Shelves for linen press

[jack]

Morning all

 

Taking a break from balconies due to the weather, and looking at getting some other jobs done.

 

We have a linen press on our upstairs landing that presently has no internal shelving. It's quite big, so there's lots of shelving needed:

 

 

I have a rough idea of what the layout looks like - we need some smaller shelves for linen, some bigger ones for boxes, and one tall area for a vacuum cleaner.

 

I'm interested in how best to construct these shelves. I was thinking about using battens on the walls to support the outer edges of the shelves, but given how wide this is, I'll need at least one central support as well. I was therefore thinking something like a central post (bottom of the "p" in "cup'd above", with horizontals going back to the rear wall. Is there an easier way?

 

I'd also like to use slats rather than solid shelves. Any suggestions for what sort of wood and where to buy? Oak or another hardwood would be nice, but given how much I need that could be an expensive exercise for something that's largely out of sight. 

 
Obviously where sheets and towels are involved, the wood will need to be non-staining. Lacquer will help with that, but again, any particular suggestions for particular finishes?

 

Thanks as always.

[joe90]

I also have to build a similar cupboard, but smaller. I plan to use PSE (planned square edge) timber slats about 50mm x 25mm, slightly sand off corners and no paint or varnish (white wood). Cheap as chips as it will really never be seen, just functional. Yes for yours a central pillar, vac one side, shelves the other???

Edited July 29, 2018 by joe90

[Nickfromwales]

Kiln dried softwood will be ample. If you want to go wild, get a 1/4" router and soften the edges with a few mm pass with a round-over bit. Elbow grease and sandpaper will do a reasonably good job tbh, just maybe less consistent. 

Think upside down, and have the central support going up to the ceiling instead of done to the floor to maximise of the boxes / bigger 'floor-dwelling' items. A lot easier not to be working around supporting XYZ's. To get a decent fix above you may have to prep and paint a full length batten and use that to catch the joists. Then you can drop off that down to whatever needs support any the front. 

Alternatively consider a timber clad steel / spray-painted alu box section ( 40x40mm ) as the front horizontal 'load-bearer' and you should not need any central "sag mitigation". Just run from that back to the rear wall with slats, and rest those on a batten or alu L-section. 

[Tennentslager]

Go Pax for a slick look...

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/wardrobes/fitted-wardrobes/pax-wardrobe-black-brown-spr-89128509/

Dimensions are perfect for your space

[Ferdinand]

Let me throw you a curve ball or two. I am not sure that completely built-in is the only way.

 

For built-in shelves I would be tempted to put a supporting batten all the way across the front for each shelf, rather than trying do extra support in the middle. Then if you wanted to you could do your slats front to back. if I was doing that I would perhaps put a kitchen worktop across at perhaps 900 should a  work surface ever be needed, and leave it for boxes below.

 

Though I might tempted to build 600x600 slatted modules, which can then be moved around. if there was something taller than your shelf gap, you could just move the slatted but on the next shelf up. if you wanted to you could even use any shelf or stainless or plastic grid unit from any kitchen system.

 

Another option is literally off the wall ... use a freestanding system, either as @Tennentslager said or even something like iVAR, though that is not slatted.

 

But if it were me I would look to stainless steel shopfitting systems, or the things they use in hotels. Perhaps a set of built in box shelves with adjustable heights down one side 500 or 600 wide (twin slot?), which would not need more support, then a full height gap for taller things (Hoover, Mother-in-law’s broomstick etc) in the middle, and a movable chromed steel shelving unit like this for the linen. Approx the right size, and with brakes. Not expensive, and less work to fit out.

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Ferdinand

[HerbJ]

Our linen cupboard is a similar size and configuration  - in fact a bit smaller  1800X500MM internal dimensions with 1300mm side double doors. We faced the same problem and in the end went with  a steel modular system . It's a well known system called  ELFA - see www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk/elfa‎.

 

We're happy with it though it's not a perfect configuration for the space, which has the 1st floor UFH manifold located in it . It saved a great deal of messing around and worked for us.

 

This system may work a little better with your slightly bigger cupboard and allow a slightly more efficient configuration of shelves.

 

 

[Cambs]

16 hours ago, HerbJ said:

We faced the same problem and in the end went with  a steel modular system . It's a well known system called  ELFA

 

An alternative might be ClosetMaid -  http://www.closetmaid.co.uk. I think it'll work out a bit cheaper.  We've used both in the past - Elfa is a bit more heavy duty, I think, than Closet Maid but if it's not being moved from house to house it may not matter.  We've moved our Elfa stuff about half a dozen times - currently used in the garage.  Certainly no complaints about the durability of either.

[jack]

Thanks all.

 

Did a bit of research and went with the Elfa system in the end (thanks @HerbJ). A major factor was time - much as I'd love to have built this as a project, realistically, there's a lot of other more important stuff that needs doing, and work is completely flat out at the moment. In the end, convenience trumped everything else.

 

It arrived on Friday, and was installed in no time. Not cheap, but clearly well made and should last a long time. I also like the fact that it'll be easy to reconfigure as needed.

 

I'm so happy that I'll be acquiring some more to do the wardrobe in the guest room. As a bonus, I can install it now and we can use it for storage, despite the fact the the wardrobe hasn't actually been built yet!

[lizzie]

8 minutes ago, jack said:

went with the Elfa system in the end

I have been looking at Elfa for my walk in wardrobe area. Where did you get yours? Good to get a review thanks.

[jack]

2 minutes ago, lizzie said:

I have been looking at Elfa for my walk in wardrobe area. Where did you get yours? Good to get a review thanks.

 

Same place Herb mentioned above: aplaceforeverything.co.uk/elfa 

 

My wife said they were very helpful and made a couple of useful suggestions.

 

One minor thing: we ordered two different shelf sizes, and only one was delivered. My wife is contacting them today to discuss - will let you know how we get on.

[jack]

@lizzie, I checked with the missus - turns out she made a mistake inputting the order! 

 

No biggie - the spare shelves we have now can be used in the wardrobe for which we're about to submit another order.

[Gone West]

6 hours ago, lizzie said:

I have been looking at Elfa for my walk in wardrobe area. Where did you get yours? Good to get a review thanks.

We have also bought Elfa from "aplaceforeverything" with no problems. We first bought some back in 1998 from Homebase and it's still a good as new.