ive got to fit some ikea cabinets in our utility room, its a

[stolt]

ive got to fit some ikea cabinets in our utility room, its about 8/9 units in total so not very big at all.
How do the wall cabinets fit to the wall (its a plasterboard dot and dab) ive read various site suggesting putting battons under the cabinets to take the weight of them.

any tips for the ikea kitchen fitting?

thanks

[cpas]

There's plenty of good information on Google. A batten along the bottom is the 'old' way of doing it and will always be visible. Modern kitchens have brackets at the top of each cupboard or levelling. Have a look on Screwfix for decent plasterboard fixings - I quite like the 'pig-tail' ones.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-self-drill-plas...

[Simpo Two]

I would drill right through the plasterboard and get a fixing into the wall behind. 2-3" screws, rawlplugs, no big deal. The load acts more down than outwards so it's a mostly shearing force.

Battens underneath make good practical sense as they take much of the weight over a large area.

[Skyedriver]

Simpo Two said:

I would drill right through the plasterboard and get a fixing into the wall behind. 2-3" screws, rawlplugs, no big deal. The load acts more down than outwards so it's a mostly shearing force.

Battens underneath make good practical sense as they take much of the weight over a large area.

What he said

If its a stud wall then its toggle fixings.
And yes a small inconspicuous batten underneath, allows you something to rest them on whilst lifting them up and getting your balance and also allows you to get them all in a line more easily.

Recently fitted an Ikea kitchen, (better than Magnet BTW) and thats the way I would do it.

If you are using base units remember there is no 50mm gap behind for services on Ikea stuff.

[stolt]

Skyedriver said:

What he said

If its a stud wall then its toggle fixings.
And yes a small inconspicuous batten underneath, allows you something to rest them on whilst lifting them up and getting your balance and also allows you to get them all in a line more easily.

Recently fitted an Ikea kitchen, (better than Magnet BTW) and thats the way I would do it.

If you are using base units remember there is no 50mm gap behind for services on Ikea stuff.

hi thanks, ok seems a good way of doing it, i wasnt 100% on the utility gap, i was happy for a homebase kitchen!!
now i've just had a row with the missus and told her we are going down to homebase for them to work something out, all week every night had the missus going on about doing this and doing that, with no utility gap i've got to put the u bend etc in the cupboard... i know its only the utility room but i want it to look good.

[ColinM50]

stolt said:

hi thanks, ok seems a good way of doing it, i wasnt 100% on the utility gap, i was happy for a homebase kitchen!!
now i've just had a row with the missus and told her we are going down to homebase for them to work something out, all week every night had the missus going on about doing this and doing that, with no utility gap i've got to put the u bend etc in the cupboard... i know its only the utility room but i want it to look good.

Had this with my wife years ago, her telling me how she wanted the job done and how I was doing it all wrong not like her dad would have done it etc etc.

Took her into the garage, showed her all the tools and told her I'd watch her do it and point out each five minutes how she was feckin in up.

We then agreed that we'd work out the basics of any future project and then I'd do it and she could either live with what I'd done or do it herself.

Never had a peep out of her since

[Simpo Two]

stolt said:

with no utility gap i've got to put the u bend etc in the cupboard... i know its only the utility room but i want it to look good.

When the U-bend needs declagging you'll be glad it was in the cupboard and not behind! To me 'utility gaps' are just a waste of good cupboard space.

[singlecoil]

How on earth would you put a u bend in a utility gap? The U bend has to be underneath the sink drainer.


The best way to mount wall units, if they have the adjustable brackets with hooks at the back to hang the cupboards onto wall plates is to use a rail, then you can fix the rail by screwing into the studs, even if the studs are not in line with the cabinets.

http://www.woodfit.com/product_info.php?cPath=115_...

If it doesn't have hook-over hanging brackets, then buy a different kitchen.

[anonymous-user]

I recently fitted new kitchen. I used 4'' frame fixers, about £18 for a 100 at double glazing suppliers. You basically drill a 6mm hole & they self tap into it with a torx head on drill. They are very strong & good value IMHO.
Also Wickes do a good range of brackets/angles etc, all pretty chunky & a good range, for those awkward jobs...

