Tall cupboard on carpet wobbly

[peterchichester]

Someone I know has bought a tall narrow cupboard (15in by 12in by 6ft) which is sitting on thick carpet and is wobbly. It's a couple of inches away from the wall as there is something in the way. It is not easy to attach anything to to walls in her flat. They are dot and dab so sometimes you have room to get a plasterboard fixing in and sometimes not. Drilling straight holes into the very rough breeze blocks or whatever is difficult, drill wanders.
So how can she stabilise the cupboard without having to drill accurate holes in the wall?

 

[Astra99]

Dot & dab over breezeblock is the work of the devil! I would suggest the best idea might be a hefty SDS drill straight into the blockwork and a frame fixer (or rawlplug and a very long screw) with a spacer to fill the gap between the block and the outside of the plasterboard (so the loading is taken on the blockwork not on the plasterboard).

 

[big-all]

thin strips off 6 to12mm ply/mdf on the front half under the sides level with the outside edge will push the cabinet back 6-8 times as much because because its 6 to 8 times higher than deep

 

[peterchichester]

I think it needs to be attached to the wall rather than propped underneath. You are right about the work of the devil, I've just an ordinary mains drill and can't get a decent hole.
I was wondering whether attaching a piece of wood to the wall and then strapping that to the top of the cupboard would work? A mixture of plasterboard fixings and glue should hold it on. It doesn't have to take any load really, just a steady.

 

[Burnerman]

With those sort of dimensions I would think there's a real risk of the thing toppling forward so any sort of top fixing is advisable.
The likes of Ikea provide fabric straps or even hooks and eyes, just to prevent this.
Best see what sort of hold you can get first!
John

 

[big-all]

yes asking for trouble
i would do both if you just tie it back when waited it will try and rest on the floor and distort the cabined
all depends iff the floor is shakey or kids around
i suspect its sitting on the carpet grip at the back ??

 

[peterchichester]

Not the gripper rod, it's a very thick posh carpet. These might do http://www.gltc.co.uk/safety/furniture-safety-straps-set-of-2/gltc/fcp-product/2581 if she can get a decent wall fixing

 

[foxhole]

posh carpet requires gripper and underlay, another base [mdf] cut 70mm -80mm short of the rear would correct the tilt.

 

[Flyboytim]

I'd use a couple of angle stretcher plates - the slots on the side for wall fixing, and the holes on the side to fix into the top of the unit.

Anyone who has ever built a flat-pack kitchen base unit will have several surplus items of this type.

Mark the hole and make a pilot hole with a bradawl or small blade screwdriver, nail, etc., on the top of the unit in a position where it will not be seen to one side of the top, and repeat on the other side.

First screw through one hole into one side of the top of the unit (presumably chipboard/MDF/Timber) with a 15mm chipboard screw, assuming 18mm chipboard. Fix another to the other side of the top using a single screw.

Make sure that there is some weight in the unit to flatten the carpet underneath. Lean the unit to the wall so the brackets lie flush with the wall.

Mark only the vertical slot locations on the wall. The screw to the unit can be loosened to allow access to the wall, and then the second screw fitted after the wall fixing is in place.

To anchor to the wall, "self drill metal plasterboard fixings" can be used. An old 6mm diameter screwdriver, rather than a drill, can be used to make an accurately placed pilot hole in the plasterboard, and to ensure that the depth of the screw can be accommodated in the blockwork beneath.

A gobbet of Gripfill can be piped into the hole for additional strength.

With a Pozidriver, screw the metal plasterboard fixings into place until secure and almost flush with the wall, do not overtighten!

Fix the remaining screws to the plates on the unit and tighten. Use the supplied screws to tighten the brackets to the plasterboard fixing.

No wandering drills, very little mess.

 

[pompeyal]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-s...arch-_-SearchRec-_-Area2&_requestid=93954#_=p have you tried these??

 

[peterchichester]

The trouble with those things is that the distance between the plasterboard and the blocks varies, sometimes you get a good fixing and sometimes just hit the blockwork and get a big hole in the plaster, it is not easy to drill into the block as the surface is so rough.
I don't know what she has done actually, I am very grateful my house is plasterboard on a frame, I'd sure dot and dab is easy and cheap to slap up, after that it is a pain

 

[pompeyal]

The trouble with those things is that the distance between the plasterboard and the blocks varies, sometimes you get a good fixing and sometimes just hit the blockwork and get a big hole in the plaster, it is not easy to drill into the block as the surface is so rough.
I don't know what she has done actually, I am very grateful my house is plasterboard on a frame, I'd sure dot and dab is easy and cheap to slap up, after that it is a pain

Good ol brick and thermolite block mine, dot and dab is a pain to fit anything too, wouldn't even buy a house built like that...