Fixing a 'floating desk' to wall

[itsrich]

Hi,

I've never attempted anything DIY, but I had a couple of questions, found the forums through Google and thought I'd give it a shot...

I'm thinking about having a 'floating style' wall mounted desk made up, pretty much like the one in the pics at the bottom.

I was just wondering which was the best way to fix it to the wall (concrete block)? The makers of the desk in the pics say theirs are supplied with solid wall anchors which go through the backboard, as in the pic. Would that be enough?

It'd obviously be light as possible and used as an office desk, so the heaviest thing on it would probably be a 4kg PC monitor if that helps. Is there anything else I'd need to consider?

Dimensions would be about H 15cm, W 120cm, D 50cm

Thanks for any help

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[crazycanuck]

the desk in picture looks ok for a light load, but I would add corner gussets to further support off the wall.

 

[JohnD]

...so the heaviest thing on it would probably be a 4kg PC monitor if that helps. Is there anything else I'd need to consider?

yes, from time to time people will lean on it, perform marital arts on it, stack up files on it, or stand on it to reach a top shelf, change lightbulb, catch spider etc.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Depth 500mm - that's a lot bigger than the one in the photo.

Compartments 110mm high and 500mm deep - how will you use them?

As well as the unplanned loads suggested by JohnD, consider that you need it to be not only safe, but solid - a desk that wobbles when you use it, even if it's safe, is very annoying.

No shelves? No files? No printer? No scanner? No stationery? No router? No speakers? No phone?

Where will this desk be? How important are the aesthetics? Is it essential that you don't see the supports?

You say "have made up" - how skilled are you at carpentry and metal fabrication?

 

[breezer]

I am wondering has the OP forgoten about this post. since the OP said

found the forums through Google and thought I'd give it a shot...

i ma saying this becuse the OP only made 1 post over a month ago

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He also said "I've never attempted anything DIY", which makes my last question a bit superfluous....

 

[JohnD]

perhaps he's in hospital having fallen off the desk in a marital-arts accident.

 

[Space cat]

From what I can see of the desk in that picture, there's no way I would trust it to take my weight; not unless there's a steel plate hidden behind the mounting board!

JohnD is correct. Sooner or later, somebody with no mechanical aptitude whatsoever WILL put their full weight on it.

 

[Hysteresis]

In my experience (DIY), if 10mm RAWLBOLTS are correctly fitted into concrete blocks , then they will take anyone of say 12 stone sitting on it. The desk will fall apert before it is ripped off the wall.
BUT the RAWLBOLT must be fitted properly with the correct dimension hole. Oh! and if the concrete blocks are covered with plaster board, then the propper spacer must be used between the Block surface and the surface of the plasterboard.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you can tolerate the appearance, the following makes a good practical desk:

Spur uprights at approx 500mm spacing.

On 500mm brackets approx 720mm from the floor (adjust for chair height/preference) place a length of 600mm kitchen worktop, with a gap at the back wide enough to slot in a length of matching upstand lying flat. Screw the brackets to the worktop for rigidity. If you can butt one end of the worktop up against a wall, and screw through from a batten for more rigidity even better. Leave the upstand loose - that's removable to make it easy to get plugs and cables through.

On the uprights above the desk you can have whatever shelves you want.

If you're short of desk space but have knee room, you can put a shelf below the desk for a printer.

Bish bosh.

OK - doesn't look great in a living room, but if you've got a separate office room it's fine.