how do I attach a tall bookshelf to a wall without using screws or nails?

Question

I bought a tall thin bookshelf (six feet tall by twelve inches wide) and I want to secure it to a wall in my kitchen.

Unfortunately the wall is little more than under an inch of dry wall over a metal heating vent (or duct). I didn't know this until I tried drilling a spot for a screw (there's a metal plate that extends from the top of the shelf with a hole in it) and the hole opened up too wide and not nearly deep enough. I could use one of those winged things you attach to the end of screws to spring open once on the other side but I I am not willing to drill a hole through that heating vent and have gas or whatever escape.

What's more the shelf doesn't really touch the wall since the molding at the bottom near the floor is very thick and I'm not allowed to remove it. So I double screwed a piece of long wood to that top metal plate. Now, can I glue that piece of wood to my kitchen wall with anything to secure this bookshelf? I don't think wood glue will do it. I think I might be able to do this down along the sides of the shelf, too. I can attach wood to the back of the bookshelf, but can I securely attach the wood to the wall without screws?

Aside from the weight of the bookshelf this thing won't weigh much as it will only hold some cookbooks and magazines.

It is really the only place I can place this shelf so please don't tell me to move it somewhere else.

Answer 1

If the back of the bookshelf is structurally stable, and the base is open behind the molding. Measure the total width of the bookshelf and subtract two times the molding width. Establish this dimension on the floor in the area where you want your bookshelf placed. Place a 2 x 4 or as large a piece of wood that will fit under the base of the bookshelf on the floor approximately 1/8 " inside the established dimensions and secure the 2 x 4 or what ever to the floor with numerous screws or fasteners. One cleat at each end of the bookshelf. Set the bookshelf in place and secure the molding to the two new cleats that have been secured to the floor. The screws should be very close together at the wall sides of the bookshelf to gain as much overturning resistance as possible. If the cleats system under the bookshelf will not work consider installing blocking under the bookshelf up to the lowest shelf. Secure the blocking to the floor and fasten the first shelf into the blocking. I'm suggesting securing the bookshelf to the floor in some manner, making certain the bookshelf is adequately stable to handle this type of loading. Any supplemental but minor support that can be gained from the wall would help insure the stability of the bookshelf, but with adequate framing it would not be quite as critical. Floor anchorage would be critical. An anchor at the floor at the rear of the bookshelf will have to provide six times as much resistance as an anchor to the wall at the top of the bookshelf.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

actually personally, I would build under the shelf it's self, a base thar would make the bookshelf tilt slightly backward. I've seen some new that have just come out. The link below shows the shelving tilt I had in mind.

But the base (I'd built on on a older bookshelf) will be against the molding along the wall, in front it will be inside the box like thing you build setting at a 1 to 5 % grade tilted toward the back, according to how heavy the wood shelf is made of and your collection size/wt. From the side inside the box resembles a recliner, for the self to set on, it doesn't need to be attached, but can have wheels so you can rearrange the room. Because it's tilted the books don't come crashing out, unless you run into something while your moving it.

Mine was built because a basement apartment I had had a pipe and I couldn't afford storage and didn't want to sell the cherry wood shelves my grandfather made. It was fairly simple to make.

Answer 4

Tall Thin Bookshelf

Answer 5

That winged thing, a toggle bolt, would require a pretty big hole, but a sheet metal screw wouldn't hurt anything by going into a duct and you could put on a dab of silicone caulk to seal it. There won't be any gas. Try to drive a nail through the duct. If you can't, it may be a heavy plate to keep you from drilling into electrical wires.

Answer 6

On the rear of the shelf unit attach a spacer at the top and half way so the spacers are flush with the bottom flange trim. With a good volume of Vel-Cro attach to the spacers with tacks. Glue the other Vel-Cro to the wall with a strong adhesive like Gorilla glue. This should hold the unit very well and would take quite a tug to pull it away from the wall.