ᐅ How do you securely mount BILLY shelves in older buildings with crumbling walls?

For walls like these, chemical anchors are usually the only option. Pay close attention to the exact drill hole depth and clean thoroughly.

batabe schrieb:
Old walls often have unstable plaster, so use a wooden batten as a substructure.

That sounds interesting, could you explain the substructure in a bit more detail? Would that mean I first screw a batten to the more stable parts of the wall and then attach the shelf to it, instead of drilling directly into the wall? And how do you fix such a batten if the wall itself is already crumbling? Thanks!

dratan schrieb:
Does this mean I first screw a batten into the more stable areas of the wall and then attach the shelf to it?

That's exactly what I mean. When you can't get a secure anchor in very crumbly spots, you look for suitable load-bearing areas (e.g., directly into the masonry or sections with firmer plaster). There, you attach a smooth, preferably sturdy wooden batten (for example, a planed roof batten) using strong anchors or chemical fixings. You then mount your Billy shelf onto this batten. This way, you distribute the load across multiple fixing points and avoid putting direct stress on unstable plaster surfaces.

dratan schrieb:
And how do you fix such a batten if the wall itself is already crumbling?

At the spot where you want to fix the batten, carefully check whether you can reach load-bearing masonry with a small drill. Usually, there is solid masonry beneath the plaster. Use chemical anchors there. If the entire wall is crumbly, you should consider whether a freestanding shelving solution (a shelf without wall mounting) might be a better option.

If the walls are completely unstable, one possible solution is to secure the shelf only to the floor or to leave it freestanding. Drilling into plaster without proper support provides little stability.

batabe schrieb:
Screw a metal or wooden batten onto a stable wall and attach the shelf to it.

I quite like the retro industrial vibe this gives off 😉 Who would have thought that roof battens would become a design element? But seriously, the idea works. Always think about distributing loads evenly and better to screw in over a wide area rather than at single points.

Thanks for the previous tips, the idea of a substructure sounds reasonable. What about the use of so-called "hollow wall anchors" or "expansion anchors" for crumbling walls? I have read that they are sometimes used on weaker substrates. Or are they rather unsuitable for old building crumbling plaster?