A beautiful bookcase filled with treasured reads and decorative accents can be the heart of any room, adding both function and style.
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However, safety concerns arise when such a stately piece of furniture isn’t securely anchored, posing a risk of tipping over, especially in households with curious children or pets.
In this article, we’ll guide you through simple yet effective methods to ensure your bookcase stands firm and secure, transforming your space into a safe haven.
Why Do I Need To Prevent My Bookshelf From Tipping Over?
Children and Pets
Research has shown that one child every 46 minutes suffer from injuries caused by furniture or TV tipping over.
It often occurs when children or pets try to climb it, or children try to reach something on top of the furniture.
If you have children in your home, you should consider securing any dressers, desks, or bookcases, and try to avoid placing any items, like toys, on them up high that might draw children’s attention.
Earthquakes
You might also want to prevent your bookshelf from tipping over if you live in an earthquake-prone area.
Over 50% of the injuries sustained during the earthquake resulted from falling furniture. Securing your furniture is crucial and could save a life!
Fragile Decor
If you keep breakable items such as ornaments or photo frames, you should definitely try to prevent them from toppling on your bookshelf.
It could save you from having to clean up a big mess and a broken heart if the items are sentimental.
Ways To Prevent Tipping Over
You can stop a bookcase from tipping over by:
- Keeping heavy items on the lower shelf levels
- Using furniture straps
- Attaching Screws
- Adding metal brackets
Keep Heavy Items On the Lower Shelves
Furniture will sometimes tip over because it is top-heavy. Try to keep heavier items on the lower half of your bookshelf to help stabilize the bookshelf at the bottom.
Use Furniture Straps
Furniture straps, available at most hardware stores, are a reliable solution for securing your bookcase.
These straps, which come in metal, plastic, and fabric forms, attach to the back of your bookshelf and the wall studs, providing stability.
A key advantage of furniture straps is their detachability, allowing you to move the furniture as needed.
The packaging of furniture straps will indicate how much weight they can support, including the bookshelf and its contents.
However, it’s important to note that some furniture straps allow a degree of tipping without causing the furniture to fall over completely.
For a bookcase, ensure that the straps prevent it from tipping far enough to cause items to fall off.
While furniture straps are not visible from the front, they might be seen from the sides. If this is a concern, consider exploring our other methods for securing your bookcase.
Velcro Furniture Straps
If you’re hesitant to drill a hole through your bookcase and wall, you can use velcro furniture straps.
They work in a similar way to other furniture straps, but instead of being secured to the bookcase with screws, they have adhesive-backed velcro that you can stick on the top or back of your bookcase.
Attach Screws
Another option is to directly attach the bookshelf to the wall with a 2 or 3-inch wood screw.
If you choose this option, you will need to make sure the bookcase is aligned with the studs in your wall.
Use a stud finder or rubber mallet to tap until you find the appropriate place.
Use a drill to make pilot holes through the bookshelf into the wall and then screw the wood screws into each pilot hole until they are snug.
This is a good option for those wanting a more discrete looking method.
Add Metal Brackets
Metal L brackets are a good option for those with backless bookshelves. Like the method above, you will need to find the stud in your wall to attach your bracket to.
Once you’ve located the studs, place the L bracket underneath (or on top if you don’t mind it being more visible) the top shelf.
Next, use a screwdriver to drive appropriately sized screws into place.
How Do You Stabilize A Bookshelf On Carpet?
Bookshelves can become wobbly for various reasons, but a bookshelf is more likely to wobble on a carpet than any other surface.
You can stabilize it by securing it to the wall using our methods above, or you can secure it to the floor.
Securing it to the floor will require more work but can be worth it if you plan to permanently keep the bookshelf there.
Finally, for an option that doesn’t involve securing it to the wall or floor, you can add adjustable feet or furniture levelers to the bottom of your bookshelf to balance it out.
This option might be more noticeable but is a less intensive option.
How Do I Know If My Bookcase Is Overloaded?
Sometimes we get a little carried away cramming books into our bookcases, trying to get the most out of our storage space, but shelves cannot hold an infinite amount of weight.
So, how can you tell if your bookcase is overloaded? You can tell when the shelf begins to sag in the middle.
If your bookcase is secured to your wall, you should frequently take a glance and check for any damage to the wall or the bookshelf where it might be pulling away from your wall from the weight.
How Much Weight Can A Bookshelf Hold?
The amount of weight a bookshelf can hold will depend on the quality of the bookshelf.
A solid wood shelf made from oak or pine will hold 200-300lbs, whereas a shelf made from plywood or MDF will hold around 100lbs on average.
Make sure to check item specifications for how much weight it can hold if you plan to put heavy or many items on your shelf.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found these safety tips helpful so you can secure your bookshelf so that it won’t tip over.
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