ᐅ Adding Additional Shelves to a BILLY Bookcase After Purchase
Created on: 18 Sep 2015 09:17
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ELEONORA
Hello everyone,
I am planning to add extra shelves to my Billy bookcase and have a few specific questions: Does IKEA officially offer additional shelves that can be easily purchased separately? How about the shelf pin holes in the bookcase—are they standardized so that additional shelves can be added without issues? Or, in the worst case, would I need to drill new holes myself, and if so, what is the best way to do this without compromising stability or appearance?
Besides practical tips, I am also interested in experiences with third-party products or alternative solutions in case the original shelves are hard to find. Thanks in advance for your insights and advice!
I am planning to add extra shelves to my Billy bookcase and have a few specific questions: Does IKEA officially offer additional shelves that can be easily purchased separately? How about the shelf pin holes in the bookcase—are they standardized so that additional shelves can be added without issues? Or, in the worst case, would I need to drill new holes myself, and if so, what is the best way to do this without compromising stability or appearance?
Besides practical tips, I am also interested in experiences with third-party products or alternative solutions in case the original shelves are hard to find. Thanks in advance for your insights and advice!
The following approach is practically the most sensible:
- Purchase original IKEA shelves that fit your Billy bookshelf dimensions (80 cm (31.5 inches) width, 202 cm (79.5 inches) height)
- Insert shelf supports into the existing drill holes
- Check the shelf for existing holes and accurately mark drill points for additional shelves
- If there are no drill holes or more flexibility is needed, drill precise holes using a 5 mm (0.2 inch) wood drill bit
The load capacity of a single shelf is about 30 kg (66 lbs) with an even load distribution. The drill holes are designed so that the load-bearing capacity of the shelves is not compromised, as long as the supports are correctly installed.
Based on many customer reviews and personal experience, using third-party products does not seem necessary— the IKEA shelves perform perfectly and are cost-effective.
- Purchase original IKEA shelves that fit your Billy bookshelf dimensions (80 cm (31.5 inches) width, 202 cm (79.5 inches) height)
- Insert shelf supports into the existing drill holes
- Check the shelf for existing holes and accurately mark drill points for additional shelves
- If there are no drill holes or more flexibility is needed, drill precise holes using a 5 mm (0.2 inch) wood drill bit
The load capacity of a single shelf is about 30 kg (66 lbs) with an even load distribution. The drill holes are designed so that the load-bearing capacity of the shelves is not compromised, as long as the supports are correctly installed.
Based on many customer reviews and personal experience, using third-party products does not seem necessary— the IKEA shelves perform perfectly and are cost-effective.
L
LuMarcel4318 Sep 2015 15:44A brief addition on stability and drilling:
It is important not to drill these holes when the shelf is already under significant load or when the material in that area is worn out. Otherwise, the shelf may become unstable or, when inserting the shelf supports, the wood may crack or warp due to brittleness.
Additionally, when drilling by hand, I recommend avoiding hammer drills (which are too powerful for wood-based materials) and instead using a sharp wood drill bit that produces a clean hole.
This ensures long-term stability and prevents aesthetic damage.
TEBILO schrieb:
The drill holes on the side panels of the BILLY shelves are standardized, usually spaced at 3.2 cm (1.25 inches).
It is important not to drill these holes when the shelf is already under significant load or when the material in that area is worn out. Otherwise, the shelf may become unstable or, when inserting the shelf supports, the wood may crack or warp due to brittleness.
Additionally, when drilling by hand, I recommend avoiding hammer drills (which are too powerful for wood-based materials) and instead using a sharp wood drill bit that produces a clean hole.
This ensures long-term stability and prevents aesthetic damage.
All these regulations are well and good, but honestly: who needs so many shelves in a bookcase? BILLY is all about simplicity – you don’t need a shelf every 3cm (1.2 inches). That actually makes it less practical because dust collects in between, and the materials are unnecessarily stressed.
My opinion: it’s better to have fewer, solidly placed shelves rather than almost a small bookshelf in every compartment. If you want more subdivisions, you can switch to modular systems. That’s how it is.
My opinion: it’s better to have fewer, solidly placed shelves rather than almost a small bookshelf in every compartment. If you want more subdivisions, you can switch to modular systems. That’s how it is.
TISON schrieb:
Who needs so many shelves in a bookcase?For me, it’s less about having too many shelves and more about a practical division: for example, over a length of 80cm (31.5 inches), I would prefer to create two smaller compartments instead of one large surface, so that folders and books can stand better.
I’m also looking for a solution that causes minimal damage to the bookcase and doesn’t require complicated modifications. The small metal supports sound like a very practical option to me.
RETRAVIS schrieb:
Buy original shelves from IKEA that fit your BILLY bookcase dimensionsDo you have experience with whether the wooden shelves are durable, or should one rather consider a coating or finish if, for example, heavy folders will be placed on them?
ELEONORA schrieb:
Do you have experience whether the wooden shelves are durable, or is it better to apply a coating/varnish if, for example, you want to place heavy binders on them?The original BILLY shelves are usually made of particleboard with a melamine resin coating. These are quite resistant to scratches and moisture under normal use. For heavy binders (up to 30 kg (66 lbs) per shelf), this is generally sufficient.
However, if you plan to place particularly heavy loads or want to avoid moisture especially, you can treat the shelves with an additional clear varnish. This extends their lifespan but is hardly necessary in standard situations.
Another option is custom-made solid wood shelves that you can have cut to size yourself, although these are significantly more expensive.
Morning stretch 🙂
I just wanted to quickly mention that retrofitting with IKEA panels is really easy and reliable – I did the same to divide my BILLY into smaller sections. I simply inserted the metal supports into the existing pre-drilled holes and placed the extra shelves on top. It works perfectly and looks good.
No problem, you won’t damage anything if you just insert the supports into the existing holes! If drilling is necessary, please use a fine drill bit carefully, otherwise it gets dusty afterwards ;-)
Good luck with the partitioning! 🙂
I just wanted to quickly mention that retrofitting with IKEA panels is really easy and reliable – I did the same to divide my BILLY into smaller sections. I simply inserted the metal supports into the existing pre-drilled holes and placed the extra shelves on top. It works perfectly and looks good.
ELEONORA schrieb:
I’m also looking for a solution that causes as little damage as possible to the shelf
No problem, you won’t damage anything if you just insert the supports into the existing holes! If drilling is necessary, please use a fine drill bit carefully, otherwise it gets dusty afterwards ;-)
Good luck with the partitioning! 🙂
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