ᐅ Ikea Metod: How can I securely attach kitchen cabinets to old building walls?

Hello everyone, I am facing the challenge of securely and stably mounting Ikea Metod kitchen cabinets on the walls of my older apartment. The walls are made of various materials, mainly solid masonry in some areas, plaster in others, and some parts are a bit crumbly. My question is mainly about suitable fastening methods and appropriate types of wall plugs that are especially recommended for these older walls. Are there any specific techniques to consider in order to safely install the upper kitchen cabinets without damaging the walls or causing the cabinets to become loose later? I have also thought about metal rails or an additional substructure, but I am uncertain about what works best in an older building like this. I would be very grateful for any advice, experiences, and tips!

In older buildings, I recommend heavy-duty anchors or metal expansion anchors for solid masonry. It is important to use a rotary hammer drill when drilling. For plaster walls, hollow wall anchors are more suitable. Conducting a precise wall test beforehand and minimizing dust are important.

Mounting Ikea Metod kitchen cabinets in older buildings requires careful assessment of the wall structure. Often, these are load-bearing walls with uneven masonry, and standard plastic anchors are not sufficient. My advice: use screws with metal long-shaft anchors, especially when load-bearing exterior walls are involved. Additionally, distributing the load via a metal mounting rail on the wall is very helpful to better spread the forces and minimize point loads on the wall.

I also recommend reinforcing the existing wall by lightly cladding it with spruce boarding or OSB panels, which then serve as a substructure for mounting the cabinets. This cladding can be fixed to the wall at multiple points with suitable anchors, providing a stable base for the Ikea Metod cabinets.

When dealing with old building walls, there are two key factors to consider: stability and safety! 😃 My top tip is to use a combination of metal universal anchors and a rear reinforcement strip. You can attach the mounting strip to the wall, allowing you to hang the kitchen cabinets on it – this makes the installation much more secure and easier to align! Additionally, if the plaster is crumbly, you can first apply a deep primer that strengthens the surface structure. This ensures everything holds firmly without adding unnecessary stress to the wall. Giving up is not an option—you’ve got this!

Gugau schrieb:
The walls are made from different materials, partly solid masonry, partly plaster, and partly somewhat crumbly.

The variability of the wall structure is crucial for your fastening strategy. Please distinguish between load-bearing masonry and non-load-bearing plaster layers. For load-bearing masonry, the use of metal expansion anchors is recommended, ideally combined with heavy-duty anchors, depending on the type of stone involved. For crumbly plaster, it is primarily necessary to install a subframe of wooden or metal battens onto the solid wall areas. This subframe distributes the weight of the kitchen cabinets and allows secure fastening with wood screws.

Additionally, I recommend installing a so-called heavy-duty mounting rail, on which the Ikea Metod upper cabinets can then be hung. This method minimizes point loads on individual anchors and significantly increases the overall stability of the construction.