Kitchen units fell off wall!

macman

I wouldn't let that cowboy anywhere near your kitchen again. He obviously hasn't got a clue. The (correct) fixings need to go into the studwork behind the plaster board, not just into the flimsy plasterboard itself.
How about Bang it in and Sod the consequences?

HB58

LOL @ your suggestions! I don't want to name the company until I can say what the outcome is. The fitter is a small local concern, it wouldn't do anyone any good if I were to identify him anyway!

Yes, even I (poor little woman!) know that those fixings are not suitable. It's just a pity we didn't ask to see them before the units were put up!

I will let you know how this pans out.

molerat

This is the only type of fixing I would use for heavy duty direct to plasterboard. http://www.diy.com/departments/rawlplug-wall-interset-fixing-l40mm-dia4mm-pack-of-6/254514_BQ.prd The plasterboard can easily take the weight, it is the security of the fixings into the board that causes the problems. I know of a kitchen fitted with these 12 years ago and it is still there, best fitted with a setting tool and along with the rails mentioned earlier will hold anything up.

MisterP123

molerat wrote: »

This is the only type of fixing I would use for heavy duty direct to plasterboard. http://www.diy.com/departments/rawlplug-wall-interset-fixing-l40mm-dia4mm-pack-of-6/254514_BQ.prd The plasterboard can easily take the weight, it is the security of the fixings into the board that causes the problems. I know of a kitchen fitted with these 12 years ago and it is still there, best fitted with a setting tool and along with the rails mentioned earlier will hold anything up.

As mentioned above, most plasterboard will take the weight of a kitchen unit. Some poorer quality stuff won't necessarily get the above fittings to clamp before the plasterboard has chewed itself to !!!!!!y though.

Now Gripit fixings, they're an absolute life saver for heavy duty stuff. I've hung off a tv bracket fitted with one of them direct to plasterboard.

They also make an undercutting tool for removing dot and dab the other side of the board too, and if your partition walls are thrown together like mine (3 bits of board stuck together) it removes the inner board to let you get a decent fixing. I'd trust gripit fixings to hold kitchen units on plasterboard.

[Deleted User]

HB58 wrote: »

There is internal wall behind the void behind the plasterboard (if that makes sense), so extra long screws would have been the easy solution.

Hmm....

If there's a void between the plasterboard and the wall, long screws run the risk of pulling the board into the void, or bending if you leave them loose.

pmartin86

MisterP123 wrote: »

I'd trust gripit fixings to hold kitchen units on plasterboard.

You might...I certinaly wouldn't!

I consider myself a "good DIYer" and id never hang anything more than a mirror or a picture onto plasterboard without a solid wooden frame or wall behind.

Even if you could support the wight with a platerboard wall, which technicaly you can, kitchen cabinets have the shifitng weight of doors opening, platers/tins etc being added and removed chaning the strain on the anchor points on such a weak base is just asking for trouble.

Owain_Moneysaver

I put my kitchen units up with 4 x sleeve anchors per metre run of mounting rail.

You don't get those out in a hurry (as I found out when I couldn't get the fridge under the wall unit and had to take them off and remount them 2" higher)

FreeBear

pmartin86 wrote: »

Even if you could support the weight with a platerboard wall, which technicaly you can, kitchen cabinets have the shifitng weight of doors opening, platers/tins etc being added and removed chaning the strain on the anchor points on such a weak base is just asking for trouble.

To top that, standard plasterboard is only rated to support a maximum of 20Kg per square metre - This is the figure usually quoted for tiling. When attaching something to PB with screws, the weight is going to be concentrated in a small area and not spread evenly across the board.

HB58

We heard today from the regional manager of 'B', the company who supplied the units. They have agreed to replace the units and S will refit next week.

Of cour se, I would love to tell S to never darken my doorway again! However, I do have to let him put things right. Before he even starts, he will be quizzed on what method he intends to use to fix the units.

The manager did point out that this is not their responsibility. I suspect S and B will argue between them to decide who actually pays for the replacements. I don't care who takes the blame as long as I am happy with the finished result (and it stays on the wall)!