Microwave on to timber wall?

Hi guys, would really appreciate some guidance. We've just moved into a park home, which by its nature is made of wood and plasterboard. Due to space restrictions, I could do with fixing my microwave to the wall. The kitchen wall is 'reinforced', and is made up of the following ...
The total wall thickness is 96mm. 71mm timber then 12.5mm either side of plasterboard.

So, I'm looking at the shelf at the link below. That shelf is fitted onto the wall with expansion bolts. Obviously these won't be any good for me, so, what should I substitute them with? Will the whole thing be ok on my wall? Maybe I should buy something else? Because of the microwave weight, I was always reluctant to put such a shelf on my old bricks n mortar kitchen wall, so as you can imagine, with this house being brand new, I really don't want the wall to be ripped out. Any help or advice very much appreciated.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AcornFort-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QCQ6SE40PVFJPAHCP32N

If it requires expansion bolts in masonry, at the very least it would need some sort of through bolt to the other side of the wall (through the stud) with nuts and washers at each end, which could be unsightly unless hidden or covered in some way.

A lot, though, would depend on the condition and quality of the timber framed wall. It sounds like it's been designed to take kitchen cabinets which, when full, will weigh a lot. Timber framed houses like this are very common in the USA.

If in doubt don't risk it, or take advice from a carpenter.

Blup

Do you mean 71mm studs?

Can you detect where they are?

I consider the rack in your link unsuitable, because the centre of gravity of the load is above the fixings. So leverage will pull them out. An L shaped bracket with the top fixing above the microwave will be stronger. There are any number of microwave wall supports like that in shops and ebay.

If the screw hole centres on your rack don't match the studwork (which will likely be at 600mm or 400mm centres - so at approx. 550mm wide you are in with a chance of getting it onto the wall) you could always attach a timber (plywood, MDF) pattress onto the surface of the wall, screwed into two of the timber studs, or possibly use a pre-made stainless steel/MDF cooker back plate instead and fix that to the wall and the rack to that. On the timber one chamfer the edges and give it a coat of paint to match the wall. Alternatively, what about getting a welder or steel fabricator to modify the frame in some way (such as welding on a flat backing plate or bars to the right width for the studs)?

JohnD said:

Do you mean 71mm studs?

Can you detect where they are?

I consider the rack in your link unsuitable, because the centre of gravity of the load is above the fixings. So leverage will pull them out. An L shaped bracket with the top fixing above the microwave will be stronger. There are any number of microwave wall supports like that in shops and ebay.

Click to expand...

I'm assuming they are 71mm studs, yes. They are 600mm apart, but, the whole wall in the kitchen is 'reinforced' that means that between the studs there are solid pieces of timber, not just insulation, so essenstially, the whole wall is a stud. Interested in your 'science' re the issue of the load being above the fixings. That's just what I needed advice on, so as you say, maybe best to use 2 L shaped brackets for the Microwave?, And should I screw them in with long screws? Any specific kind? Any links to any specific brackets?

Thanks for all your comments guys.

You will find them on ebay. Look for max length available of the vertical. If you can't screw straight into studs, fix a batten or square of 18mm ply to bridge at least two studs and screw to that. Look for a 4mm or bigger screw able to penetrate 50mm into the stud; plus the thickness of plasterboard, batten and bracket. You may end up with a 75mm screw. Obviously it must not come out of the other side of the wall, or go through any electrical cables which SHOULD run vertically or horizontally in straight lines from switches or sockets.

I think JohnD means something like this, it's at Amazon along with many others, search Mounting Bracket Arms For Microwave Ovens

What you have will take a very heavy load without problem, replace bolts with large pan head screws , washer can be use to ensure the head is large enough 60-70 mm screw will do it.

foxhole said:

What you have will take a very heavy load without problem, replace bolts with large pan head screws , washer can be use to ensure the head is large enough 60-70 mm screw will do it.

Click to expand...

Really? You mean my original (preferred) microwave stand as posted on here? You feel it will be ok screwed onto a stud? I've not bought it yet, but sounds like it may be ok.

wrong leverage.

A hammer can be used to pull a nail out of a board. You can see how it’s done in this picture. When you push down on the handle of the hammer, the claw end of the hammer pulls up on the nail. A hammer is an example of a machine called a lever.  

What Is A Lever?
A lever is a simple machine consisting of a bar that rotates around a fixed point. The fixed point of a lever is called the fulcrum. Like other machines, a lever makes work easier by changing the force applied to the machine or the distance over which the force is applied.

How does a hammer make it easier to pull a nail out of a board? First, it changes the direction of the force applied to the hammer—the hand pushes down on the handle while the claw end of the hammer head pulls up. Often, you can push down with more force than you can push up because you can put your own weight behind it. The hammer also increases the strength of the force that is applied to it. It easily pulls the nail out of the board, which you couldn’t do with your hands alone. On the other hand, the hammer decreases the distance over which the force is applied. The hand pushing down on the handle moves the handle over a distance of several inches, whereas the hammer pulls up on the nail only an inch or two.

Q: Where is the fulcrum of the hammer when it is used to pull a nail out of a board? In other words, around what point does the hammer rotate?

A: The fulcrum is the point where the head of the hammer rests on the surface of the board.

https://www.ck12.org/physics/lever/lesson/Lever-MS-PS/

colinuk1 said:

Really? You mean my original (preferred) microwave stand as posted on here? You feel it will be ok screwed onto a stud? I've not bought it yet, but sounds like it may be ok.

Click to expand...

Yes,your preferred shelf will be fine.