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Shoutout to the guy who warned me about particle board shelves
I was building some built ins for a client in Portland last month and an older carpenter at the lumber yard told me to stay away from particle board for anything that holds weight. I mean I figured he was just being old school and picky. So I went ahead and used it anyway since it was cheaper and the client was on a tight budget. Fast forward two weeks later and the shelves started bowing in the middle with just some books and decor on them. I had to rip them all out and replace with plywood which cost me an extra $150 and a full Saturday. Now I'm kicking myself for not listening to that guy. Has anyone else had a similar experience with a common material just not holding up like you thought?
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jamie8041mo ago
Yeah but @smith.nancy I gotta push back on that. Sometimes the cost savings upfront are worth it if you really know what you're putting on them. A few paperbacks and a plant ain't the same as a full shelf of old textbooks.
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bennett.harper1mo ago
Tried the cheap shelves in my own place a few years back with a mix of textbooks and some heavier stuff. They held up for maybe six months before I noticed a sag in the middle that got worse every week. Ended up having to replace them anyway, plus patch the wall where the brackets pulled loose. So from my own experience, saving that upfront cash just meant more work and money down the road. Take it for what it's worth though, maybe your stuff is lighter than mine was.
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