I need bookcases.

[camwyn]

Multiple. I'll settle for one that's over six feet tall.

However, the landlord says no putting holes in the walls, and a six foot tall bookcase kind of needs to be braced.

Anyone have suggestions on how to do this without violating my lease? The ceiling's a little too high, otherwise I'd be looking into spring rods of some kind- not to mention that I don't know what it's made of or if it'd stand up to constant pressure.

Comments

[newredshoes]

I've never anchored any of my IKEA bookcases and they've always been fine.

[camwyn]

Which model(s) do you use?

[autographedcat]

I'm really fond of the Kallax bookcases, which I have bought several of in various configurations. However, I *did* brace them to the wall, despite my lease. They will just have to deal when I move out. That's why I paid them a security deposit. (Also, I live in earthquake country, so....yeah.)

[newredshoes]

Billy is sort of the bog-standard, but it's really flexible -- it comes in a lot of different shapes (I have a very tall, thin one for all my comic books that tucks into a hallway corner nicely) and you can repeat them for good room elements (several low-level ones in a row for one long bookcase is sort of my ideal apartment garden location at the moment). Kallax is really excellent -- I've had many, including the big ones as room dividers and the four-square one as a side table. My latest one is Valje, and I'm very pleased with it.

[weaver]

I have a bunch of Billys, and I do what @eor below suggested - tiny piece of wood (or paper, or a doorstop, or whatever) under the front two feet. I can't put holes in my walls either. I also make sure I put the heaviest stuff at the bottom, but I assume that's standard.

[eor]

I've had many places with uneven floors which make even small bookcases questionable. I usually put a piece of cedar shake under the front two feet. Find the right level, then mark and cut the shingle. If you brace the piece a little past vertical and/or against the wall at the top it will be quite disinclined to move once loaded. Anyone who looks closely at your bookshelves will notice the books, not the slight tilt backward. Or if they notice the tilt backward and not the books, do you invite them back?

I've had good luck with mission style bookcases not eating so much light the room feels like a dungeon. They also weight less than some styles.

[neotoma]

I have the Billy and the Kallax from IKEA -- Kallax has a large variety of inserts, so you can use it as a cabinet as well as a book-case -- so I think it depends on how much space you have and whether you need non-book storage as well.

As to not being able to put holes in walls, what does your landlord say about hanging pictures, anything?

[camwyn]

'Use Command hooks', basically. The no holes thing was something he told me when I first moved in and asked about hanging pictures.

[newredshoes]

You should do that anyway and just spackle before you leave. Every landlord says no holes and no one follows that rule. (I'm the same way about no painting the walls, though -- every time I ask, they tell me about a $500 painting deposit or something and I balk.)

[ceitfianna]

I've got two tall folding bookcases from Pier 1 that work great but they might not be tall enough. This one, they're tall and sturdy, I've never had a worry about them falling over once they're set up.

[wakeupnew]

I also have and really like the Kallax squares from Ikea. What's nice about them is they're modular, so you can move them around easily, and you can get bins or attach doors if there's anything other than books that you'd like to store in them. We're using two set up next to each other as an entertainment unit, and I have one stacked on top of another one (not anchored to the wall) in my bedroom for a bookshelf/dresser.