Wider wall cupboard fixing plates needed - but from where? General problems, solutions, information and advice on fixing to walls of all kinds

[apprentice]

Seemingly impossible to obtain wider (longer) wall brackets for kitchen wall units in order to bridge over buried electrical cables.

There are one or two places at which units will meet and wall brackets need to be fitted, exactly where there are chased-in power cables. Our design specialist at the chain-store DIY suppliers has never been asked for these before and no local trade specialists can offer a solution. Surely though this is not a unique problem.

Prefer not to use battens as any thing thick enough to take load will protrude too much.

Can anyone please recommend a solution, a source or supplier of such longer brackets or strips of preformed steel profile to cut to length?

Thanks.

[toptips]

hi,if the problem unit has a unit on either side of it try fixing through each side of the problem unit with inter screws,screw fix sell these for £1.50 a pack of 10.they can be fixed at the same height as the shelves for an invisable cure for your problem. additional L shaped brackets can be fixed to the top of the unit and to the wa ll

[apprentice]

[quote="toptips"]hi,if the problem unit has a unit on either side of it try fixing through each side of the problem unit -.... additional L shaped brackets can be fixed to the top of the unit and to the wa ll[/quote]


Thanks, 'toptips' for that. As it is a corner unit and the next which are both compromised, the 'fix-thro' option is probably not viable but the L-brackets may be a solution with enough of them - however what about the load hanging off the horizontal frame members? Won't the stress be transfered to screw fixings right on the edge of the chipboard side pieces?

[toptips]

just came accross the same problem,i took two brackets to the local garage who i use for mot's and got them welded side by side.weld was a bit lumpy but sat into plaster.

[apprentice]

[quote="toptips"]just came accross the same problem,i took two brackets to the local garage who i use for mot's and got them welded side by side.weld was a bit lumpy but sat into plaster.[/quote]


reached a similar conclusion and took the sample wall cupboard mounting bracket to my local engineering workshop. They reproduced the profile in steel strip 400 mm long so one can drill and cut to suitable length - perfect.

Because of the set-up procedure it was only economical to produce a batch so I have plenty of supply in stock.

It is only necessary to cut out a short rebate in the cupboard side walls to allow a longish length of strip to serve the adjacent unit and means one can anchor in a more solid point if the proper position is e.g., a missdrilled/back-filled hole or chasing. The allowable distance from the screws to the load-point would depend on i) the gauge of metal used for the strip bracket ii)size/weight of units and iii) loading likely in the future. Use with caution if unsure.[/b]