Can you hang kitchen presses straight on plasterboard?

wet-paint

Hi folks,
So I live in a flat that has its kitchen cupboards mounted directly to what I think is the plasterboard, and not the stud behind it. I think this, because one of the damn things is after falling from the wall, breaking everything in it, and the damn sink below it.

The landlord is telling me it must have been overloaded (it wasn't), and he will get around to rehanging it at some stage.

I was always under the impression that plasterboard isn't loadbearing for anything more than a picture frame, so you always have to put screws or nails into the wood behind it. Am I correct in this? I've attached pics of the screws/mounts he used to hang the cupboard, plus the holes it left when it departed from the wall. Also, judging from the rawlplugs used, they just go into the plaster, and not into the wood. Similar ones I found online are used for hanging electrical sockets, light switches, etc. Nothing heavy.

Basically, if he rehangs them in the same place, without drilling into the wooden stud, am I going to have a repeat performance? He is a mechanical engineer by trade, which does make me feel as if my position is a bit dubious, so I'm just doublechecking with ye fine folk.

Cheers for any info you can provide.

WP

mick121

Looks like plasterboard fittings were used, this is dangerous.there will either be studs behind it every 400mm usually or a block wall.there may be a cavity between the slab and blocks so use long screws.

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jmBuildExt

Yep - if they were the only plugs used they would only go into the plaster board and wouldnt go into the timber (even if they were long enough)
Totally unsuitable for hanging a press. If he tries to turn it back on you tell him he's lucky it didn't kill anyone. Would have done serious damage if it came down on a child.

This is pure laziness on his part (or who ever fitted it). Its not a cost thing. Its really disgraceful and is what gives landlords a bad name.

henryporter

The straight up answer is no, never. The press could just about stay on the wall by itself, never mind having anything in it. I totally agree with the posters who said what happens if it falls on someone - extremely reckless carry on by that landlord!

wet-paint

Funnily enough, when I went out to take those pictures, I noticed that a second cupboard is indeed starting its journey away from the wall that holds it up. I took a video, and sent it to him, and he's after assuring me that it's fine, it was like that when he came around to repair the sink that broke originally. 

He did inform me that he had a plan to reinforce the original press that fell, but something tells me that his plan is to just put a lot more screws in it, that screw just in to the plasterboard, and not the wall behind it.


Yeah, there is a wee cavity behind it, I stuck a screwdriver in, and the rawlplug doesn't even reach it.

This is ****.

Thanks for yeer replies folks, I appreciate it. I've a feeling it's going to be an uphill battle convincing him to mount them properly. And it's not even a difficult job, if I had my tools with me here I'd do it myself...

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the_pen_turner

cowboys ted cowboys.
total disaster. whoever did that should be shot. those dreva fittings are only barely good enough for a large picture or small shelf.


take everything out of the upper presses , they will all fall eventually. next time you might not be as lucky. you could get hurt.
I would even make the other unit safe by putting it on the floor.

elperello

Unbelievable.
Was it your stuff or his that was broken? If it was yours he should reimburse you.
Fair to point out though that he probably didn't know it was a cowboy job.

wet-paint

About half was mine, and I think the rest was left by previous tenants, I don't think any of it was his.
I'll broach the subject of reimbursement when he's here; English isn't his first language, so I want to do it in person, so as to minimise confusion. But he didn't bring it up when he was here last, so I doubt he's thought of it.

But yeah, he may have bought it as is, or just paid lads to install it without knowing of their workmanship.

elperello

wet-paint wrote: »

About half was mine, and I think the rest was left by previous tenants, I don't think any of it was his.
I'll broach the subject of reimbursement when he's here; English isn't his first language, so I want to do it in person, so as to minimise confusion. But he didn't bring it up when he was here last, so I doubt he's thought of it.

But yeah, he may have bought it as is, or just paid lads to install it without knowing of their workmanship.

