Hi everyone,
I have a long living room in my apartment that I'd like to split up with a narrow set of floor to ceiling pole shelving. (approximately 8 feet high by 4 feet wide) Because the shelves will be used as a room divider and not set against a wall, I will not be able to drill into the perpendicular wall's studs for support. I'm wondering if I am too ambitious as a novice DIY-er to understand the logistics for center of gravity, etc. I've done some research and read several different "how-to's" on blogs, but each of them uses a wall for support as opposed to the ceiling and floor as tension.
Here are my questions:
1. Is this too tricky for an amateur? I don't want to do any fancy shelving configurations in the Cado style- just straight up wood shelves. Probably 4 rows of them at varying heights so there's a little geometric interest but nothing too tricky. Something like this but floor to ceiling as opposed to drilled into the perpendicular wall:
http://sylvieliv.blogspot.ca/2012/05/industrial-rustic-shelf-tutorial.html
2. If not, are there any tutorials you'd recommend online or any advice you can give me for how to secure the poles to the floor or ceiling? I'd like the poles to look just like the link below (I'd do much simpler shelving though) but I don't know if the floor and ceiling markers are screwed down and up until tension is produced and the unit is tightened (similar to a shower curtain rod)? or...? (forgive the amateur lingo..I'm not sure what the piping materials are called)
Any direction would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Of course it can be done
Make sure there are beams in the ceiling (or add them if you have an attic) where you want the poles to go. Measure the height for each pole because never assume the floor and ceiling are flat (they aren't). Go to the big hardware store and get black gas pipe (or galvanized), cut and threaded to length. And the feet for pipe they will sell in the same section. Only trick is to make sure the pipe is the right amount shorter than the ceiling so that you can put the feet on top and bottom in place and then unscrew them slightly to fit snugly. Make sure each is plumb and screw into place with screws long enough to get a couple inches into the beam.
There are many many ways to mount the shelves to the pipes.
Or
buy these Ikea poles, paint them if you don't like white, and mount your shelves to them using either Ikea's (bulky) hardware or whatever you come up with on your own.
When you install the poles, be sure to use a plumb bob so they end up perfectly parallel and vertical. Otherwise, the more you load them, the more they'll want to twist or lean.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20179940/
Clarifying questions
Thanks for the help and suggestions. Any tips on how to make sure I cut the pipe to the correct length so it fits plumb taking into consideration the feet? Again, I'm a novice so I'm sorry if I am asking what seem like obvious questions, but am I looking to shave the pipe a few centimeters short? milimeters? How shy does it need to be of the actual distance from ceiling to floor or how can I measure for that?
I appreciate your help and patience!
Length of the pipe
Could probably be exactly the height of the ceiling (subtract a few mm just to make sure it isn't too tall).
The key is the top foot needs to be able to screw 1-2cm down the pipe, so that you can tilt the pipe--with both feet screwed on, and the top one screwed down too far--into place and then screw back the top foot to snug it against the ceiling.
The problem this avoids is that if you tried to do this with the feet at exactly the right height, the edge of the foot would hit the ceiling first, and you wouldn't be able to get it tilted all the way into place, because the diagonal distance from foot edge to foot edge is more than the length of the pipe.
If you use very narrow feet this problem might be so small as to be unnoticeable. If you used very wide feet, this would be a very big problem.
Alternatively, you could lift up the ceiling temporarily, put the pipes into place and lower the ceiling back down. I build all my houses so the ceiling and roof lift off for just this reason.
.
The pic posted looks very much DIY. One tap with a clumsy foot and the ceramic collection may just topple over. Google 'diy pole shelving'. Lots of ideas and images...and many will link to a blog explaining how they built them if you see something similar to what you want.
Ikea hakers has one idea not so bad. (hardware store/big box store fittings could potentially come out looking a bit SteamPunk-ish, or maybe you like that sort of thing)
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/04/workstation-stolmen-hack.html
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