Fixing bookcase to wall, but electrics on opposite side in different room?

justaquestion

Hi,

I am going to put a few L shaped brackets in top of a bookcase in living room to help secure it to wall, I have put a piece of wood at front under the bookcase to make it lean slightly against wall, but would like to attach these brackets at top as well.

Where I am putting brackets there are electric sockets and immersion in kitchen wall (other side of living room), so a little nervous about using a drill. The single block wall is over 5 inches thick and I am only putting one inch wall plugs and screws.

How deep inside the wall does the electric cable usually run?

Thanks for any info.

Ruski

About an inch/25mm max

HTH

Russ

London50

Most if not all electric cables will be no deeper than 2" or 50mm so with 1" plugs and screws you have around 2" or 50mm gap between the two :0)

TheCyclingProgrammer

Just don't slip with the drill!

Is the circuit in the adjacent room protected by an RCD?

Plumber90

If it's a block wall most cables will be clipped onto the surface of the block.

getmore4less

If the walls are square they should be able to be flush against the wall

often the problem is bookcases do not have cutout for the skirting.

justaquestion

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Just don't slip with the drill!

Is the circuit in the adjacent room protected by an RCD?

Good idea, main fuse box has separate water heater switches so switched off downstairs lighting and water heater to be on safe side.


Thanks to everyone for all the very helpful advice.


Update.


I gave up, me and drilling don't get on at all. Sort of feeling a bit !!!!ed of in not being able to complete such a simple essential task around the home. Used a few masonry drills with hammer action and didn't seem to be getting deep enough into wall, as if the drill didn't want to go anywhere. AND its not the drill as I have a few of them. Even started off with a small diameter drill bit but ended up with drill hole too large and not deep enough.


Something that should take 15 at most over a hour and a botched job


Just wonder where I might be going wrong here. Probably I need some SDS drill bits?


Or a case of a bad workman blaming his tools.

Rant over !

Le_Kirk

Good call about the skirting board. Remember that most cables will (should) run vertically from socket to ceiling/floor so it is possible to work out where they are likely to be but as already suggested, if you drill a shallow hole you should be fine. You are not taking the weight of the bookcase on the brackets, just preventing the bookcase from tipping forward.