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Northumberland · North East
Bookcases & Libraries in Northumberland
Adjustable shelving sized for real books, with a spine that will not bow.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Northumberland is a county of thick-walled stone cottages, estate housing and remote rural properties. That is exactly the kind of building stock a bookcase has to be drawn around, so we allow for it at survey stage rather than on fitting day — walls get checked for wind and plumb, floors for level, and the setting-out is taken from the worst reading, not the best.
How we approach it
Walls in Northumberland are rarely square and floors are rarely level. A bookcase that is built in a workshop to a nominal size will show every millimetre of that. We survey first, scribe on site, and finish so the joint line disappears.
How we build it
Hardware is specified to the weight it is carrying, not to a price point. Soft-close runners are rated for the drawer load, hinges are adjustable in three planes, and sliding gear is sized so a full-height door still moves with one finger a decade later.
Finish and materials
Every finished job gets a short handover: what the surface is, how to clean it, and how to adjust a hinge if a door drops after the heating has been on for a season. Adjustment is normal in timber and takes about two minutes once you know which screw to turn.
| Guide price | from £680 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 5–6 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | Tulipwood and MDF |
| Survey area | All of Northumberland, including Morpeth, Alnwick, Hexham, Berwick-upon-Tweed |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Northumberland turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Northumberland
What happens next
Four steps, no surprises
Survey
A joiner visits, measures the opening, checks for level and plumb, and talks through how you want to use the space.
Drawings & quote
You get a setting-out drawing and a fixed written price. Nothing is ordered until you have approved both.
Workshop
Parts are machined, assembled and finished under cover while the site carries on with other trades.
Fit & handover
We fit, scribe, adjust and touch in, then walk you through care and adjustment before we leave.
Straight answers
Bookcases & Libraries in Northumberland — common questions
How do you stop books fading?
Keep the run off the wall that gets direct sun, or fit glazed doors with a UV film. Spines fade faster than most people expect on a south-facing wall.
What is the maximum height you would build to?
Whatever the ceiling is. Above about 2,400mm the top shelf becomes a display shelf rather than a working one, so we tend to put the deep, heavy books low and use the top for things you look at rather than reach for.
What spacing between shelves?
Paperbacks need 220mm clear, standard hardbacks 280mm, and large-format art books 350mm or more. A mix of fixed spacings across a wall looks better than every shelf the same, and it stores more.
Should shelves be fixed or adjustable?
Adjustable for a working library. Fixed housed shelves for a room where the look matters more than the flexibility — a housed joint is far stiffer and lets you run a longer span.
How do I pay, and when?
A deposit at order to cover materials, a stage payment when the work leaves the workshop, and the balance on completion after you have inspected the fit. Everything is written into the quotation before you commit.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space in Northumberland — we’ll tell you what it costs
Every quote starts with a free measured survey, so the price you get is the price you pay. No deposit is taken until you have drawings you are happy with.