How many screws do you need for wall cabinets?

[mpire]

I'm hanging some 30" wall cabinets and I was wondering how many screws I would need to hold them to the wall.

I have rather widely spaced 6" metal studs that make no sense to me, but they are 50+ years old.

I added 2x4 blocking at the top and that's covered with an inch of drywall. (5/8 + 1/2)

The back of the cabinets are full sheets of 1/2 mdf particle board type stuff.

Am I good with just a few 3 inch construction screws across the top of the cabinet, or should I put some drywall anchors in the bottom?

The cabinets are screwed together at their faces and in the back as well through a spacer.

 

[Walkers]

I used those generic ‘construction’ screws to holdup my garage cabinets. They worked fine, until they didn’t. I came home one day to my cabinets, divested of all their stuff, face down on the ground. All the heads neatly broken off. I use higher quality wood screws in at least a #10 now, with washers to keep them from pulling through.

 

[mpire]

I use higher quality wood screws in at least a #10 now, with washers to keep them from pulling through.

I didn't even think of that. So replace the screws into the blocking with heavier duty versions & washers, but leave the bottoms alone?

 

[Walkers]

The bottoms don’t really do much, the tops carry all the weight. My incident was about 30 years ago, and construction screws were all termed ‘drywall’ screws IIRC at the time. This was pre impact drivers too. I’m sure modern screws are better, but I still won’t put in less than a #10 and use a washer.

 

[mpire]

I used #9 star point "construction" screws. Whatever that means.

Washers make sense, I'll pick up something a bit beefier next trip to the hardware store.

 

[Gunfixr]

Spax cabinet mounting screws. They also make construction screws, but the heads are different. The cabinet screws have a built in washer head. They aren't cheap, but I read somewhere that the #10s will hold 300lbs. I used #10x3", but with 1" of drywall, i'd go 3 1/2" on length. Used maybe two boxes for the whole kitchen. Available at HD, but might be Lowes, I was hitting both so much when renovating.
Just pay, cry over it, hang the cabinets, and don't have to think about it any more.
I put screws along the top, some about the middle, and randomly at the bottom, to keep things tight. All went in studs.

 

[nadogail]

You are asking a question that I would answer; "It depends". Obviously on how heavy and strong the cabinets are and how they will be loaded.
I tend to "build for stout" because the few pennies saved by being stingy with a few screws is soon lost when you have to clean up the mess and replace broken china.

 

[mpire]

I tend to "build for stout" because the few pennies saved by being stingy with a few screws is soon lost when you have to clean up the mess and replace broken china.

I'm more concerned about not having studs on the bottom to screw into. They are very widely spaced.

 

[TRWham]

Industry standard is 4 per box (2 top and 2 bottom) into something solid (blocking or studs- usually studs) but that is using real cabinet screws that have an oversized head (essentially a built in washer). GRK makes good ones. For garage boxes I might use a few more. Boxes are usually also screwed to each other through face frame.

 

[510ebl]

The Spax cabinet screws are usually adequate, but in the garage I added fender washers to spread the load.

Then I filled the cabinets to the point the sides pulled away from the back. Moral of the story? Don’t overload the cabinets no matter how well they are attached to the wall.

 

[The Cobbler]

The bottoms don’t really do much, the tops carry all the weight. ........

bottom screws definitely add strength to the cabinets . (shear)
4 screws ( if the cabinet is wide enough) (2top, 2 bottom) and 2 to 4 screws into each adjoining cabinet is pretty normal
I use either washer head screws or flat screws with cup washers

 

[Gunfixr]

Grk is good also....

 

[Walkers]

Spax cabinet mounting screws. They also make construction screws, but the heads are different. The cabinet screws have a built in washer head. They aren't cheap, but I read somewhere that the #10s will hold 300lbs. I used #10x3", but with 1" of drywall, i'd go 3 1/2" on length. Used maybe two boxes for the whole kitchen. Available at HD, but might be Lowes, I was hitting both so much when renovating.
Just pay, cry over it, hang the cabinets, and don't have to think about it any more.
I put screws along the top, some about the middle, and randomly at the bottom, to keep things tight. All went in studs.

SPAX are darn fine screws! I didn’t know they had them for cabinet mounting.

 

[Walkers]

The Spax cabinet screws are usually adequate, but in the garage I added fender washers to spread the load.

