Kitchen wall cabinet - plasterboard wall

[smithma0]

Hi there

I've been tasked with fitting a wall cabinet to a plasterboard cavity wall. I may be able to get a couple of screws into the wooden frame behind the plasterboard if the spacing works out OK, but will doubtless need to make some fixings to the cavity part of the wall.

What sort of fixing should I use? I thought perhaps the metal spring type fixings where you drill a largeish hole then push the 2-part fixing through closed, it then opens as it gets into the wall cavity and spreads the load. I don't think conventional plastic plugs wil be strong enough..?

Thanks for any advice

[esselte]

Would something like this do the job?

[smithma0]

Yes, that looks like it would be suitable. Thanks!

[monthefish]

smithma0 said:

I don't think conventional plastic plugs wil be strong enough..?

Definitely not.

esselte said:

Would something like this do the job?

^^^These are what I'd use if I didn't have another choice (and for smaller applications), but would you not be better cutting the plasterboard and putting some additional support between the studs? (if you do it carefully, the plasterboard will eventualy be covered by the cabinet anyway, and the result will be a lot more robust).

Dremel have a good attachment for specific cutting in plasterboard

Link

[Simpo Two]

All you need to cut plasterboard is a plasterboard saw:




As for fixings, I'd use spring toggles:

[monthefish]

Simpo Two said:

All you need to cut plasterboard is a plasterboard saw:

Might be tricky if the plasterboard is already in place, and the OP doesn't know what's behind it. The benefit with the Dremel attachment is that you can set it to the depth of the plasterboard so that it cuts through the board and nothing more.

[VxDuncan]

Any fixing is only as strong as the substrate it's fixed to. Even with a "perfect" fixing, any decent monet on a bit of plaster board and it will break. You really need to be fixing to wooden noggins in the wall, or the masonry behind it.

[Don]

esselte said:

Would something like this do the job?

You would be amazed at how good these are. You can hang Tapley furniture off plasterboard with big enough ones of these.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS over engineer your fixings on plasterboard. Never use the screw in sort or the rawlplug kind - no good. You need the sort that grasp the plasterboard and spread the weight over the widest possible area.

[Don]

VxDuncan said:

Any fixing is only as strong as the substrate it's fixed to. Even with a "perfect" fixing, any decent monet on a bit of plaster board and it will break. You really need to be fixing to wooden noggins in the wall, or the masonry behind it.

In my experience plasterboard, if it's properly affixed to, will be OK with quite a weight - OK, not a 50" Plasma TV - but a cupboard with plates in it - no problem!

[Simpo Two]

monthefish said:

Might be tricky if the plasterboard is already in place, and the OP doesn't know what's behind it. The benefit with the Dremel attachment is that you can set it to the depth of the plasterboard so that it cuts through the board and nothing more.

True. I cut a small hole first, eg 1" square, then poke around cautiously with a finger before going further.

I think the issue largely depends on where the timber is. If it's fairly central behind the cabinet then that can take the weight.

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 8th September 14:27

[monthefish]

Don said:

esselte said:

Would something like this do the job?

You would be amazed at how good these are. You can hang Tapley furniture off plasterboard with big enough ones of these.

They are very good. I bought a pack of ten some years ago and found them to be brilliant. I then ran out of them and had trouble finding more.

Last time I put an order into Screfix, I bought about 100 of them as they are bloody handy.

Still probably wouldn't use them for kitchen cupboards though...

[Don]

monthefish said:

Still probably wouldn't use them for kitchen cupboards though...

Depends what's going to be in 'em. Tapley comes with "mounts" you attach using two or three of the plasterboard fixings. They'll take a person's weight. In fact Tapley marketing used to have the MD sat on a shelf!

You're probably right, though. If the cupboards will have a lot of heavy stuff and if it's just a bolt then you'll want that right into the brick...

[monthefish]

Don said:

monthefish said:

Still probably wouldn't use them for kitchen cupboards though...

Depends what's going to be in 'em. Tapley comes with "mounts" you attach using two or three of the plasterboard fixings. They'll take a person's weight. In fact Tapley marketing used to have the MD sat on a shelf!

You're probably right, though. If the cupboards will have a lot of heavy stuff and if it's just a bolt then you'll want that right into the brick...

Might just be me, but I like such things to feel absolutely rock solid. (things like that with even the slightest bit of free-play/give are akin to a limp handshake )

[GreenDog]

Can't you fix a batten or two to the plasterboard horizontally then hang the cupboard onto those ? You'd be able to span a few noggins then and spread the weight.

[monthefish]

GreenDog said:

Can't you fix a batten or two to the plasterboard horizontally then hang the cupboard onto those ? You'd be able to span a few noggins then and spread the weight.

On the outside of the plasterboard? The cupboard would then sit proud of the wall, and be loose when puched at the bottom.

[GreenDog]

monthefish said:

GreenDog said:

Can't you fix a batten or two to the plasterboard horizontally then hang the cupboard onto those ? You'd be able to span a few noggins then and spread the weight.

On the outside of the plasterboard? The cupboard would then sit proud of the wall, and be loose when puched at the bottom.

Yeah I know - it depends on where it's being fitted and if it'd be visible. If that wasn't an issue then attaching the cupbaord to 2 battens running horizontally would make it pretty solid.

[defblade]

Don said:

esselte said:

Would something like this do the job?

You would be amazed at how good these are. ALWAYS, ALWAYS over engineer your fixings on plasterboard. Never use the screw in sort or the rawlplug kind - no good. You need the sort that grasp the plasterboard and spread the weight over the widest possible area.

I had a new-ish house once (never again) and rapidly discovered this is true. Use those fixings for EVERYTHING or regret it. Trick is to hold the washer/head with the little prongs against/into the wall with a big screwdriver or similar while you do the bolt up (pulling the legs back) otherwise the prongs can tear the plasterboard and then the whole fixing just rotates.

[LMC]

defblade said:

Don said:

esselte said:

Would something like this do the job?

You would be amazed at how good these are. ALWAYS, ALWAYS over engineer your fixings on plasterboard. Never use the screw in sort or the rawlplug kind - no good. You need the sort that grasp the plasterboard and spread the weight over the widest possible area.

I had a new-ish house once (never again) and rapidly discovered this is true. Use those fixings for EVERYTHING or regret it. Trick is to hold the washer/head with the little prongs against/into the wall with a big screwdriver or similar while you do the bolt up (pulling the legs back) otherwise the prongs can tear the plasterboard and then the whole fixing just rotates.

I've put numerous things up with these, including all my kitchen units. The wall would fall down before they gave up. One of our double cupboards is full of tins and I've never had a problem. Screwfix sell them in packs of 10, cheap as chips.