Discuss Horizontal Cabinet Help on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. Horizontal Cabinet Help - Please limit the posts in this section to questions and answers about assembly and installation issues only..
Yesterday, after putting some coffee mugs away, I started to shut the door, and the whole cabinet pulled out of the wall, and crashed onto the shelf below, ripping that out of the wall as well. So, now my coffee corner is bare, with holes in the wall.
DH was always worried that the weight of the cabinet alone would be a problem; and unfortunately, he was right. Although we had a huge crash and lots of mugs and saucers were broken, no one was hurt, and nothing was damaged that was irreplaceable.
The problem is -- what to do now? There are no studs to hang the cabinet on. DH used anchor screws the first time around, and that clearly didn't work. The horizontal cabinet isn't like the other wall cabinets that come with that lip and the suspension rail to distribute the weight of the cabinet. Anyone have any re-installation ideas? I'd like something super-sturdy, as it needs to withstand earthquakes as well...
Thanks in advance!
DH definition
DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).
Last edited by B; Jul 10th, 07 at 10:56 am.
Reason: Prepositions are helpful
b, you say there are no studs, but there should be a stud SOMEWHERE (i know the region you live )
you might not like my idea, but i'm the super sturdy earthquake resister (with a paranoid mamma living in the orinda hills)
i'd open up the wall and install some nailing blocks crosswise between the two studs. put them at the height where the cabinet needs to be installed. Then you can close the wall up (or not, if it's going to be covered by the cabinet) but it would give you a solid cross board to install into.
so sorry this happened to you, i'm so glad nobody was hurt.
Cut out the section of broken drywall and just mount up plywood instead for that area. It wouldn't cost much more than drywall itself, but will be sturdy enough to hold it up now.
that's what i do to secure base cabinets in earthquake area, but we're talking a horizontal (non suspension rail at that!) which has already fallen... i'd want more protection than even plywood can offer.
But that's just me
It seems to have been written in stone that
"Drywall shall be attached to studs apart no more then 16" on center"
So if your house was constructed legally, there have to be at least two points to attach the cabinet directly to the studs. Then the cabinet will be as strong as the wall.
Narf's idea of using deck screws sounds great.
The bright side of having your cabinets pull away chunks of the drywall is that you can find the studs.
Toxigal, B's is a Varde horizontal not an Akurum. The Varde wall cabinets do not use the suspension rail.
B, I vote for Dulci's idea of installing bracing between the studs behind the drywall. I'm amazed the glass door didn't break, granite didn't chip, etc. Glad no one was hurt.
Best wishes,
Gloria
Akurum definition
Akurum is the North American equivalent of FAKTUM; that is the fitted, frameless, component kitchen cabinet line, which when paired with door and drawer fronts as well as interior accessories makes up the full kitchen cabinet system.
Thank you all for your helpful responses -- even for the dialectic that got started as well!DH has already left for work this morning, so I'll run your suggestions past him tonight; I have a feeling that he'll want to err on the side of sturdy -- given how lucky we were that nothing (and no one) really important broke.
Dulci and plschwartz, I wish I were a handier person (the only time the stud finder works for me is when I beep it jokingly when I hold it up next to DH). I know DH spent hours calculating and measuring, stud-finding, leveling and plumbing, so I trust him implicitly when he says he couldn't get it lined up against studs.
Gloria - I had no idea that the Varde and Akurum horizontal cabinets were different on the suspension rail front. Hmm. I made my choice on aesthetics alone (I liked the Varde glass better than the Adel)...maybe I should rethink the solid wood Adel horizontal door there....
Thanks again, guys, for your prompt and helpful replies!
DH definition
DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).
Akurum definition
Akurum is the North American equivalent of FAKTUM; that is the fitted, frameless, component kitchen cabinet line, which when paired with door and drawer fronts as well as interior accessories makes up the full kitchen cabinet system.
no need to go throwing out your doors... you're going to be fine!
And whatever dh thinks, you're going to be fine. Either solution will work, but i'm just about absolute when paranoia or worry settles in at all.
btw, stud finder hates me half the time!
DH definition
DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).
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