I looked far and wide for a deep enough shelving unit to put my stereo receiver on but wide and tall enough to fit my space. This unit claims to be 16" overall depth but I was disappointed that it is only 15" overall depth. Of course I knew there was a back panel but only hoped it didn't consume much of the depth dimension, which it didn't. Since I choose not to use the back panel, it is working for my needs. I also want to point out this unit also has a 'slight' distressed look. At first I thought the paint was flawed, but after unpacking the whole unit, I realized it was mean to look that way. Overall, I really like the look and am happy with my purchase.
I use to build cabinets and would consider myself knowledgeable on quality and ease of assembly. I am very satisfied with the quality for the money. The assembly is a challenge with one person but can be done. I bought two of these so needless to say, the second assembly went smoother. All you need is a large flat surface, a phillips screw driver, and a rubber mallet or a sturdy fist.
I have a few tips I would like to add: 1) Lay the sides of the shelves down with the inside up and install the small CAM bolts (item D). Try to screw them in as straight as possible. 2) Add the wood dowels to both sides of the shelves. 3) Installed shelves #4, #5, & #6 to side #2 while it is still in the down position. If the CAM bolts do not line up, VERY lightly tap them so they will. 4) Install shelf #1 to side #2. I left the screws (item M) slightly loose to tighten down later. 5) Lay the unit on it's back.
Assembling side #3 by yourself is the tricky part. 6) Install shelf #1 leaving the screws (item M) slightly loose to tighten down later. 7) Place each self above the CAM bolts. This helps to prevent scratching. 8) Work your way from self #1 down shelf by shelf aligning the CAM bolts to the holes. HINT: I straddled side #3 using my leg to help me from pulling it out to far. It only has to move just enough to align the CAM bolts to the holes. 9) Once all CAM bolts are aligned, start tapping the side into place. 10) Now you can finish as the instructions call out. Don't forget to square up the unit and tighten down the screws (item M) on shelf #1.
Be sure to attach it to your wall with the strap they provided or you could use a couple of L bracket on the top shelf like I did. Since I didn't use the back panels, this helped to hold it square. I also had to add shims under the front legs since I set this against the wall on carpet. FYI: the carpet tacks run along the wall and caused the unit to lean forward."..." Read more
- New housewife of Douglasville, GA in Douglasville, GA