Anyone built a false / floating wall?

[davepuma]

I intend to build a floating wall to mount my plasma TV. The wall I intend mounting to is plasterboard with a timber frame on a solid wall (breeze block).

Do I need to bolt the floating wall frame to the posts/noggins only or do I have to go all the way through to the solid wall behind the frame? I am looking to using 75mm dressed wood for the frame and 18mm MDF as the facing.

 

[ChrisFrost]

Anchoring to the posts & noggins will be fine if the wall is purely decorative. If you plan to hang any weight of it then screwing through to the wall proper would be a reasonable idea

 

[davepuma]

Anchoring to the posts & noggins will be fine if the wall is purely decorative. If you plan to hang any weight of it then screwing through to the wall proper would be a reasonable idea

Thanks, I figured as much. The wall will have a plasma mounted. I don't know the weight but it's a 42" Panasonic i.e. pretty heavy. I have ordered a decent bracket but it's the fixings that have me stumped.

I am therefore going to need some anchor bolts around 200mm long. The mdf is 18mm, the false wall frame is 75mm, plasterboard 10mm and posts 50mm.

How far into the breeze block should I be aiming to go and can anyone recommend any fixings?

 

[ChrisFrost]

This topic gets a lot of discussion. Have a look at using the search function if the following links don't answer all your questions. Try this and this and this

 

[davepuma]

Thanks for the links. I had read two of them but not the one on the resin fixings. Most floating wall setups I've seen are into a solid wall and not a plasterboard wall like mine, hence my request for fixings. I have yet to find long anchor bolts that will be of sufficient length that I need.

 

[ChrisFrost]

For heavy stuff I rarely use anything other than resin fixings now. I find it solves so many problems so easily.

For example, your current problem - the length of fixing - I just cut studs to length. I don't have to worry about loose or crumbly walls or hitting the mortar gap between two bricks. I can support something heavy without caving in dot-n-dab surfaces, and I can still set brackets absolutely level even if the drill wanders from the marked position.

 

[davepuma]

Presumably the wooden frame for the false wall just secures to the posts behind the plasterboard with long wood screws and then use threaded rods/anchor bolts with resin for the plasma?

 

[ChrisFrost]

yes


...and do you really need to use 18mm MDF? It's a lot of weight for what is a decorative facia

 

[davepuma]

Presumably you recommend 12mm? That would make sense. I was at a wholesalers today and they have M8 threaded rods in 1m lengths and resin. Unfortunately it would mean buying boxes of M8 washers and nuts, so I'll probably stick with screwfix.