mark the center of each screw hole on the brackets where they meet the plaster. Pull the bookshelf away from the wall.

6. Insert a 1/4-inch diameter drill bit in the power drill, and create a 2-inch deep hole in the plaster at each pencil mark.

7. Push the bookshelf back into position, and align the screw holes in the brackets with the ones in the wall. Insert the screws provided into all holes that are above a wall stud. Tighten them until they no longer turn.

   Insert a metal wall anchor bolt into all holes that are not over a stud. Those anchors have expanding sleeves that grip a wall.

Tips & Warnings

• For added support, insert two more L brackets on top of the bookcase, or simply insert screws through the interior back of the bookshelf and into the plaster wall.

References

• Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management: Anchor Tall Bookcases and File Cabinets
• Natural Hazards Big Island, University of Hawaii at Hilo: Secure Free-Standing Bookshelves to the Wall
• SFGate.com; How to Hang Pictures, Even Big Ones, on Plaster Walls; Bill Burnett and Kevin Burnett; February 2006