Hello everyone,
I plan to mount an IKEA BILLY bookcase on the wall and am currently facing the challenge of choosing the right screws and wall anchors. Since the method of fixing varies depending on the wall material, I would like to know: What screw and anchor sizes are ideal for the BILLY bookcase, especially when mounting it on concrete, plaster, or drywall (e.g., gypsum board) walls?
It would also be helpful to get an assessment of the load capacity to ensure the bookcase is securely fixed to the wall and won’t be damaged due to insufficient fastening. Does anyone have specific recommendations or experience? Thanks in advance!
I plan to mount an IKEA BILLY bookcase on the wall and am currently facing the challenge of choosing the right screws and wall anchors. Since the method of fixing varies depending on the wall material, I would like to know: What screw and anchor sizes are ideal for the BILLY bookcase, especially when mounting it on concrete, plaster, or drywall (e.g., gypsum board) walls?
It would also be helpful to get an assessment of the load capacity to ensure the bookcase is securely fixed to the wall and won’t be damaged due to insufficient fastening. Does anyone have specific recommendations or experience? Thanks in advance!
If you have concrete walls, definitely use 6x50 mm (1/4x2 inch) anchors and screws. For drywall, 8 mm (5/16 inch) hollow wall anchors with matching screws are recommended. It is important that the screws are at least 10 mm (3/8 inch) longer than the anchor to ensure a secure connection.
For further clarification:
For the Billy shelf on concrete walls, anchors with a diameter of 6 mm (1/4 inch) and a length of 50 mm (2 inches) are recommended. Screws should correspondingly be 6x60 mm (1/4 x 2 1/4 inches) to securely grip the anchors.
For drywall (plasterboard) walls, the use of metal hollow wall anchors with an 8 mm (5/16 inch) diameter is advised. Screw length should be between 50-70 mm (2-2 3/4 inches), depending on the anchor length and wall thickness.
Additionally, proper anchoring into the load-bearing studs is preferable to evenly distribute the weight.
For drywall without load-bearing elements and medium loads, an 8 mm (5/16 inch) hollow wall anchor is sufficient; for heavier loads, I recommend securing to the studs.
For the Billy shelf on concrete walls, anchors with a diameter of 6 mm (1/4 inch) and a length of 50 mm (2 inches) are recommended. Screws should correspondingly be 6x60 mm (1/4 x 2 1/4 inches) to securely grip the anchors.
For drywall (plasterboard) walls, the use of metal hollow wall anchors with an 8 mm (5/16 inch) diameter is advised. Screw length should be between 50-70 mm (2-2 3/4 inches), depending on the anchor length and wall thickness.
Additionally, proper anchoring into the load-bearing studs is preferable to evenly distribute the weight.
For drywall without load-bearing elements and medium loads, an 8 mm (5/16 inch) hollow wall anchor is sufficient; for heavier loads, I recommend securing to the studs.
Hey everyone! I installed my BILLY over the weekend – super sturdy! I used 8mm (5/16 inch) metal hollow wall anchors in drywall with 6x60mm (1/4 x 2 3/8 inch) screws, which easily hold 40kg (88 lbs). The unit is very secure! For concrete, I used 6x50mm (1/4 x 2 inch) anchors and screws—nothing can go wrong with that 😃 I highly recommend it!
I think it's great that so many tips are being shared here! 🙂 One small extra tip: if you are mounting on drywall (plasterboard), you should mark the spots with a small cross before drilling and drill very precisely. Otherwise, the anchor can become misaligned, which reduces its holding strength.
Sometimes, lightly screwing in the screw without an anchor first can help remove sawdust. This works quite well with metal hollow wall anchors.
Sometimes, lightly screwing in the screw without an anchor first can help remove sawdust. This works quite well with metal hollow wall anchors.
Davidleo schrieb:
I used 8mm (5/16 inch) metal hollow wall anchors in drywall and 6x60mm (2 3/8 inch) screws; that easily holds 40 kg (88 lbs).That may be true, but the load distribution is also very important! If you use all anchors close together in the drywall plus supporting studs, then yes. With individual anchors without studs behind, the situation can quickly be different.
Therefore, I would also recommend not underestimating the minimum number of fastening points.
kasan schrieb:
The distribution of the load is also important!That makes sense. Thanks also for the tip!Could you please tell me how many wall plugs you typically use for an 80cm (31.5 inches) wide BILLY shelf and how to best distribute them? Are they usually placed mostly in the corners or also in the middle?
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