Then I filled the cabinets to the point the sides pulled away from the back. Moral of the story? Don’t overload the cabinets no matter how well they are attached to the wall.

Sounds like you just need to add a cleat to the cabinet corners. Then you can really overload them!

 

[APEowner]

GRK and Spax both publish specs for their construction screws. Look up the shear strength and do the math to figure out how many to use.

 

[pcmeiners]

How many screws do you need for wall cabinets?​

Now If the cabinets are for the wife, it all depends on how bad she wants her cabinets installed.

 

[allinon72]

I used 3.5" GRK structural screws for my metal cabinets, 4 per cabinet.

 

[PoorUB]

I have a couple 40" tall x 36"wide cabinets hung on the wall with 4 Spax cabinet screws and they haven't gone anywhere. I would bet there is easily 300 pounds I each cabinet. One cabinet is full of gallon and quart paint cans, the other is oils and grease and plus brake and carb cleaner.

I would put 3-4 screws across the top and call it good.

 

[rburke65]

I would think it would depend on what was in the cabinet

 

[jar944]

You shouldn't need more than 4 washer heads (spax) per cabinet box. 2 on top (left and right) and 2 on the bottom. Most sides will rip our of the backs off before the screws let loose. (This assumes blocking or ideal stud location.)

All boxes should be joined together at the sides or face frames (if they are FF boxes.)

 

[Toolfool]

By your photo, it looks like your blocking is not flush with the back of your drywall ? To properly support cabinets you should have a solid connection from surface to surface (stud or blocking to drywall to cabinet back). Having a gap will put extra shear stress on your screws, reducing the amount of weight they can support. Also, never use a screw with a head that will break the surface of MDF, always a washer head screw designed for hanging cabinets. ( I have installed over 200 kitchen cabinet packages)

 

[55BigBlk]

I'm hanging some 30" wall cabinets and I was wondering how many screws I would need to hold them to the wall.

I have rather widely spaced 6" metal studs that make no sense to me, but they are 50+ years old.

I added 2x4 blocking at the top and that's covered with an inch of drywall. (5/8 + 1/2)

The back of the cabinets are full sheets of 1/2 mdf particle board type stuff.

Am I good with just a few 3 inch construction screws across the top of the cabinet, or should I put some drywall anchors in the bottom?

The cabinets are screwed together at their faces and in the back as well through a spacer.

From your description, I assume you're using some in stock kitchen cabinets from one of the big box home stores or something similar. After reading all the replies, I would recommend installing a 2 X 4 or a 5/4 board across the inside of the cabinet at the top. I call it a hanging rail. It will distribute the weight evenly across the top and prevent the screws from pulling through the particle board. One more thing, I suggest the screws should be long enough to go through your 2 X 4 blocking.

 

[66HertzClone]

I believe that 55big bill is on the right track. Look up French Cleats, that’s how you should do this.

 

[aallison28]

Look up French Cleats, that’s how you should do this.

This. French Cleats are best at supporting weight on a wall of cabinets.

 

[mpire]

Well, I couldn't find the #10x3.5 GRK screws at Ace Hardware, so I ended up with some Saber 5/16x3.5 ACQ Star Drive Construction Lags with the integrated washers on the heads.

Bending Yield Str. (psi) 163,800
Tensile (psi) 167,300
Shear (psi) 103,500

Probably better to be too strong vs not strong enough.

Can't do French cleats, the backs of the cabinets are flush with the wall, but it does have a single piece of particle board for the whole back of the cabinet.

If you're curious, I got the wintucket cabinets on sale at Lowes, they are simple but do the job.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Diamond-NOW-Wintucket-24-in-W-x-30-in-H-x-12-in-D-Truecolor-Cloud-Door-Wall-Stock-Cabinet/1000476887

 

[66HertzClone]

If you are worried about the gap created you could just get a molding or some 1/4 round and make it go away.

 

[aallison28]

Can't do French cleats, the backs of the cabinets are flush with the wall, but it does have a single piece of particle board for the whole back of the cabinet.

You can but you will have to attach the cleat to the backs of the cabinets. It is easy to use some trim to hid the gap once they are on the wall. The issue you might have is the back, if not mortised into the sides with a rabbit or something, is they are just held on with glue or maybe a screw or a few. I've seen those backs get ripped out of a heavy weighted cabinet. The back stays on the wall but the cabinet separates and falls off the wall. Just something to take into consideration.