VALJE - Another IKEA vinyl storage idea. Thought?

nnck · « **on:** 15 Aug 2015, 06:41 pm »

I was looking at these shelving units today for storage of vinyl LPs. I had previously been considering the IKEA Kallax and Besta series. These are a little more expensive but maybe look a little more 'finished' with a backing, etc. Also seems like a nice choice in that the depth is 11.75" so the LPs hang out just a bit for easier gripping. I'm on the fence about the feet.

Has anyone tried these? Or even considered these? Are there any negatives I'm missing?

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70279616/

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Aug 2015, 06:45 pm »

I have the Kallax and they work great. Not familiar with what you linked.

skriefal · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Aug 2015, 07:39 pm »

I see that they don't state how much weight can safely be placed on each shelf. That would concern me.

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Aug 2015, 08:02 pm »

The Valje looks too thin and flimsy for LPs to me.

orthobiz · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Aug 2015, 09:34 pm »

At 99 bucks, I say go for it! Report back if it warps.

Paul

pconley2 · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Aug 2015, 10:09 pm »

Quote from: vinyl_lady on 15 Aug 2015, 06:45 pm

I have the Kallax and they work great. Not familiar with what you linked.

Hi Laura, do you the Kallax filled with records, and can it stand the weight? As you can see I use now 30 year old Scandanavian Design shelves that are very much starting to show the wear, but the shelves are 2 feet wide so they bear more weight.
Phil

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Aug 2015, 03:58 am »

Quote from: pconley2 on 15 Aug 2015, 10:09 pm

Hi Laura, do you the Kallax filled with records, and can it stand the weight? As you can see I use now 30 year old Scandanavian Design shelves that are very much starting to show the wear, but the shelves are 2 feet wide so they bear more weight.
Phil

Nice set up Phil!!!

I use the Kallax for basement overflow and they will handle a full shelf of records. They are just as good if not better than the Expedit.

My main storage are a bookshelf set I bought at Dania, a solid oak rack I had built and the Mapleshade racks.

nnck · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Aug 2015, 08:00 pm »

Thanks for all the responses. I've only been to an IKEA store once before. I wonder if they have products like these assembled and on display at the store. If I could take a look at it in person maybe I can tell if it will work.

Quote

The Valje looks too thin and flimsy for LPs to me.

Well to me, the thickness of the shelves seems similar to the Kallax, and lots of people have been using those. Again, if I could see in person maybe I would know more. It's also not quite as wide as many of the Kallax configurations in use, and as someone else mentioned, being more narrow may offer more bearing support.

skriefal · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Aug 2015, 05:31 am »

Yes, they usually do have assembled examples of each product on display in the stores. But this is a new product, and it's anyone's guess as to whether they'll have already put one on display.

mix4fix · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Aug 2015, 06:23 am »

I don't know why they had to discontinue the Expedit. It's the greatest thing they sell.

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Aug 2015, 12:52 pm »

Quote from: mix4fix on 17 Aug 2015, 06:23 am

I don't know why they had to discontinue the Expedit. It's the greatest thing they sell.

The Kallax is essentially the same shelving system.

mix4fix · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Aug 2015, 01:54 pm »

There was no reason to discontinue it in the first place regardless if they had a replacement or not.

The VALJE looks really cheap compared to the Expedit.

SteveRB · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Aug 2015, 10:19 pm »

too narrow.

skriefal · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 12:04 am »

Quote from: mix4fix on 17 Aug 2015, 06:23 am

I don't know why they had to discontinue the Expedit. It's the greatest thing they sell.

The Kallax is slightly thinner than the Expedit (and possibly also a bit lighter). That means cheaper freight costs for Ikea.

nnck · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 12:07 am »

Quote from: SteveRB on 17 Aug 2015, 10:19 pm

too narrow.

SteveRB - I dont know who's post you are responding to. Do you see some issue with the Valje that I havent considered?

SteveRB · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 01:16 am »

listed at 11 3/4" depth. That would be the outside. So, subtracting the back, you'll likely have LPs sticking out the front.

And looking at the square (cube) sections, I would guess that they're slightly too short for an LP in a sleeve. I would get out there with a tape measure before pulling the trigger.

I wouldn't be too worried about strength, as long as you don't plan on stacking multiple units. All Ikea furniture can be stiffened and strengthened with construction adhesive and ply wood when necessary. I also recommend securing them to a wall as well.

Nice find though.

nnck · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 02:52 am »

Quote from: SteveRB on 18 Aug 2015, 01:16 am

listed at 11 3/4" depth. That would be the outside. So, subtracting the back, you'll likely have LPs sticking out the front.

I'm thinking that this might just have one of those thin backings that's simply installed onto the back (i.e. flush with the back). So there may not be anything to subtract, really. So if it's 11.75" depth, that would mean the record sleeves will stick out about 0.5". That may actually be desirable. One of the complaints about the Kallax line was that they were a little too deep and the record sleeves are harder to grip with them pushed further back.

But you have some good points. And you are absolutely right that I should go there with a tape measure first.

sebrof · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 10:30 am »

Quote from: nnck on 18 Aug 2015, 02:52 am

But you have some good points. And you are absolutely right that I should go there with a tape measure first.

I just brought a record with me

woodsyi · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 02:48 pm »

I just stack these up and they are rock solid since they are essentially double walled. You can arrange them any way you want. At $19.49 a piece, 6 of them is not too much over VALJE.

http://www.target.com/p/way-basics-eco-modern-storage-cube-espresso-wood-grain/-/A-12130598#prodSlot=medium_1_27

megabigeye · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Aug 2015, 03:12 pm »

I have the Expedit to store my (very meager) vinyl collection. The main drawback being that the shelves are too deep and there is no backing. Records get pushed back and are easy to miss. If you are so inclined, it'd probably be pretty easy to tack some sort of thin sheet material to the back of a Kallax.
The Kallax, from what I've read is only fractionally smaller than Expedit and will still fit vinyls in their sleeves. The Expedit was replaced with the Kallax for significant materials savings.

The problem I've had with Ikea shelving is that longer shelves warp over time. We have two of the larger Billy book cases and one of the narrow ones. The wider ones are warping slightly just from the weight of books (significantly lighter than vinyl), and the narrow one is now crooked from being on a crooked floor for two years. That being said, there is no warping on the Expedit.

Also, the backing on Ikea furniture is inset about 1/4" and is (I think) 3/32" thick, so not quite flush.

That Valje might be okay since it appears to have some sort of metal frame under the long shelf on the bottom. You might also check how sturdy those mitered joints are.

Ikea showrooms have measuring tapes available, so you don't even need to bring your own!
My sister and I used to wander the (semi-)local Ikea for entertainment when we got bored. It's fun looking at the design and making fun of the poorly constructed furniture!

Happy shopping!