Hello AT,
Where's the best place to get thick solid wooden shelving?
I'm thinking of putting up a couple thick wooden (maybe something along the lines of pine?) on back wall of kitchen. Would like something solid, clean, and rustic-looking. Would this be expensive and does anyone have any ideas of where I might be able to find something like this?
Thanks, Jen
Dear Jen,
If you go to a regular lumberyard you will probably be disappointed. For wood with any character, you want to find used lumber or fancy New wood. Here's the folks we would check with first:
Wood-o-Rama: on the UWS is a good source for new lumber, but they should have a lead for you.
M. Fine Lumber Company: We just learned about these guys in Brooklyn. They will pull you down a piece of wood, cut it up and plane it down for you right quick.
Lumber Liquidators: These guys do floors, but should be good for larger size wood as well.
Mountain Lumber: Deluxe old wood. They ship from Virginia.
Bart Bettencourt: For a sustainable wood solution.
Build it Green! Salvage: This great Brooklyn resource takes donations and sells salvage, surplus and green building materials on the cheap.
Anyone else?
Well, those shelves, if solid wood, are going to be pretty heavy so unless you are able to secure them to studs in the wall may I suggest these shelves from IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15561&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=11326&langId=-1&parentCats=15561*15637*15648
They're thick, easy to install and look great. They also come in wood veneer so you get the wood look you want without the cost or weight.
i have used stair treads from lowes/home depot. they are solid (typically pine or oak) and long and affordable. also, they have a nice bullnose on the front edge.
make sure you use heavy duty brackets and wall anchors to mount them.
oh, and they are nicely sanded and ready for primer/paint or whatever finish you like!
Hi Jen,
I have/had a similar quandary - though we've got a huge pantry in our dining room/kitchen, its way across the room, so Ive been looking or some sort of shelving system to put over the sink for everyday containers w/ rice/pasta/oils etc. I was originally going to install Ikea Grundtals but my entire backsplash walls is tiled and I didn't want the hassle of drilling into them. So I plan to go to my local lumber guys - Sids Hardware, downtown Bklyn - get some "slabs of wood" (or stair treads like bSavarese suggets), plumbing pipes and fittings, build the shelves and pop them on the counter. I'm thinking no more than 2 shelves, wouldn't want them toppling whilst doing the dishes!
If you're looking for something more substantial, get thee to a construction site and see if you can score some rim board. It's basically like plywood, but much thicker. I use two slabs of it on sawhorses for my desk. What I have is 1 3/4 inches thick and 14 inches wide. It looks very cool and industrial. Well, I think it does at any rate. ;-)
Of course, it's pretty heavy and I don't know how easy it would be to mount. But it might work well for the over the sink pipe shelving.
M.L Condon Co. just off I-287 (Exit 8?, 9? i forget) in Westchester County will sell you all the wood of any type you need.
No credit cards accepted. Bring cash.
Black Walnut, Ash, Teak, Ipe, various Oaks, Douglas Fir, Pines, Mahoganies, Ebony, Rosewoods, etc.. etc... Woods you haven't even heard of, sizes you can't imagine. (Mahogany planks 24"+ across, 20 ft long.) If they don't have it on site they will cut to order and get back to you. They sell a lot of wood into the boat business and specialty, so you can get amazing finish plywoods, and lucious veneer sheets.
No web site. Open normal, _non- retail_ business hours, not weekends.
They normally sell "rough cut" by the board ft ( 1bf = 1"x12"x12"), but they have a big planer and jointer on site and will finish cut for a fee.
Easy to deal with, but don't waste their time.
I built some shelves for my place using maple and doubled the thickness at the front edge (will try to post some pix). Makes the shelf lighter and hides the bracket that supports it. If you have access to a workshop, you could try that.
Also, the patina-ed/rustic look you may be trying for with pine takes a long time to achieve (unless you get some vintage wood). In the interim, pine can looked dinged up and cruddy. I'd suggest a hard wood (it's pricier, though) unless you are going to finish it with paint, in which case I'd say go with a plywood. There are lots of nice furniture grade plys
unstabalized wood.... yeah.... soft, open poored pine... yeah...
do yourself, and your wall, a favor and get some "doorcore". It is very light, stable, structually sound etc.. It would take invisible/hidden mounts no problem. All you would need to do is get some iron-on edge veneer. Easy... Not real wood (well actually, it is three layers of Bass Wood, layed up with perpendicular grains), but, it won't warp or make a mess of your wall. It's sold in 4 x 8 sheets and is almost 3 inches thick.
I know Rosenzweig, up in the S. Bronx carries it. Condon, Fein, or Adriatic may carry it too. The only issue would be be ripping it down to size. Rosenzweig will not cut or deliver unless you spend over $300.
wow! as soon as I ponder up a new subject to obsess over AT has the scoop! UNCANNY and a bit eery (eary?!)
thanks for all the sources, EXACTLY what I needed
Eerie.
HEY drop me a line! I make shelves and maybe we can talk! I will see what I can do for you. paragon_renovations1616@msn.com
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