Reference

Fixing furniture to the wall: when it's required and what to watch for

In short

A tall unit can tip forward. Fixing it to the wall stops that. Your Kamba plan tells you whether it's required or recommended, where the brackets (small L-shaped parts) go on the unit and how many fixing points to plan for. The fixing that goes into the wall depends on your wall: you choose it in store, with the sales assistant's advice. Think about your wall from the start of the project. If in doubt, have a professional come and look.

Why a unit tips over

A unit tips over when its weight moves in front of its base: a drawer being pulled, heavy things on top, a child climbing. The taller and shallower the unit, the more easily it tips. The risk grows if the floor or the wall isn't straight: a unit on a floor that slopes forward goes over sooner. Even empty, a tall unit can tip over.

When the plan asks you to fix it

Wall fixing is required if the unit is 68.6 cm tall or more, if it goes in a child's room, or if it is more than 4.5 times taller than it is deep (for example 60 cm tall for 12 cm deep). Above 7 times, the builder refuses the unit and suggests a lower height. For other units, wall fixing is recommended: we strongly advise fitting it. The shelving unit, the wardrobe and the floor-standing under-slope unit have two anti-tip brackets, small L-shaped parts, on the “Hardware” page of their plan, at every height. The alcove unit has no brackets: it is screwed to the alcove walls with battens, wooden strips fixed to the wall. You don't have to apply these rules yourself: the builder applies them to your measurements.

Recognise your wall

A plasterboard wall sounds hollow when you knock on it. A solid wall (brick, block, concrete, stone) sounds solid. If you don't know, choose “Plasterboard” in the builder: the plan then assumes the weakest wall. And ask a professional for advice.

Your wall and the fixing

Fix into a solid wall if you can, or into a stud, one of the upright bars hidden behind the plasterboard. On plasterboard, use a fixing made for plasterboard and suited to the weight of the loaded unit. Never a screw alone in plasterboard: it pulls out. In store, show the sales assistant the “Show this in store” box on the “Hardware” page of your plan, and ask for advice: they will tell you which fixing to buy and how to fit it. Then follow the fixing's instructions.

Fixing the unit, in five moves

Put the unit in place and make it level (straight).
Screw the brackets to the unit where the plan shows.
Fix them to the wall with the fixing you chose, following its instructions.
Check that the fixing holds before loading the unit.
Then load it, heavy things at the bottom.

Special cases

Floor-standing under-slope unit: the brackets are fixed to the wall behind the unit, with the same rule.

Under-slope unit fixed to the slope: the top of the unit is also screwed into the rafters, the roof beams; the plan calculates the length of these screws. If you can't find a rafter, ask a professional for advice before loading the unit.

Alcove unit: the whole load of the shelves rests on the batten fixings. The plan gives the load each shelf is calculated for; the wall fixings must be able to carry it. Choose them to suit your wall. On plasterboard, have a professional come and check your wall before loading the shelves.

If in doubt

Unsure about your wall, your floor or a step? Have a professional come and look before loading the unit. Kamba calculates your unit from your measurements; it can't see your wall. The loads given in the plan apply to a unit built as shown, with the planned materials and dimensions, and fixed to a suitable support, chosen after advice in store or from a professional.