I have a heavy oak bathroom cabinet that I'm about to hang over the toilet. However, there is only one stud and it's not in the center, it's about 1/4 length going left to right. Thus, the left half of cabinet is supported, but not the right. I'll have a top screw and botton screw on the to stud, but what's the best thing to do for the right side without stud.
I'm renting, so patching up the wall afterwards is important to me. The smaller the hole the better.
TIA
Is the back real wood, or that pressboard crap? If real wood, a couple of molly anchors on the non-stud side will probably be plenty, as long as the screws into the stud are big enough and deep enough. (Use at least 2.5 inch, like kitchen cabinets are mounted with.) You just need to keep it from flopping around on the wall. Mollys are easy to dispose of when moving out- remove screw, and with a big bit or reamer, drill through face ring and pry off, and just drop the back part in the wall. The hole will be just as easy to patch as the one into the stud. Even if the back is pressboard, as long as there are some sort of solid wood rails across the back of the cabinet, you can mount through those. Fender washers inside the cabinet help a bunch to resist screws pulling through cheap wood.
NOTE WELL- THE VENT STACK OFTEN RUNS BEHIND TOILET! And not always on the centerline of the toilet. When you are drilling the holes, use a very gentle touch, and don't drive the drill in past the drywall if you can help it. If you hit air, then something solid, STOP, and move over a couple of inches.
aem sends...
Yes, I have a wood rail on top and bottom. THANKS, for the vent stack tip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Didn't even th>Znott wrote:
Get at least two screws into the stud and at least two gypsum-board anchors, molly bolts. You may need to fasten a 3/4" (or 1/2") thick ply board (slightly smaller size than the cabinet back) to the wall first then you have a base that can be screwed in anywhere.
Another alternative -- use a ledger, which you presumably can secure at each corner of the back wall, plus the one stud you've located. Rest the cabinet on the ledger and then keep it from falling by adding a screw into the one stud you've located. Come moving time, remove the securing screw and the cabinet and take out the ledger, which will probably be held in place by three screws (2 corners + one stud). Patch the 4 screw holes with some lightweight spackle and touch up if necessary.
A ledger can be made from a 1 x 4 piece of good hardwood, which you can stain a compatible color, or use a piece of softwood and paint it the same color as the wall to hide its appearance.
One afterthought -- if you used a studfinder to locate the one stud. make sure that you've actually located the stud, and not the vent stack behind the wallboard --
A French cleat would be one way:
way:
snap.http://www.monarchmetal.com/pages/panelclip.html>
re: A French cleat would be one way:
I googled the QuickScribe mentioned at the woodweb site and watched the videos. Pretty neat tool. Now I gotta go buy an offset laminate trimmer so I can buy a QuickScribe. Thanks a lot! ;-)
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