ᐅ How can Malm furniture be securely mounted to drywall (plasterboard) walls?
Created on: 15 Dec 2021 08:24
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pragau54I am planning to secure several Malm dressers from IKEA to drywall in order to increase safety and prevent accidents. My question is: What is the best and safest way to attach these pieces of furniture to drywall, especially when continuous wall studs are not easily accessible? Which anchors or fastening methods are most suitable to ensure stability while minimizing damage to the wall? Are there specific recommendations regarding screw length, types of anchors, or an effective distribution of fastening points? I look forward to well-informed answers and practical tips based on experience!
In general, I recommend not to fix Malm furniture to drywall (gypsum board) using simple plastic anchors, as these can quickly fail under the load of the furniture. Metal anchors or special cavity anchors are better options.
For maximum safety, it is always ideal to screw directly into a wall stud (wood or metal framing), since drywall panels themselves can barely carry the load.
If wall studs are not accessible, heavy-duty expansion anchors such as panel anchors or so-called “Molly” cavity anchors are recommended. Screws should be chosen long enough to penetrate deeply into the anchor or cavity material, typically 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches).
It is also important to distribute the load of the chest of drawers across several fixing points – at least two screws per piece of furniture in the upper back panel are standard.
This ensures stability and prevents unnecessary damage to the drywall.
For maximum safety, it is always ideal to screw directly into a wall stud (wood or metal framing), since drywall panels themselves can barely carry the load.
If wall studs are not accessible, heavy-duty expansion anchors such as panel anchors or so-called “Molly” cavity anchors are recommended. Screws should be chosen long enough to penetrate deeply into the anchor or cavity material, typically 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches).
It is also important to distribute the load of the chest of drawers across several fixing points – at least two screws per piece of furniture in the upper back panel are standard.
This ensures stability and prevents unnecessary damage to the drywall.
I would like to go into more detail regarding the technical aspects because this topic is often underestimated.
Exactly, especially with drywall, it is crucial how deep the screw engages in the cavity and how the load is distributed. The usual plastic anchors are useless because they only grip the gypsum board, which can easily break.
There are the following types to choose from:
1. Metal cavity anchors (Molly bolts): They expand inside the cavity, providing a larger bearing surface.
2. Toggle anchors / butterfly anchors: They open behind the board and distribute the load over a wide area.
3. Heavy-duty anchors for drywall: Often made of metal, suitable for higher load capacities.
For Malm furniture, which is relatively heavy and frequently loaded, I recommend using combinations of at least 3–4 anchors per piece. Screws should be at least 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 inches) long to fully engage the anchor.
If possible, it is highly recommended to locate the studs behind the drywall using a small jigsaw or multitool and fix the furniture there. This is the safest solution. The wall studs behind reliably carry the load.
If you cannot attach directly to the studs, then be sure to use wide-surface cavity anchors. Always pay close attention to the manufacturer’s load capacity specifications.
Finally, before installation, check the wall for moisture and damage. A compromised wall can cause additional problems.
andre3 schrieb:
Better are metal-metal anchors or special cavity anchors
Exactly, especially with drywall, it is crucial how deep the screw engages in the cavity and how the load is distributed. The usual plastic anchors are useless because they only grip the gypsum board, which can easily break.
There are the following types to choose from:
1. Metal cavity anchors (Molly bolts): They expand inside the cavity, providing a larger bearing surface.
2. Toggle anchors / butterfly anchors: They open behind the board and distribute the load over a wide area.
3. Heavy-duty anchors for drywall: Often made of metal, suitable for higher load capacities.
For Malm furniture, which is relatively heavy and frequently loaded, I recommend using combinations of at least 3–4 anchors per piece. Screws should be at least 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 inches) long to fully engage the anchor.
If possible, it is highly recommended to locate the studs behind the drywall using a small jigsaw or multitool and fix the furniture there. This is the safest solution. The wall studs behind reliably carry the load.
If you cannot attach directly to the studs, then be sure to use wide-surface cavity anchors. Always pay close attention to the manufacturer’s load capacity specifications.
Finally, before installation, check the wall for moisture and damage. A compromised wall can cause additional problems.
I would like to offer a somewhat more critical perspective here.
That sounds good at first, but the actual load capacity depends heavily on the condition of the drywall and the correct installation of the anchors. A single hollow wall anchor can fail if the drywall already has small hairline cracks or moisture damage.
The distribution of the load is also important, but it should not be forgotten that drywall is generally not designed as a load-bearing wall. In such cases, I would recommend adding extra reinforcement inside the wall if structurally possible, for example, inserting wooden battens behind the drywall or installing a mounting plate on the wall.
Whether this is possible in your situation, pragau54, would therefore be a key question.
In short: fastening to drywall with the right anchors is possible, but only up to a certain point. For heavier furniture, additional reinforcement is necessary.
andre3 schrieb:
Metal expansion anchors or special hollow wall anchors are better
That sounds good at first, but the actual load capacity depends heavily on the condition of the drywall and the correct installation of the anchors. A single hollow wall anchor can fail if the drywall already has small hairline cracks or moisture damage.
The distribution of the load is also important, but it should not be forgotten that drywall is generally not designed as a load-bearing wall. In such cases, I would recommend adding extra reinforcement inside the wall if structurally possible, for example, inserting wooden battens behind the drywall or installing a mounting plate on the wall.
Whether this is possible in your situation, pragau54, would therefore be a key question.
In short: fastening to drywall with the right anchors is possible, but only up to a certain point. For heavier furniture, additional reinforcement is necessary.
Thank you very much for the detailed tips so far!
Regarding ODINFLO’s suggestion: I find the idea of additional reinforcement very interesting, but in my old building’s drywall with metal studs, inserting wood supports is rather difficult. Do you think that adding a reinforcement board made of wood behind the drywall, attached to the studs with screws, could be a practical solution?
Also, I was considering using two additional screws on the outside side of particularly heavy dressers, if possible, to better distribute the load. Does anyone have experience with alternative fixing points on the Malm furniture itself?
I hope these questions are not too silly; I appreciate any further feedback! 🙂
PLOMA schrieb:That’s a good point—I had underestimated the screw length until now.
that screws should be at least 6-8 cm (2.5-3 inches) long to fully engage the wall plug
Regarding ODINFLO’s suggestion: I find the idea of additional reinforcement very interesting, but in my old building’s drywall with metal studs, inserting wood supports is rather difficult. Do you think that adding a reinforcement board made of wood behind the drywall, attached to the studs with screws, could be a practical solution?
Also, I was considering using two additional screws on the outside side of particularly heavy dressers, if possible, to better distribute the load. Does anyone have experience with alternative fixing points on the Malm furniture itself?
I hope these questions are not too silly; I appreciate any further feedback! 🙂
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