ᐅ Which screws are best suited for assembling a Billy bookcase?

Hello everyone,

I am planning to assemble my Billy shelves soon and want to use the best possible screws to ensure stability and safety. My specific question is: based on your experience, which screws are most suitable for mounting Billy shelves, especially when attaching them to the wall? I have heard that it makes a difference whether the wall is made of concrete, drywall (plasterboard), or wood.

Are there particular types of screws, lengths, or materials you would recommend to ensure a secure fix without damaging the wood? I would also appreciate any tips on drill bits and wall anchors.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

For wall mounting the Billy, I always use 6 x 60 mm (¼ x 2¼ inch) chipboard screws with suitable wall plugs. For concrete walls, use standard plastic plugs; for drywall, use special hollow wall anchors. Important: Do not choose screws that are too short – they need to penetrate deeply into the wall.

Oh, assembling the Billy shelves is almost like a ritual :-) I wouldn’t choose screws that are too thick to avoid splitting the shelves and damaging the wood. I usually use 5 x 50 mm (2 x 2 inch) stainless steel countersunk screws – they don’t rust and hold very well in anchors.

Don’t forget good tools, they almost make the assembly enjoyable 😉

In general, I recommend following the Ikea assembly instructions carefully. For wall mounting, chipboard screws with a diameter of about 5-6mm (0.2-0.24 inches) and a length of 50-60mm (2-2.4 inches) work very well, as they provide sufficient grip without damaging the wood.

Additionally, the choice of wall plugs is crucial: for concrete walls, use high-quality nylon anchors; for drywall, use special hollow wall anchors or metal expansion anchors.

Another tip: pre-drilling in wooden shelf parts is advisable to guide the screws and prevent splitting. This increases long-term stability.

Moerik schrieb:
In your experience, which screws are best suited for fixing Billy shelves, especially when mounting them on walls?

That’s a good question, but I would broaden the discussion a bit: it’s not just about the screws, but also about the overall load distribution and the wall construction. For drywall, standard wood screws are often not the best choice, as they won’t hold the load properly without selecting the appropriate hollow wall anchors.

Renegi schrieb:
Don’t choose screws that are too short – they need to grip deeply into the wall.

I agree with that but would add that, if possible, it’s better to screw directly into studs or solid wood. Alternatively, metal anchors provide better load distribution than plastic plugs alone.

In short: screws and anchors must always be matched to the wall structure to ensure true stability.