Do our Billy doors also fit older Billy bookshelves?

Our doors for BILLY are officially designed for IKEA Billy shelves from production year 2014 onwards. The reason for this is as follows:

Since spring 2014, the drill hole positions for hinges on the Billy shelf have been standardized – and our doors are precisely matched to this.

The good news: Our doors can also be mounted on older Billy shelves, with a few simple steps.

How do I know if my Billy shelf is "old" or "new"?

You don't have a production date handy? No problem - here's how to identify your model:

Visible features on the shelf

Take a close look at the inner side panel:

New BILLY: has an evenly spaced row of holes from the top to the bottom. The drill hole diameter is 3.5 mm.

Old BILLY: On older shelves, you will find only a few or no drill holes at the top and bottom of the side panel – they are more centrally placed with a diameter of 5mm.

The assembly difference between old and new BILLY

Billy shelves from 2014

• Pre-drilled holes for door hinges are present
• Our Billy doors can be mounted directly
• No additional drilling required

Billy shelves before 2014

• No or differently placed drill holes for hinges
• The doors fit in terms of dimensions –

  however, the holes on the shelf must be pre-drilled by yourself

Assembly on older Billy shelves: Here's how it works

For older models, only the appropriate drill holes in the shelf are missing. These can be easily drilled yourself.

Tools & material

• Cordless drill or drill machine
• Wood drill bit Ø 3 mm (Suitable for the required hinge drillings - our doors are designed for drill points prepared for 3 mm hinge screws.)
  
• Pencil
• Adhesive tape (to mark the drilling depth)

Optional from us:

Drilling template, which provides you with the exact drilling points for your Billy shelf. Simply leave us a note at checkout and we will send you a drilling template with it

Step-by-step assembly

1. Mark drilling points

Use the template to mark the points for the required holes. The template ensures that all points are exactly positioned.

2. Pre-drill

Pre-drill with a Ø 3 mm wood drill bit at the marked spots.

Tip: Mark the desired drilling depth of 12mm on the drill bit with tape – this way you won't drill too deep.

3. Screw on hinges

Screw the hinges into the pre-drilled holes.

4. Hang and align the door

Hang the door and adjust it – with a spirit level and screws, it can be perfectly aligned very easily.

With a bit of measuring and a drilling template, it's really easy to mount our doors even on older shelves.

Liability & Safety Notice

Since older shelves involve a structural modification of the shelf, we cannot assume liability for damages that occur during self-drilling or assembly.

However, our experience and that of many customers show that assembly with standard tools and proper preparation is straightforward.

Summary

Our doors fit directly on BILLY shelves from 2014 onwards – thanks to pre-drilled holes.

Older shelves lack this row of drill holes, but they can be easily retrofitted.

With a drilling template, 3 mm drill bit, and a little care, assembly is simple and quick.