ᐅ How can I effectively mount Ikea PLATSA furniture on drywall partitions?

Hello everyone,

I want to attach an Ikea Platsa shelving system directly to a drywall partition in my apartment. The issue is that drywall partitions are generally not as load-bearing as solid walls, which poses a challenge for a relatively heavy and bulky piece of furniture like the Platsa system.

I have been considering whether I need special anchors or reinforcements in the wall, perhaps additional timber studs behind the gypsum board, or a completely different mounting approach.

How have you securely and effectively fixed your Ikea Platsa furniture to drywall partitions? Which methods and materials do you recommend to ensure both safety and aesthetics? I would appreciate tips on fasteners, wall preparation, and any useful tools that have proven helpful for these kinds of installations.

Thanks in advance for your input!

tajo55 schrieb:
I was already considering whether I need special anchors or reinforcements on the wall

That’s exactly where the problem lies. Drywall partitions are simply too weak to support a free-standing, fully loaded PLATSA unit. You can use as many anchors and cavity fixings as you want, but sooner or later the load will damage the wall.

A better approach – and here comes the controversial opinion – is to place the shelving unit on the floor and use the wall only to stabilize it. Alternatively, you could reinforce the entire wall, but that involves a lot of work and costs more than you might expect.

Sometimes it’s more reasonable to accept that drywall should not be relied on for load-bearing purposes, at least not for furniture like PLATSA.

Hello tajo55,

I would like to address your question in more detail, as securing heavy furniture to drywall can indeed be a tricky issue.

First, it’s important to understand what drywall walls consist of: a metal or wooden stud frame covered with gypsum board panels. The gypsum boards themselves do not carry significant load. Therefore, the fixing must be anchored into the studs.

Recommendations for your mounting:
- Use an appropriate stud finder (e.g., a deep scanner for metal studs) to precisely locate the metal studs behind the panels.
- Use special metal stud anchors or screws (e.g., sheet metal screws with high withdrawal strength) designed for drywall profiles.
- If possible, drill pilot holes directly into the studs and screw in firmly; this is the most stable method.
- If the position of the studs is inconvenient for the planned PLATSA installation, you can attach a horizontal reinforcement strip. This strip should ideally be made of wood or metal, to which the PLATSA can then be secured.
- Attach the reinforcement to the studs as well, creating a stable base.

Another idea, if you want to be extra safe, is to install an additional reinforcement panel behind the drywall (e.g., 15mm (0.6 inch) OSB). However, this would require opening the wall, which is not always desirable.

In terms of tools, a good cordless drill and possibly metal drill bits are recommended, since the metal studs will need to be drilled.

How much weight do you plan to hang on the wall? That would be important to know in order to provide more targeted advice.

karlau schrieb:
You can use as many anchors and cavity fixings as you want, but sooner or later the load will damage the wall.

I agree with that. It’s better to create a connection to the foundation slab. A PLATSA is more stable when it is erected and only braced against the wall. Drywall construction cannot support heavy loads over time.

FeAndreas1 schrieb:
In terms of tools, a good cordless drill is essential, and possibly metal drill bits, since metal studs need to be drilled.

I can only agree with that. At first, it seemed like too much effort to me as well, but once I roughly located the studs and used the appropriate anchors, I was glad I did it correctly.

tajo55 schrieb:
I’m looking forward to tips on fasteners, wall preparation, and possibly useful tools.

Don’t stress about it; this topic is complex. The important thing is to take your time to check the exact location and not rely solely on standard anchors – that will cause problems later on.

If you have any further questions, especially about preparation, feel free to ask!