Wall Mounted Cabinets

[shubox56]

Ok, so I finally got around two hanging 3 Husky wall-mounted cabinets above my workbench which went smoothly, but not without some concern. The cabinets are not designed to hold serious weight and nor is it my intention to exceed the cabinet's 50 lb capacity, yet still I worry about a fastener failure which would be catastrophic. My 56 Chevy when parked in the center of the garage would be a couple feet from the workbench. That said, a failure would not only be a risk to me (or others), but also to my "baby". The fasteners are a 1/4" X 2" and screwed into studs (cabinet hanging bracket). Beyond adding additional fasteners (wallboard grabbers between the studs), would adding a L bracket to the bottom of the cabinet (screws into studs) do anything meaningful to support the cabinets weight? To reduce vertical shifting of the cabinet under load to lessen the chance of a lag screw from sheering?

I don't plan on storing heavy items in these cabinets. Some small power tools, but mostly lightweight items. Typically speaking, I store the heavier items in floor cabinets.

I attaching pictures of the cabinets and also a small piece of the L bracket just to make sure that everyone understands my post.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave Nelson]

I'm looking to do the exact same thing, checking different brands of cabinets now. I would think 1/4"x2" screws or lags thru the cabinets into the studs would be more than sufficient. Are those Husky cabinets the welded type or the one's you have to assemble? Could you provide a model # so I can compare to others?

 

[ddawg16]

You need to understand the forces......

You want a couple of screws at the bottom....these take 80% of the weight. If you have 1/4" screws in...no issues there...especially if they are into studs.

You also need screws at the top.....these can be #10 screws into studs. These keep the top of cabinet from tilting forward. They should not be carrying much, if any weight.

A note on fastener length.

Assuming 5/8" drywall...you want at LEAST 1" of depth into the stud. So, unless the screwing surface is something obscene....you should be fine (I'm assuming 12g steel...which is nothing in comparison)

 

[3pedal]

Make sure you are using structural screws. They make some for cabinets, and you can get them at the box stores. The majority of wood screws we all have are not considered structural. It has to do with the materials the screw is made out of. I believe most are too brittle, but I am not a materials engineer, so could be wrong.

 

[ddawg16]

Make sure you are using structural screws. They make some for cabinets, and you can get them at the box stores. The majority of wood screws we all have are not considered structural. It has to do with the materials the screw is made out of. I believe most are too brittle, but I am not a materials engineer, so could be wrong.

You bring up a good point.

I've used a '**** load' of drywall screws for many wood projects. Why? Cheap and flush heads.

I now ONLY use construction screws.....they have the Thorx head.....much better shear strength....And don't break

 

[CraigStu]

OP I am very sure you will be fine as you are. Adding another pair of your screws in the bottom can't hurt but I don't see the need. Also I agree w/ 3pedal and ddawg16. The cabinet screws I use have an extra wide head on them like these.
https://www.acehardware.com/departm...ll&gclid=COiWx7CxiOgCFdGpxQIdR5cCsA&gclsrc=ds
I have also gradually shifted over to construction screws. Drywall screws are quite weak and they rust. It is hard enough to have screws on hand of the specific size I want so I can't bother stocking say an #8x2" in both drywall and construction types.

 

[shubox56]

Make sure you are using structural screws. They make some for cabinets, and you can get them at the box stores. The majority of wood screws we all have are not considered structural. It has to do with the materials the screw is made out of. I believe most are too brittle, but I am not a materials engineer, so could be wrong.

I used 1/4 X 2 Lag Screws purchased at Ace. You know the type, the typical zinc-plated lag screws which I believe are a grade 2. But if not mistaken, even agreed to screw of this type has a pretty high sheer value. If it wasn't for the car I wouldn't give this another thought. Just taking extra precaution.

 

[shubox56]

I'm looking to do the exact same thing, checking different brands of cabinets now. I would think 1/4"x2" screws or lags thru the cabinets into the studs would be more than sufficient. Are those Husky cabinets the welded type or the one's you have to assemble? Could you provide a model # so I can compare to others?

I did not buy the heavier duty Husky cabinet. The cabinet I purchased came well packaged and was fairly easy to assemble. The reviews were decent and I would agree. Some complained about uneven doors, but that's because they tightened all the bolts down before installing the doors. The trick with anything like this is to install the bolts finger tight until aligning the doors. I had no issues and they look very nice, especially considering the $140 price tag. I thought that was a very reasonable price. And if a person is willing to wait, you can get these on sale for quite a bit cheaper. I need to keep moving forward with my project which includes running electrical as seen in the picture, so I don't care so much about the price.

