I still remember the day my boss asked me to move to Europe. I was nervous, but at the same time, I was really excited to embark on a new adventure. Unfortunately, before I could start tasting new foods and meeting new people, I would need to pack up my belongings and make the trek to a new country. Fortunately, I worked with a moving company that reduced my stress load. This blog is all about working with professionals to relocate internationally. Check out these articles to find tips, tricks, and solutions to everyday moving problems--so that you can enjoy your next move.
You may never have considered safety when it comes to installing and using cabinets in your place of business, but overloaded cabinets are prone to tipping over and can cause serious injury or even death. That's why you should know how to mount cabinets to the wall to prevent possible tipping. Below is a list of materials and instructions on how you can do this important task yourself:
Tools and materials needed
Step-by-step procedure
1. Find a suitable location for the cabinet - The first task is to choose a place where the cabinet will be stable. Since the cabinet will need to be attached to underlying wall studs, you should locate it in an area away from windows or other non-attachable points.
Also, be sure the floor upon which the cabinet will rest is completely level; keep in mind that even a small degree of slope is magnified due to the height of some cabinets and can be dangerous. To determine the floor's degree of flatness, place a 4-foot box level across the floor where you wish to place the cabinet. Align the level so it is both perpendicular and parallel to the wall; if it is even slightly uneven, look for an alternative installation site.
2. Locate the studs for the wall mounting holes - Once you have chosen a stable site for the cabinet, the next step is to locate the studs where you will drill the mounting holes. Hold a rare-earth magnet stud finder against the wall, and slowly slide it left and right in broad sweeping arcs. When the stud finder crosses an underlying stud, it will "stick" to the drywall. Mark an "X" at that location and drag the stud finder either to the right or left until you locate the next stud. Once again, mark the stud with an "X".
3. Determine how many stud mounting locations are needed - Next, measure the distance between the two "X" marks to determine the width of your particular building's stud pattern. Sixteen inches is a common width, but it could be more or less depending on your building's age and designer. Divide the width of the cabinet in inches by the distance between studs to determine the number of mounting locations needed, then round down to the nearest whole number.
For example, for a 60-inch wide cabinet and 16-inch stud distance, divide 60 by 16 to find 3.75. Rounding down, you find that you will need 3 mounting locations.
4. Mark the holes in the cabinet - The next step is to determine where to place the mounting holes in the cabinet:
Here is an example for a 72-inch high, 60-inch wide cabinet with 16 inches separating each stud and 3 mounting locations:
Begin by calculating the height of the mounting holes by dividing 72 by 3 to obtain 24 inches. That means your mounting holes will need to be drilled 24 inches from the bottom of the cabinet. Measure up from the bottom of the cabinet 24 inches and draw a horizontal line across the back of the cabinet with a magic marker or paint pen.
With 16 inches separating each stud, there is a total of 48 inches from the first to the third stud behind the cabinet. Subtract 48 from 60, obtaining 12, and divide this number in two to obtain the distance from the edge. This means you will begin marking the back of your cabinet 6 inches from one edge and placing marks every 16 inches along the horizontal line you drew on the back of the cabinet.
5. Drill mounting holes and attach cabinet to wall - Once you have measured, calculated and drawn your mounting holes, the next step is to drill the holes and insert the lag screws. With a ¼-inch bit, drill holes through each of the marks you made in step 4. Next, align the cabinet with the wall, so the back of the cabinet is flush against it; line it up the mounting holes with the studs you marked in step 2. Insert each lag screw through a fender washer and drive the screws through the holes in the cabinet directly into the wall. Keep driving the screws until the washer is flush against the inside back wall of the cabinet.
Contact a professional supplier, like Quantum Storage, for more tips on how to stabilize heavy filing cabinets.
Share28 September 2015
