How do I hang kitchen wall units on plasterboard?

Question

The plasterboard was put up using dabs of adhesive rather than studs, unfortunately. The gap behind the units will vary, as the walls were uneven, but I reckon it's about 2cm or so.And the wall units are fairly heavy, and will be a lot heavier once they're full of stuff!
I thought about using cavity fixings, but would these be able to hold the weight?
Any help or advice here would be gratefully received.

Answer 1

So many incorrect answers!!!! If the plasterboard was dabbed on, it must be dabbed onto block or brick, and if its only 20mm gap between then surely the best fixing is to be had into the block/brick. Use a thin screwdriver at each fixing to establish the thickness from the face to the solid, add on at least 60-65mm and use that length of no. 10/4.5 screws and plugs. Use even longer screws if your wall units are thick at the fixing points, i.e. not a metal rail fixing.

Answer 2

Kitchen Wall Unit Fixings

Answer 3

Kitchen Wall Unit Brackets

Answer 4

1) put a piece of timber underneath the cupboard and screw it in place by tapping the plaster to find the battens and screwing into them. Then screw the cupboard timber in the same places to the wall battens. This spread the load nicely
2) As an alternative if the gap between the face of the plasterboard and the wall is not too great cut out a circle of the plasterboard where you want the screw. Put a Rawlplug in the wall and put a small piece of timber with a hole in it over the rawlplug - so you can find the rawlplug!
Now use a screw long enough to go through the wall unit, the timber packing piece and into the rawlplug by at least two inches using a very long screw!
RoyS

Answer 5

We had this very issue with our new extension. We wanted wet plaster so we wouldn't have this problem but were persuaded to have plasterboard. Never again!

What we did after taking a lot of advice was cut out slots where the cupboards needed to be fixed. Fastened 5" wood battens (so they are level or just below the level of the plasterboard) to the blockwork that the inner skin is made of with special heavy duty fixings. We used plastic spacers to bring the cupboards out level to each other.

We have an IKEA kitchen which has cupboards that go flat to the wall and you can't see the battens at all. The side of the cupboards have decor panels on them which hides the gaps too.

You can buy proprietary systems to hang cupboard on once you have the battens up but we didn't use these as the IKEA cupboards only support fixings in the corners. However, on the top cupboards (we have stacks of two horizontal cupboards) we have used L shaped brackets in the middle so secure them as well as the supplied fixings. They cupboards have glasses, cups and a load of junk in them and haven't shifted an inch!

Answer 6

If you're not secured to the wall behind the dry wall you'll be lucky if the units stay up without anything in them. Drill a hole in the plasterboard, messure the gap by inserting a drill bit until it touches the wall and allow this distance in some heavy duty wall plugs and screws. You'll have to mark the units fixing points so you'll be able to check the depth for each one.

Answer 7

I'm going to assume somewhere behind all the substance of the current wall are studs or lathe strips. I'll hope so at least. Finding them is your best course.

Consider any "anchor" and it's design, plus what is usually an advertised weight limit in varying sizes. Then consider that a picture for example is pretty much "shear" weight, while cabinets are both Shear weight but also subject more directly to gravity as the cabinets will not only stress straight down, but away from a wall as well. Add "stuff" in filling the cabinets and you'll wake one morning to find them and the "stuff" on the floor.

You can install a "footer" of sorts. A length of lumber at the base of the cabinets against the same wall, but in total it's still going to be stress on any anchors you use.

Steven Wolf
(The Rev.)

Answer 8

Ordinarily I'd say use the special plasterboard rawl plug type things you can buy (had this in my old flat) but the adhesive holding up the plaster board is a little alarming and I can see the cupboards pulling the whole plasterboard wall down if you're not careful. I'd get a professional builder to take a look and advise you.

Answer 9

Don't even attempt to hang kitchen units from plasterboard alone, the result could be disaster, and under these circumstances cavity fixings will not be strong enough.

Answer 10

Just use long screws,as long as you fix into the wall behind the plaster board you will be fine.Your units should have a fixing baton on the back of the so make sure you screw goes through that and not just through the flimsy backboard this will be strong enough.