Ask your architect if he ever did any woodworking or
carpentry. If the answer is "no" that should tell you what weight
to give his recommendation.
I'm getting bookshelves made for my apartment. The carpenter
told me I should absolutely never go beyond three-foot lengths,
and the material he is using is a high-density veneered
particleboard, which is a lot stronger than solid wood (cheaper,
too).
The thickness of the shelving also plays a part - don't on
any account get shelves less than three-quarters of an inch
thick, or you will get sag, even with ordinary paperbacks (I'm
speaking from experience here).
Good luck!
Ann Davidson
Biddle Law Library
University of Pennsylvania
adavidso@oyez.law.upenn.edu
Opinions expressed are mine, not those of my institution.
> In a new area we want to build in nice wooden shelving. The
> architect wants to do it in 4-foot widths or ranges but we're
afraid--due
> to the weight of law books--that we'll have a serious problem
with
> sagging book shelves, which at the very least will mar the
appearance.
> He says if he puts in hoists or pegs in the middle there should
be no
> problem. We are skeptical. We think 3-foot widths or ranges
would be
> much better even if, in the total scheme of things, they're
more expensive.
> Any thoughts out there about wooden shelving and how prone it
is to sag
> over a period of time? Any particular standards we should aim
for?
>
> Thank you. Fritz Snyder, Univ. of Montana Law Library.
>
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