[philmots]

I wouldn't rely in any sort of plaster board fitting, no matter how hefty they look they're only as strong as the board itself. Can easily pull through.

I'd be using a rail fixed to the studs along the width and hanging from that.

[spike ST500]

Simpo Two said:

I would drill right through the plasterboard and get a fixing into the wall behind. 2-3" screws, rawlplugs, no big deal. The load acts more down than outwards so it's a mostly shearing force.

Battens underneath make good practical sense as they take much of the weight over a large area.

plus me on this one!

[singlecoil]

Perhaps the OP will tell us what the Ikea wall unit hanging method is, then we can make relevant suggestions as to the best way to provide appropriate fixings.

The problem with the batten underneath the cabinets is, of course, that it will be visible. The problem with going through the plasterboard and into the wall behind is that when the fixings are done up tight it can cause localised collapse of the plasterboard.

[Simpo Two]

singlecoil said:

How on earth would you put a u bend in a utility gap? The U bend has to be underneath the sink drainer.

Fair point; I wasn't thinking in 3-D.

singlecoil said:

The problem with the batten underneath the cabinets is, of course, that it will be visible.

Only for short people

Don't the units have any fittings/instructions?

[singlecoil]

Simpo Two said:

Only for short people

Don't the units have any fittings/instructions?

First point- yes, I was forgetting that it was a utility room, unlikely to be anyone sitting down it there. It wouldn't do for a kitchen though.

From what I have heard of Ikea, very likely not in the sense we understand it.

[stolt]

thanks for all the replies haven't got the kitchen we are going to ikea tomorrow evening to get the kitchen, at the moment its just the units and i'll get a worktop from somewhere else.

are the ikea kitchens the same as other makes, no better or worse to fit?

has anyone had ikea plan there kitchen we are hoping to get up there tomorrow night and sit with someone to see if there is another way of using the space that we have.

[dxg]

The American method is to use a big sheet of plywood in lieu of the plasterboard (okay, sheetrock) in the general region of the wall units. Then you don't have to worry too much about anything, really. I don't know why we don't do it that way over here.

[soda]

Ikea wall unit fitting



No fixings provided, just the bracket. Instructions only say to use a suitable fixing for the type of wall, 3 inch screws done the job for me.

I'd recommend a batten for fitting, keeps it all level and allows you to rest the units on it while getting the screws in. Batten can be removed or left in place, mine are certainly solid enough without.

[YoungOne]

dxg said:

The American method is to use a big sheet of plywood in lieu of the plasterboard (okay, sheetrock) in the general region of the wall units. Then you don't have to worry too much about anything, really. I don't know why we don't do it that way over here.

At a guess I'd say that wouldn't meet our fire regs.

[singlecoil]

YoungOne said:

dxg said:

The American method is to use a big sheet of plywood in lieu of the plasterboard (okay, sheetrock) in the general region of the wall units. Then you don't have to worry too much about anything, really. I don't know why we don't do it that way over here.

At a guess I'd say that wouldn't meet our fire regs.

Most single family houses in the States are built mostly of wood, which is ok if one hasn't heard the story of the three pigs. But as the the plywood is unlikely to be more than 3/4" thick, you would certainly want plenty of fixing screws, and you would need to have the cabinet in the right position before you started fixing it.

The European (Blum etc) hanging bracket method is far superior, as are most aspects of European kitchens. The Americans make can make some good cabinets, but their fixing and installation methods are mostly st.

[rsv gone!]

YoungOne said:

dxg said:

The American method is to use a big sheet of plywood in lieu of the plasterboard (okay, sheetrock) in the general region of the wall units. Then you don't have to worry too much about anything, really. I don't know why we don't do it that way over here.

At a guess I'd say that wouldn't meet our fire regs.

Common in the UK is to line Kitchen walls and bathrooms (for future handrails) with a sheet of ply under the plasterboard.