reinforce bathroom walls floating cabs
Hi everyone, this is my first post.
I am a new subscriber to FHB but subscribe to FWW since ww’ing is my hobby. I am a DIY’er and decided to take on our master bath remodel. We are redoing the shower, floors and cabs/vanity and lighting. BTW. The guys over at John Bridge tile forums have been a great source of information.
We are looking at installing floating cabinents instead of the traditional floor cabs. The idea is to achieve a more contemporary look and the appearance of a larger master bath. The question is related to reinforcing the studs. Background on the house – 2×6 ranch on slab, semi custom track built in 1994. Thewall where 2 cabs and makeup shelf runs along a interior and exterior wall(mostly exterior).
My question, how much and technique should I do to reinforce the studs to take on the extra weight? One of the sink cabs will be supported on 2 walls. I was planning to use cleating system using oak hardwood and reinforce with deck screws to studs. BTW. I need to remove existing sheetrock,texture and paint and replace with new sheetrock for a portion of the wall (5′ high off floor) for tile. So access shouldnt be an issue on the bathrom side.
thanks for your input.
Chris
Replies
I would think the existing studs should support it just fine without reinforcment. Kitchen upper cabs are hung from standard studs all the time.
Thanks Tom,
My concern was countertop weight too, using quartz or granite plus any leaning? I also may be over thinking this too!!!
On occasion I've had to reinforce studs for jsut the reason you wrote.
Bathroom vanities tend to stick out further in the rooms than some other types of wall mounted cabinets, and it's not uncommon for people to lean or sit on the countertops...for whatever reason.
When needed, what I've done in the past is to add a steel plate to the wall studs. Stiffens it appreciably.
The added stiffness was also required due to the wall being covered with glass mosaic tile. I didn't want any uneccessary flexing of that wall.
If less was needed, you could simple double up the studs. Sister with adhesive and deck screws.
The cleat idea for attaching the cabinet to the wall works fine.
Mongo
Edited 2/5/2007 1:34 pm ET by Mongo
Mongo,
how did you incorporate a steel plate with the studs without adding the plate thickness??
Thanks for all the good responses, looks like I am on the right track.
I'm not sure if I understand what you're asking, but I had the steel cut and holes punched at a fabrication shop. The plates were either 3/16ths or 1/4" thick by 3-1/2" wide by I forget what height.I kept the exisitng stud, then added the plate to the side of the stud, then added another stud and bolted through to make a sstud/steel/stud sandwich.In addition to the bolt holes, I also had them punch a 3/4" hole through each plate so I could run the romex through the steel as well as through the studs.They were less expensive then I thought they would have been, I don't recall the exact price, but I got 5 steel plates for about $100-$110. Logan Steel in CT.Mongo
I did this same thing in my own house. I didn't do anything to reinforce the studs but I built a 2x4 wall under the cabinets. The back edge sits on the wall and noone would ever know it's there.
I'll try to post my first pics.
Edit: Guess not, it won't let me attach the file.
Edited 2/5/2007 3:19 pm ET by EJCinc
EJcinc,
interesting solution. So this wall came out from the main wall only 4"(2x4) and the back off the cab. rest on the top of this wall?
Sounds simple enough.
Yep, you got it. The drywall under the cabinet is 3 1/2" closer to you than the drywall above the cabinet, and noone has ever noticed. It's magic.
Your concern about the strength of the connection between cabinet and wall is good.
A deep cabinet with a heavy top and people leaning on it is a concern.
But I'd be looking at the cabinet, not the 2x6 studs as a possible weak link.
Can the cabinet back and carcass withstand the "pressure" of being hung from the wall.
If the cabinet is well made and you use good quality screws and you hit the studs, you shouldn't have any problems.
If you're going to need more places to screw into, then 2x6 on the flat, between studs, makes a solid blocking for screws.
Sounds like a nice look, good luck with it...buic
I've hung wall cabinets suspended off the floor just like you are thinking of. I used 3" cabinet screws through the cabinet and into the studs, albeit quite a few of them for strength. The sink cabinet was a corner cabinet so tied into two sides.
I added a marble countertop and all was and remains well, even with me sitting on it to change light bulbs. The cabinets were good quality cabinets with a 3/4" thick attachment strip top and bottom of cabs.
I might add that these cabinets were only 12" deep.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
when i use to build bars (the kind folks drink in) i use to build em where all the sinks & ice bins were legless all hung off the wall to ease cleaning... with tile/concrete floors and tile or stainless walls and floor drains... made it where they could mop & hose down the back of the bar.......
anyway to do this... i'd double stud the wall where needed and i'd weld up brackets of 1 1/2" angle iron about 17" long 14" coming out of the wall.... it was welded to a 3" flat steel plate about 30" long that was bolted to the side of the doubled up stud... usually bolted with 3 lag bolts or carriage bolts...
i have used this same system for 20 years and never had a failure even with 300lb people sitting on the sinks... you can do these brackets for a few $$ each
p
Hey Chris. Why not install plywood (of the same thickness as the drywall) instead of drywall, to the portion of the wall that the cabinets will be mounted to. I would keep it just shy (maybe 1/2" all way around), so that DW tucks behind cabinet.
Quick sketch attached:
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements