Had to replace a kitchen wall unit that had fallen off a plasterboard wall. No surprise really, only held up by 2 plastic plasterboard fixings & No More Nails.
I've re hung it using Metal RediDriva fixings which seem good & strong.
What do you reckon are the strongest plasterboard fixings? Those hollow wall anchors, plastic plugs (if so which) or the metal redidrives?
Your house?someone elses house?
Personaly I'd of got hold of a piece of 2b1 cut out the plasterboard for this piece of wood and screwed it to the wall and then hung the wall unit.
I don't know what RediDriva screws are. For your next job:
If the plasterboard is glued to a breeze-block wall you are in difficulties. There isn't much more strength in the solid than there is in the plasterboard.
Ideally the plasterboard should have a couple of lines of adhesive along the height that kitchen units go. This can then take the brown plugs for the use of normal adustable bracket fixings that come with the cupboards.
This is seldom done properly though.
If the plasterboard is on steel studding then a "patress" of 1/2" ply should be placed under the plasterboard. (TBH I forget how that works. It's unusual to come across it in a house though.) This holds the steel in place as well as giving a "ground" to screw to for the cupboard.
Your best bet with either is to offer the cuboard up with a couple of supports (to take 3 tiles width) from a level worktop. Mark where the cupboard sides go. (Or plumb up from the end of the floor cupbaods
-note: Note the end of the work-top.)
Cut a couple of battons and fit them to the back of the cupboard; one at the top and one at the bottom.
Make sure there is enough clearance on the back to take them. There usually is but you might have to plane a thin skin off the battons. There is no need to glue them but you might want a tight fit to hold them while you are working.
Put the cupboard back and get someone to make sure it stays in place while you drill through with a 4 mm wood-drill for a couple of screws per batton. Take the cupboard down and put those shell things in the boards.
Put a little PVA or gripfill on the battons and offer the cupboard up one more time. Check the pencil marks and screw it home. Four screws should be enough, use brass cups and space them tidily. If it falls down again there is a major problem.
Use decent screws not those brittle plasterboard ones.
Don't be ashamed of taking two hours with the first one you do. Just make sure the job is perfect but you can only charge =A310 for, it no matter how long it takes; to be fair to the customer. They shouldn't be financing your education.
The next one will be easier and after that you will soon be throwing them on and a tenner a piece will seem like money for jam.
If you know they are going to tile, you can put a strip of batton along the wall at 3 tiles (something like 18 or so inches) as it will make the job quicker and can come off afterwards with no problems.
Nope stud wall.
Say what?
Certainly not in this case.
Not possible. Existing kitchen, unit had simply fallen off the wall, Old fixings had pulled out of the wall leaving large exit wounds.
Good thinking!
Handymen work alone, but not impossible to do.
Actually took an hour and a half. Not a case of the customer finacing my education, more a case of me having to deal with completely unknown circumstances until I arrived on site..
Enquiry was 'cupbard has fallen off wall'. Didn't know if it was plasterboard or solid.
Arrived on site. Found that it was plasterboard and that previous insufficiant fixings had caused massive exit wounds in PB. Tiles already in place. Cupboard was a tight fit between architrave, tiles & cooker hood.
Only option was to fix into areas away from previous fixing attempts.
Charging a tenner for such a job is a recipie for rapidly going skint. Contrary to popular belief, customers don't appreciate these little 'favours' they just take advantage of you.
No plasterboard fixing is strong enough for wall cupboards - period.
In message , Weatherlawyer writes
One of the better plasterboard fixings A metal insert is screwed into the wall, then the fixing screw screws into this. They do make a very secure fixing. I had radiators hanging off them in my old house, and a curtain track fitted to the ceiling.
Best ones for heavy duty use have a little toggle on the end as well
I reckon they are best fixings (as opposed to fixing battens etc.) the OP could have used.
>
Maybe a full length batten epoxied to the plasterboard..but nothing less..
I think I'd agree with that, trouble is the entire world will shortly be built of the stuff! This particular kitchen only had one solid wall.
That's when I think in terms of whacking up one made of MDF...that will take screws pretty well.
And emulsion paint.
What was the plasterboard fixed to? If studding, you fix to that. If dot and dab you'll need to go through to the main wall.
I've seen a wall cupboard properly fixed to a brick wall with 3" screws come off when loaded up with tinned foodstuffs.
I quite like these, more resistant to pulling out than a redidrive, but just as good in shear :
is the original version.
Thanks John I'll give them a try.
Ony thing to watch is they take far more screwing that you expect the first tim you use them ;-) (the thread on the bolt has a much finer pitch than your normal twinthread woodscrew - so you can be twiddling for some time with a power driver thinking "is anything happening"!)
The message from John Rumm contains these words:
All the rads that've been rehung in this house (which is most of them) are held up with those. They've survived various kids using them as ladders.
Plasterboard itself is not strong enough to mount kitchen wall units to. Therefore, no plasterboard fixing is suitable for mounting wall cupboards. Think of your liability insurance!
Christian.
I also rate the screwfix ones, but they can spin round in the hole and then it's a bit of a struggle.
Stronger than any plasterboard fitting (but more work) I drill a big hole (with my biggest downlighter hole saw) then slip a piece of wood through and stuck it to the back of the plasterboard to spread the load, then screw through into that. A couple of small screws into the wood and/or solvent-free gripfill to stick it stop you losing it down the back if you have to remove the fitting any time. Then glue the circular cutout back into the hole with solvent-free to finish off.
Brilliant! Thank you very much!
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