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1.0 PLASTIC BOOKSHELVES - DO-IT-YOURSELF - DIY TIPS

The new heavy-duty plastic bookshelves are an organizers dream. They are light, strong, cheap, self-standing, and easy to assemble. Also the plastic does not rust or corrode.

In the past I have used metal shelves which were light, strong, and cheap but took about an hour to assemble and did rust over time. Now I prefer the plastic ones which may even be a bit stronger than metal because of a clever honey-comb design in the shelves.

The easiest way to assemble the plastic is to use a hammer and a small piece of scrap wood from a 2X4. Gently pound the hammer on the wood against the poles into the designated holes. Using this method it took about fifteen minutes to assemble each shelf.

We were able to take a small space of about 24' X 6' and put in two rows of three shelves with an aisle in between. This converted a very inefficient storage area into a mammoth space.

You cannot adjust the height between shelves because that distance is fixed, unlike metal shelves. However that was the only drawback that I could find.

We found some shelves for about $40 ( approximately 6' X 3' X 1 1/2') at a home improvement store. Wal-Mart had a different kind for about $10 less.

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