How to Anchor a Bookshelf

Anchor your bookshelf to hold it steady.

Bookshelves are tall and heavy pieces of furniture, especially when they have books on them, and they can topple over due to earthquakes or other disruptions -- like a climbing toddler. To prevent your bookshelves from falling over, take steps to anchor them into your wall. Anchoring your bookshelf is a good step toward making your home childproof, and it is also a relatively cheap part of disaster preparedness.

Things You'll Need

• Stud finder
• L-brackets
• Electric drill
• Screws

Instructions

1. Locate a stud in your wall using a stud finder.

2. Set up the bookshelf so that its back is set flush up against the wall where the stud is.

3. Place an L-bracket snug to the wall on the top of the bookshelf. One leg of the "L" is against the wall facing up, the other is on the bookshelf.

4. Screw two screws into the L-bracket to hold the bracket to the wall using an electric drill. The screws you use to attach the bracket to the wall should be at least 2 inches long. Make sure that you place the screws so that they attach to the stud behind the wall.

5. Screw two screws into the lower leg of the L-bracket to connect the bracket to the bookshelf. These screws can be shorter, as 2-inch screws would extend into the display area of the bookshelf.

Tips & Warnings

• If your bookshelf has an open back, place another L-bracket on another shelf to add more security.

• If you place two bookshelves side by side, bracket them to each other as well.

References

• South Carolina Emergency Management Division: Protecting Your Property from Earthquakes
• University of Hawaii at Hilo: Secure Free-Standing Bookcases to the Wall