Kitchen wall cabinet fixing - electrical cables in the way!

[hellopaul2]

Hello,
I have recently had a kitchen (the room) built, and am in the process of installing the units. Unfortunately, the wall where the brackets for two wall units will be hung contains wires exactly where the brackets need to be screwed on. Also unfortunately, it's a dot and dab wall, which is a complete nightmare to fix to. I'm currently using (in other parts of the kitchen) 5 inch screws with 50mm x 10mm wall plugs, which give great tensile strength but poor angular strength. Has anyone out there had any good/bad experiences with some of the specific dot & dab wall fixings available?

Anyway, I'm planning to cut out a chunk of the plasterboard about a foot wide and insert either timber or a chunk of steel to bridge the wires (they're in three conduits) and fix it into the blockwork with some more large screws/wall plugs. I'm worried that if i use timber, being only about 15mm thick (plasterboard + a bit of dot & dab adhesive) there won't be enough thickness to get a really good fix into for the screws holding the brackets on. So I'm wondering about going all-out and using a chunk of steel and bolting the brackets to it. Overkill? Are my timber-screw worries unfounded?

Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Thanks,

Paul

 

[nickjb]

I used the drylinepro fixings and they seem pretty good. I had a couple not take properly while fitting but the rest have been solid. Not cheap for what they are, though.

I had a similar problem to you when fitting a toilet. I made up a bracket from some 6mm x 30mm aluminium bar (about £7 for a metre from b&q, probably much cheaper elsewhere) A couple of through holes at the ends fixed to the wall and a tapped hole in the middle. I'm sure wood would be fine too. Ali would just be less wall to hack out and a metric bolt won't accidentally go too deep.

 

[foxhole]

You can get cabinet hanging rail in a variety of sizes, 2metres is common and span any wiring.
10mm plugs are too large , use 6-7mm and 3inch screw will be fine, though you don't mention the block type behind the plasterboard, thermalite need screw in twisted wall plugs or they pull out easily.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3008...f11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

 

[hellopaul2]

Thanks for those suggestions.

Foxhole - I had no idea that that kitchen hanging rail existed - it will be ideal for what I want. Easy to get it all level, too!

Unfortunately one of the walls (the one with the cables) is a Thermalite-type block - all soft and weak as a kitten. The "screw in twisted wall plugs" you mention - are they like these:

http://www.twistfix.co.uk/thermalite-fixings-airtwist?cat=32103

- Paul

 

[foxhole]

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/masonry-plugs-anchors-fixings/4841546/

 

[hellopaul2]

Thanks for that info Foxhole. I found a local kitchen supplier today and bought a couple of those long hanging rail brackets. A busy weekend lies ahead...

- Paul