ᐅ How can I securely fasten Ikea PAX wardrobes to drywall or plasterboard walls?

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning to install an Ikea PAX wardrobe on a drywall or plasterboard wall and am looking for the most secure and long-lasting solution. Since these walls often don’t have the same load-bearing capacity as solid walls, I’m concerned whether the usual fixings are sufficient or if special anchors or installation methods are necessary.

Specifically: How do I securely fasten a 2-meter (6.6-foot) tall Ikea PAX wardrobe to a standard drywall mounted on metal or wooden studs? Are there particular anchors, screws, or procedures you would recommend? Are simple toggle bolts or cavity anchors enough, or is it better to fix directly into the studs?

I would really appreciate your practical experiences and advice, including any tips on tools, installation techniques, or things to avoid.

Thanks in advance!

Hello Rige65,

your question about securely mounting an Ikea PAX wardrobe to drywall or plasterboard walls is very well chosen and requires a thorough approach. Fundamentally, it is important to distinguish whether your drywall is constructed on wooden or metal studs, as this greatly affects the type of fasteners to use.

1. Locate the studs: It is best to use a stud finder or a magnetic detector to find the load-bearing studs behind the drywall.

2. Direct fastening to the studs: Screw the mounting brackets of the PAX wardrobe directly into these studs, not just into the drywall. For wooden studs, use high-quality wood screws with a diameter of 5-6 mm (0.2-0.24 inches); for metal studs, use special metal construction screws.

3. Use of cavity anchors: If direct fastening into the studs is not possible, cavity anchors (such as toggle bolts, expansion anchors, or metal hollow wall anchors) can carry loads. However, these are usually limited to certain maximum load capacities, so a large wardrobe may only be safely mounted to a limited extent.

4. Load distribution: To distribute the load, it is advisable to fix a wooden batten horizontally across several studs and then attach the PAX wardrobe to this batten.

5. Pay attention to screw lengths: Screws should penetrate at least 50 mm (2 inches) deep into the studs. For cavity anchors, the maximum permissible load must be observed.

It is important that, before installation, you check how stable the wall actually is and also consider the weight of the PAX wardrobe including its contents. If you have a photo of the inside of the wall (open section) or can provide information about the construction year and wall materials, that could allow for further advice.

Good luck!

Laukau5 schrieb:

4. Load distribution: To distribute the load, it is recommended to attach a wooden batten horizontally to several studs and then fix the PAX cabinet to this batten.

This is a crucial point because attaching the cabinet solely with cavity anchors is often not sufficient.

In addition to Laukau5’s comprehensive input, I would like to add that for drywall partitions with metal or wooden studs, the use of so-called “plywood panels as reinforcement behind the gypsum board” before mounting the cabinet is a very secure and professional solution. These panels are fastened to the studs with special drywall screws and then provide a load-bearing surface for heavy mounting items like PAX cabinets.

If structurally possible, this is the best method as it optimally distributes the load across multiple load paths. This is the only way to ensure long-lasting safety.

Also:
- Use at least 6 mm (1/4 inch) screws of appropriate length
- Fastening should follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the PAX cabinet but be adapted to the wall construction
- Consider fixing the top crossbar of the cabinet directly to the wall, as the load is better distributed there

These are not theoretical recommendations but are based on years of practical experience in drywall construction.

FEKAU schrieb:
Also:
- Use screws with a minimum diameter of 6 mm (0.24 inches) and appropriate length
- Fastening should follow the PAX manufacturer’s instructions but be adapted to the wall structure
- Consider attaching the top crossbar of the cabinet directly to the wall, as this better distributes the load

Thanks for the very helpful post, especially your points about the plywood board make sense.

For your information: The wall consists of a 12.5 mm (0.5 inch) gypsum board on wooden studs, which I was able to precisely locate with a digital detector. The cabinet alone weighs about 70 kg (154 lbs), fully loaded easily around 110 kg (243 lbs).

I’m wondering if there is an effective method to install a plywood board behind the drywall afterward, or if there is an alternative if I don’t want to open up the wall? Are there any special heavy-duty cavity anchors that can handle such loads? Or would it be better to use an aluminum profile or something similar instead?

I appreciate any advice!

Rige65 schrieb:
I wonder if there is an effective method to install the plywood panel behind the drywall afterward, or if there is an alternative if you don’t want to chisel out the wall? Are there perhaps special heavy-duty hollow wall anchors suitable for such loads? Or would it be better to work with an aluminum profile or something similar instead?

Unfortunately, there are hardly any practical solutions in practice for retrofitting a plywood panel behind drywall without chiseling, since you need to work behind the panel and the distance to the studs is often very limited.

If chiseling is not an option, I would recommend the following:

- Use specially approved metal hollow wall anchors (e.g., metal toggle anchors or metal snap toggles) that can offer relatively high load capacities. These are more stable than classic plastic anchors and allow for a firmer connection.

- Use as wide an aluminum or steel profile strip as possible, attaching it across several studs to distribute the load. This can also be fixed directly to the drywall with metal anchors if studs are not easily accessible.

- Alternatively, install an additional screwed wooden batten above and below the cabinet to support and secure it, which helps distribute the load on the wall.

Please make sure to check the load capacity of the anchors you use; they must safely bear the total weight with an adequate safety factor.

Is there already a specific location planned for the fixture? Sometimes a combination of different methods can help.