Fitting Kitchen...Plasterboard walls!

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by Kev555, Dec 20, 2013.

  1. Kev555

    Kev555 New Member

    Hi all!

    I'm after a bit of advice as my wife has asked me to fit some kitchen units in our utility room over the Christmas period.

    The problem being that the room in question has plasterboard walls throughout that has batons behind it.

    I have stuck a bradel through the wall to measure how deep it is to the brickwork, and from the front of the plasterboard to the brickwork measures 45mm.

    what is the best way to tackle this with the units being so heavy once they're full?

    Would a suitable No.10 screw of long length suffice or will that cause extra stress as nothing is biting in the cavity.....Ideally dont want to have to cut any plasterboard out that im going to have to patch up down the line.

    Any help guys would be gratefully received

    Thanks

    Kev
     
  2. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

  3. Hi Kev.

    For wall units (I guess that's what you're mostly talking about?), you can buy long lengths of wall bracket. You know the small metal brackets you get to screw on to the walls, 2 for each unit? Well imagine a continuous length of that stuff that you screw to the wall, placing the screws through where the vertical battens are, and screwing right through the battens into the brickwork behind, using or'nary screws and plugs. (Unless the battens are thick enough to just take wood screws themselves.)

    You then take li'l notches out of the unit sides (except the panels at each end) and mount the units on to this length of bracket as you would normally.

    As for the base units, something similar except you can use a length of 2x1 timber instead of a metal bracket. Basically you mark a perfectly horizontal line along the wall to match where the tops of the units will lie, ans crew a length of batten on to the wall as before. Each base unit side has a '2x1'-sized notch taken out of it at the top back corner of each side panel, the unit is placed against the wall with the batten fitting neatly into this notch, and whatever fittings you'd normally use emplyoed to fix the unit - this could be small metal brackets, or else long screws through the unit's back rail.

    Does that make sense?
     
  4. Pfffft - as JJ says :p
     
  5. Kev555

    Kev555 New Member

    Thanks for your reply John.

    The batons are placed at quite large intervals and i'm unsure of how well they are even fixed so i'm looking really to get into the brickwork rather than into the batons!

    EDIT! I see what you mean now through the batons and into the brickwork.
     
  6. Kev555

    Kev555 New Member

    looking at where the batons are, they are uneven in distance, i'm thinking that it may only cover a couple of batons, surely that's no enough to be safe to hang on?
     
  7. Kev. there are other solutions, but they ain't easy. The reason you should screw through where the battens are is to prevent the p'board from being pulled inwards towards the brick - you need a 'spacer' behind it to fill that gap.

    However, two hefty screw will be very strong - use size 12 jobbies. They will do 95% of the holding, and you can then fit a number of p'board fixings to secure the rest of the rail to the p'board, itself. Now, you would never rely on just p'board fixings, but used in conjunction with other fixings, they will add to the strength and also keep the rail straight.

    Use this type: http://www.screwfix.com/p/hollow-wall-anchor-5-x-52mm-8-16mm-pack-of-10/12229 which are strong when fitted carefully.

    Another thing you can do - if the wall units have a 15mm recess at the back behind the rear panel - is to screw a 15mm thick timber rail along the bottom just up from the bottom panel. Cut notches in the sides of the units a bit like what you'd need to do for the top rail (tho' the same size as the batten), and fit the units over this. Adjust the top brackets, and then screw from under the unit bottoms into your timber rail.

    Or - simpler - and especially if you are fitting a decorative light pelmet along the front/bottom, just fix a neat quadrant-style bead along the bottom for the units to sit on.
     
  8. Ray Retired

    Ray Retired Active Member

    Don't anyone use 'French' cleats nowadays? Norm explains @ 08:23 :)

     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2013
  9. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Without watching the video all the way to 8:23 for Norm to explain,,, would these be "French cleats" ??
     
  10. Ray Retired

    Ray Retired Active Member

    Oui, les "cleats Français" ... Joyeux Noël :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2013
  11. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    your previous post was far more .........
     
  12. jeznotts

    jeznotts Member

     
  13. Ray Retired

    Ray Retired Active Member

    Ruddy hard enuff to type Anglais after a mad Friday trades union reunion... (Hence the several Saturday morn edits Mr Ork) ;)

    Anyways... Forgetting all things Français and the fact OP divn't want to be cutting any plasterboard to make good laters.

    Given that the batons are "uneven in distance" and most peoples like to position units securely where they want 'em. Would it not be best practice to pad saw the PB, create a drop down flap to take a timber support ripped to fill the void, plug n' screw that timber to the brickwork. Apply a little mud with patience after raising the flap and you got a pretty good as it gets secure hidden rail into which the final fixing screws go.

    Regardless if ya go with the french drains method or not... Sorry "French Cleats" it's gotta be said that it's a darn simple and strong way of hanging things on a wall, plus ya can just lift 'em off when y'all are decorating. :)
     

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