Advice on mounting desktop to wall with brackets

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Blitzgerat, Jun 24, 2019.

  1. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

    I've got quite a large desktop which I'd like to mount to a masonry wall (internal, plastered brick wall in a 1910 property). The desktop itself is 2300mm x 820mm and is 27mm thick. It's solid oak so it's quite heavy!

    My plan is to mount it using three of these brackets: https://www.locksonline.com/Hebgo-Fixed-Shelf-Bracket-150kg-Load-Capacity-936.html - the largest ones, which will extend 680mm from the wall towards the edge of the desk, leaving an overhang of 140mm. I would position the brackets at 575mm, 1150mm and 1725mm (in other words, equally spaced) along the length of the desktop, so there'll be 575mm between each one.

    My questions are:
    1. Does that sound like a reasonable plan which would result in a sturdy desk capable of supporting computer monitors, general office stuff and, inevitably, the a bit of leaning on?
    2. What would be the best wall fixings to use for fixing the brackets securely? The holes in the brackets have a diameter of 10mm.
    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Wayners

    Wayners Screwfix Select

    Threaded bar and chemical fixing
     
  3. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    The larger bracket will be ok.

    The problem is the strength of the bricks / walls behind the brackets and how close the holes in the bracket are together. There is a risk that because of the size of the bolts the bricks behind may crack.

    Where the brackets meet the wall is quite small so all the downward force will be in a very small area of the wall. so I would be tempted to fix a piece of timber to the wall to spread the load. Then fix the brackets to the timber.

    I would use something like this https://www.screwfix.com/p/turbocoach-coach-screws-yellow-zinc-plated-10-x-40mm-50-pack/8149g or slightly smaller to fix the brackets to the timber.

    I would use the larger sized blue wall plugs and screws to fix the timber to the wall.
     
  4. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

    Thanks for the advice. Presumably I'd need to use two pieces of timber - one for the holes at the tops of the brackets and one for the holes at the bottom - fixed horizontally to the wall? What thickness of timber would you use?
     
  5. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    I would just fix a piece of timber vertically for each bracket from the height of the desktop down 600 mm or the longer the better. You want the timber to be thick enough so that you can get a fixing with a large head so that you don't have to fiddle about with washers behind the screw head. I would go with something wider than the 82mm bracket so may be 100x50 or near.

    The additional benefit of the timber is that it will help support the back edge and also make it easier to mount the brackets.

    I would check with locksonline as to the most appropriate size to use as you may be able to get away with a smaller bracket and say some money.

    Also when you fix the worktop to the brackets you should pre drill the holes in the timber and then use screws to secure. Typically with oak you use stainless steel or passivated screws as oak can react with other metals. However, it is unlikely you will have a problem with standard screws
     
  6. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

    This is all great advice, thanks! Last couple of things: What fixings would you use for mounting the timber to the wall? If the timber is 50mm thick and I want to get a secure mounting then I'm going to some pretty long screws! I'm no engineer but it seems that there's going to be some fairly extreme force pushing down on the 50mm of those screws which isn't in the wall. Is there not a danger of shearing? Also, 40mm for the screws mounting the brackets to the timber seems quite short (although I guess they are 10mm thick!) - you think that'd be ok?
     
  7. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

  8. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select

  9. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

  10. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select

    Correct - they are possibly the best plugs on the market. Might be expensive, but given the cost of the top, they are probably relatively cheap.
     
  11. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    of course you could go for hairpin legs which look really good on an oak slab

    upload_2019-6-24_19-36-50.png
     
    KIAB likes this.
  12. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Can look very stylish.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

     
  14. ajohn

    ajohn Screwfix Select

  15. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

  16. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    Depending on the height, you may catch you knee on the brace of those brackets
     
    Blitzgerat likes this.
  17. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

    That's a potential issue I'll need to look into. Also, there would be around 300mm of the desk overhanging the end of the brackets (if I mount the short side on the wall, which in itself seems less desirable than mounting the long side to the wall) which is quite a lot.
     
  18. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

    So I think I'm going to go with the 6mm version of the screws recommended by @sospan and the 8x40mm Fischer plugs recommended by @Pollowick to fix the timber to the wall.

    I was just wondering, though - I'm using 100mm long screws driven 10mm below the surface of 50mm thick timber. That means 60mm of the screw will be in the wall. The plugs are only 40mm in length. Is it ok for the screws to penetrate beyond the end of the plugs? I was never sure, and certain things I've read online suggest not. In this case, I'd have to drill 70mm deep holes in the wall (I believe 10mm additional length is advisable) to accommodate plugs that were only 40mm long, with 20mm of the screws going deeper into the hole than the end of the plugs.

    Does that sound right?
     
  19. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select

  20. Blitzgerat

    Blitzgerat New Member

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