ᐅ BILLY Shelf Assembly with Screws or Wall Anchors – Advantages and Disadvantages

Hello everyone,

I am about to assemble my BILLY shelf and am wondering whether it is better to attach it to the wall using screws or wall anchors. My wall is made of solid brick, not drywall. I am unsure which fastening method is more stable in the long term while also being as easy as possible to install.

I am also interested in whether the choice between screws and wall anchors affects load capacity or safety. Are there any differences regarding disassembly or reusability?

I look forward to your opinions and experiences on the advantages and disadvantages of screws versus wall anchors, especially for mounting the BILLY shelf.

Thanks in advance!

For solid brick, I recommend using wall plugs with screws. Wall plugs provide a secure hold, as screws alone do not grip well. This also helps prevent cracking. When dismantling, simply unscrew the screws; the wall plugs can usually remain in place.

Screws alone are not sufficient for fastening to solid walls like brick, because a screw without an anchor plug does not provide proper anchoring in the masonry. Anchor plugs distribute the load and significantly increase the load-bearing capacity.

Advantages of anchor plugs:
- High load capacity due to anchoring in the masonry
- Prevention of wall damage through secure distribution of forces

Disadvantages:
- Installation is more complex compared to using screws alone

When disassembling, the screws can simply be unscrewed, while the anchor plugs usually remain in the hole. If the shelf needs to be mounted elsewhere, new holes will typically have to be drilled.

geralu schrieb:
Wall plugs provide a secure hold; screws alone don’t grip well.

I can definitely confirm that! 🙂

I installed my BILLY shelf using wall plugs in the brick wall. When you lean on it, you can really feel the firm support—no wobbling! Screws without wall plugs would have just pulled out immediately in my case.

Of course, drilling holes for the wall plugs is a bit annoying, but it’s totally worth the effort if you want to be safe. Best regards!

Oh yes, anchors are the key to a successful BILLY assembly!!! 😄

I screwed my shelf to a similar wall, and since then everything has held perfectly – no wobbling, no stress! Anchors absorb the load so well that you can even put something heavy on it. And if you drill carefully during installation, the holes are hardly noticeable afterward.

Do it, you’ll be thrilled! 🙂

Question for everyone: Are there any specific load-bearing differences between standard anchors and specialized heavy-duty anchors for this type of installation?

I am interested to know whether the extra effort for heavy-duty anchors is really worth it with BILLY shelves, or if regular plastic anchors are completely sufficient for typical loads.

Additionally, I would like to know if different recommendations apply for steel or concrete walls compared to brick walls.

Looking forward to well-informed opinions.