And if you go with something like this, weather assembled or not, I think you're better off having them shipped to the store so you can inspect the packaging before taking possession. So many things of this size arrived damaged when shipped to the home. I've had issues in the past. That said, these were packaged better than anything that I've ever purchased in my life. The cardboard was extremely thick and the parts very thoughtfully arranged within the box. I was very impressed with the packaging, but still made the right decision to pick them up at the store.

Another thought: when planning cabinets like this, pay close attention to stud location. My studs are 16 inches on center with the cabinets centered over the two studs. That said, the cabinets have space between them. The space doesn't bother me at all, but you may prefer to do something different. The cabinet's do have a couple inches of horizontal movement capability on the bracket.

 

[shubox56]

You need to understand the forces......

You want a couple of screws at the bottom....these take 80% of the weight. If you have 1/4" screws in...no issues there...especially if they are into studs.

You also need screws at the top.....these can be #10 screws into studs. These keep the top of cabinet from tilting forward. They should not be carrying much, if any weight.

A note on fastener length.

Assuming 5/8" drywall...you want at LEAST 1" of depth into the stud. So, unless the screwing surface is something obscene....you should be fine (I'm assuming 12g steel...which is nothing in comparison)

By design, there's only two lag screws holding the cabinet into place. If you're familiar with these types of cabinets, you may know that you mount a bracket to the wall and HANG the cabinet from the bracket.

 

[iamhomeless]

I've always been told the rule of thumb is that you can hold 150lbs from a single construction screw that is at least 1" into a stud. For additional screws in the small stud assume 100lbs.

You will almost certainly be ok as long as your hardware holds, if you really want to be extra safe, tie safety wire the the cabinets and run the wire to bolts mounted in the studs and joists, but that would be in the overkill department.

 

[LX-Markham]

I’ve got the same cabinets. I used the track-wall system to mount them. Came with the proper torx screws. I’ve loaded the cabinets up pretty good, no issues.

 

[iamhomeless]

I’ve got the same cabinets. I used the track-wall system to mount them. Came with the proper torx screws. I’ve loaded the cabinets up pretty good, no issues.

Did you pull the cabinets back down to put up the sheetrock, or just slap up the drywall underneath and send it?

 

[Dave Nelson]

I did not buy the heavier duty Husky cabinet. The cabinet I purchased came well packaged and was fairly easy to assemble. The reviews were decent and I would agree. Some complained about uneven doors, but that's because they tightened all the bolts down before installing the doors. The trick with anything like this is to install the bolts finger tight until aligning the doors. I had no issues and they look very nice, especially considering the $140 price tag. I thought that was a very reasonable price. And if a person is willing to wait, you can get these on sale for quite a bit cheaper. I need to keep moving forward with my project which includes running electrical as seen in the picture, so I don't care so much about the price.

And if you go with something like this, weather assembled or not, I think you're better off having them shipped to the store so you can inspect the packaging before taking possession. So many things of this size arrived damaged when shipped to the home. I've had issues in the past. That said, these were packaged better than anything that I've ever purchased in my life. The cardboard was extremely thick and the parts very thoughtfully arranged within the box. I was very impressed with the packaging, but still made the right decision to pick them up at the store.

Another thought: when planning cabinets like this, pay close attention to stud location. My studs are 16 inches on center with the cabinets centered over the two studs. That said, the cabinets have space between them. The space doesn't bother me at all, but you may prefer to do something different. The cabinet's do have a couple inches of horizontal movement capability on the bracket.

Thanks for the detailed reply, I will purchase the same cabinets.

 

[LX-Markham]

Did you pull the cabinets back down to put up the sheetrock, or just slap up the drywall underneath and send it?

Yes, I took the cabinets back down to drywall. I needed storage space and drywall wasn’t done yet. Was easy to make sure I hit a stud this way, LOL.

 

[Lynden]

By design, there's only two lag screws holding the cabinet into place. If you're familiar with these types of cabinets, you may know that you mount a bracket to the wall and HANG the cabinet from the bracket.

Is there a mounting bracket on the wall at both the top and bottom of the cabinets? If only at the top it might be a good idea to install a 1x4 ledger board securely screwed to the wall along the bottom of the cabinets. Or instead of a ledger board you could build some cubbies to fit under the cabinets.

 

[Kaizen]

What is the back made of? Is the bottom hollow? With a lip you can drill through? I’d put three inch grk screws through it anywhere it is on a stud if you are worried.



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[QwikKotaTx]

My favorite screws are Spax. Awesome and strong. Home Depot has many different kinds.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

 

[albaran]

I know this isn't going to seem like a "macho" solution, but I installed Ikea cabinets on French cleats. They are low priced and more sturdy than a lot of the flimsy metal ones and hold a lot of weight.