At the end of the day it's his problem not yours.

Make a list of what you lost itemised and priced. Insist he pays.

Make it clear that it's a H&S issue and he has to fix it properly

mickdw

Those fixings are reasonably good for holding a load directly downward in tight against the wall - but absolutely not suitable for holding a cupboard or anything like that.
So say 4 of those were used to fix a small wooden panel to wall, you could hang a reasonable weight off that but if there is any outward pull, they will fail quickly.
I assume if there were top and bottom fixings on those top units, that it's the top fixing that failed.

Needles73

wet-paint wrote: »

Hi folks,
So I live in a flat that has its kitchen cupboards mounted directly to what I think is the plasterboard, and not the stud behind it. I think this, because one of the damn things is after falling from the wall, breaking everything in it, and the damn sink below it.

The landlord is telling me it must have been overloaded (it wasn't), and he will get around to rehanging it at some stage.

I was always under the impression that plasterboard isn't loadbearing for anything more than a picture frame, so you always have to put screws or nails into the wood behind it. Am I correct in this? I've attached pics of the screws/mounts he used to hang the cupboard, plus the holes it left when it departed from the wall. Also, judging from the rawlplugs used, they just go into the plaster, and not into the wood. Similar ones I found online are used for hanging electrical sockets, light switches, etc. Nothing heavy.

Basically, if he rehangs them in the same place, without drilling into the wooden stud, am I going to have a repeat performance? He is a mechanical engineer by trade, which does make me feel as if my position is a bit dubious, so I'm just doublechecking with ye fine folk.

Cheers for any info you can provide.

WP[/quote

Are you sure he is a mechanical engineer......

fred funk }{

Sounds like the LL fitted them himself. Cowboy job.

wet-paint

mickdw wrote: »

Those fixings are reasonably good for holding a load directly downward in tight against the wall - but absolutely not suitable for holding a cupboard or anything like that.
So say 4 of those were used to fix a small wooden panel to wall, you could hang a reasonable weight off that but if there is any outward pull, they will fail quickly.
I assume if there were top and bottom fixings on those top units, that it's the top fixing that failed.

Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you? No, they were the only two mounts for the press, two top ones. Nothing holding the bottom.

mickdw

So 2 of those fixings towards top of cupboard holding it on the wall.
A danger is what they are.

Insist that the landlord has them all redone. Use written communication and keep good records.

Mech1

Mechanical engineers design bridges, buildings etc, they are well versed on the loading capabilities of materials, fixings, fixtures etc.
Ask him to give in writing, the design strength of his repair and of the existing fittings. Any building control of any design would demand such information.

mickdw

Interesting test in youtube - plasterboard fixings strength test.
The type used in the apartment here give the poorest result by far.

wet-paint

Ah, that was dead cool, cheers for the tip. Maybe I can just head the problem off at the pass so, if I just recommend a particular type of fixing to him when he's putting it up. Sound.

mickdw

Really, I wouldn't use any fixing that just attaches to the plasterboard for your job. I was just making the point that they were a poor form of a poor fixing.
With 400 spacing of studs behind, I'd imagine most of the units would be able to have a fixing or 2 into the stud behind with little hassle.

wet-paint

Turns out he did it today while I was away, and for a mechanical engineer, I was expecting a lot more neat and tidy of a solution, but his idea was to just screw in a big plank above and below it to the studs, and then screw the press to the plank. It'll do I guess, but... c'mon man, a bit more thought into that would have made it much more presentable.

Cheers for all of your input folks, tis well appreciated.

gctest50

wet-paint wrote: »

....... a big plank

what size is this big plank ?

cm x cm ?

wet-paint

It's a two by four, two of them.

mickdw

Assuming he found the studs with the screws when fixing the 4 x 2 to the wall, structurally, it should be a good solution but Jesus it must look rough.

wet-paint

Rough as guts.

But yeah, I had found the studs during the week, and he's spot on.