Hello everyone, I am planning to mount several IKEA Billy bookcases on drywall partitions in my apartment. Since these walls are less load-bearing than solid walls, I want to ensure the installation is stable and secure so that heavy books and decorations can be supported without any issues.
I am especially interested in which anchors or fasteners you would recommend, whether there are any specific mounting techniques, and if there are any important considerations regarding load distribution. It would also be helpful to know which mistakes to avoid to prevent any damage to the drywall.
Thank you in advance for your tips and experiences!
I am especially interested in which anchors or fasteners you would recommend, whether there are any specific mounting techniques, and if there are any important considerations regarding load distribution. It would also be helpful to know which mistakes to avoid to prevent any damage to the drywall.
Thank you in advance for your tips and experiences!
To locate the substructure, I use an electronic stud finder or a magnetic metal stud detector. This allows you to accurately identify the position and spacing of the metal studs.
Direct screwing into the studs provides the most stable option – each screw typically holds well over 30 kg (66 lbs). For shelving units like Billy shelves, I would secure them with at least three attachment points per unit.
If no studs are available in the right place, horizontal wooden battens can be mounted using hollow wall anchors as load distributors, and the shelf can then be attached to these.
Direct screwing into the studs provides the most stable option – each screw typically holds well over 30 kg (66 lbs). For shelving units like Billy shelves, I would secure them with at least three attachment points per unit.
If no studs are available in the right place, horizontal wooden battens can be mounted using hollow wall anchors as load distributors, and the shelf can then be attached to these.
Kekar schrieb:
I would be worried about how to securely fix the batten if there is only drywall behind it.This is exactly where expanding cavity anchors come in—they grip firmly behind the board. Normally, they can handle quite a bit of load if installed correctly.
And of course, using a stud finder is the safe bet if you want to fix directly to the studs.
Sometimes a combination works best: wooden batten plus cavity anchor equals double the security :-)
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