The main cupboard in my kitchen recently fell off the wall. Put up by a previous owner, it transpired that the two hangers were each secured with two plasterboard fixings. Not what I would have done. My wife’s fondness for stuffing cupboards with tins & jars must have reached critical load and pulled the right-hand plasterboard fixings straight out. Luckily, she was there to hold it upright and catch some of the falling contents, but the broken glass and sticky mess everywhere was unbelievable.
I’m hoping I can repair the damaged corners of the cabinet with internal brackets, but that’s another problem. I’ll need to reattach it (else a replacement) rather more securely than before.
Based on related posts here and elsewhere, I was planning to use a long hanger rail to secure into the wooden studs. Are Hafele better quality than any one else’s?
I’ve found the vertical studs, spaced at 450mm. Three would fall behind the cabinet. To the right, the bracket will attach to the hanger rail neatly screwed between two studs.
But to the left, that cabinet bracket will be 180mm beyond the nearest stud. I can’t go further to secure the rail to the next stud along, because that’s behind the next cabinet. Removing that too, would not make me popular. I could try a (hateful) plasterboard fixing for that last rail support, but it’d be right where the left cupboard hanger is still attached, and removing that & its two fixings would leave ever more weakened plasterboard to put another plasterboard fixing in to. Maybe worse than leaving it alone.
Other threads suggest cutting a 100mm tall, long horizontal channel to expose the vertical studs, then fill it with plywood no thicker than the plasterboard it replaces. That would let me screw the rail through the ply into the joists (what size screws are best?) and also some shorter screws into the gaps between joists bridged by the plywood.
I’ve also read some suggest that full size noggins should be screwed between the vertical studs, with plywood on that, so full length screws can be run all along. But as mentioned, I can’t see how a noggin could be run beyond the left most stud with an intact cabinet in the way.
What so you people think? I assume the left-hand bracket would not be safe in the rail was unfixed 180mm beyond the left stud? Would running plywood (without noggin) that far beyond the stud be better?
Separately, should I fit a batten under the cupboard as well?
I’m hoping I can repair the damaged corners of the cabinet with internal brackets, but that’s another problem. I’ll need to reattach it (else a replacement) rather more securely than before.
Based on related posts here and elsewhere, I was planning to use a long hanger rail to secure into the wooden studs. Are Hafele better quality than any one else’s?
I’ve found the vertical studs, spaced at 450mm. Three would fall behind the cabinet. To the right, the bracket will attach to the hanger rail neatly screwed between two studs.
But to the left, that cabinet bracket will be 180mm beyond the nearest stud. I can’t go further to secure the rail to the next stud along, because that’s behind the next cabinet. Removing that too, would not make me popular. I could try a (hateful) plasterboard fixing for that last rail support, but it’d be right where the left cupboard hanger is still attached, and removing that & its two fixings would leave ever more weakened plasterboard to put another plasterboard fixing in to. Maybe worse than leaving it alone.
Other threads suggest cutting a 100mm tall, long horizontal channel to expose the vertical studs, then fill it with plywood no thicker than the plasterboard it replaces. That would let me screw the rail through the ply into the joists (what size screws are best?) and also some shorter screws into the gaps between joists bridged by the plywood.
I’ve also read some suggest that full size noggins should be screwed between the vertical studs, with plywood on that, so full length screws can be run all along. But as mentioned, I can’t see how a noggin could be run beyond the left most stud with an intact cabinet in the way.
What so you people think? I assume the left-hand bracket would not be safe in the rail was unfixed 180mm beyond the left stud? Would running plywood (without noggin) that far beyond the stud be better?
Separately, should I fit a batten under the cupboard as well?
