# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Got kitchen from IKEA, install instructions looks dodgey??

## wozzzzza

got this 600 wide and 400 wide wall cabinet from ikea to put one side of kitchen wall and a 800 wide and 400 wide to put the other.
these wall cabinets have fixed screw locations and only 2 of them per cabinet for fixing to the wall. how can just 2 mounting points hold the cabinet and its contents?? and how on earth can you locate them to line up on a wall stud?? cant with the 400. leaving only one option i can think of, screw it into the gyprock using a wall mate??
would that work?? im also going to drill 2 more holes at the bottom of the cabinet to use as 2 more mounting points per cabinet, is this a good idea??
how else do you mount these damn cabinets??

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## China

Wallmates are not suitable for that  load you may just have to redrill to line up with studs, blank the original holes off with plastic caps

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## Kanga

> got this 600 wide and 400 wide wall cabinet from ikea to put one side of kitchen wall and a 800 wide and 400 wide to put the other.
> these wall cabinets have fixed screw locations and only 2 of them per cabinet for fixing to the wall. how can just 2 mounting points hold the cabinet and its contents?? and how on earth can you locate them to line up on a wall stud?? cant with the 400. leaving only one option i can think of, screw it into the gyprock using a wall mate??
> would that work?? im also going to drill 2 more holes at the bottom of the cabinet to use as 2 more mounting points per cabinet, is this a good idea??
> how else do you mount these damn cabinets??

  Replace the back with a solid 16mm thick back

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## shrek4

Tell me about it - it confused me too. Just don't make the mistake I made which was to use right size wall anchor in a brick wall but wrong size screws. 
We first noticed something was wrong when after 7 months the doors on both of the two adjoined 60cm cupboards were beginning to become misaligned to a significant degree. I got nosy and started poking around and discovered one corner of the cupboards was very loose in the wall. When I very lightly pushed it back into place (with the intention of putting a larger screw in) the whole bloody thing fell off the wall. Needless to say made a huge mess of the laundry they were in, darn lucky the misses wasn't in the laundry as it would of killed her I reckon. It's also unfortunate the cat wasn't eating on the bench below where her usual food bowl is (evil grin)  :Biggrin: .  
I fixed by putting in some rather large dynabolts in all 4 anchor points. 
Oh the things we learn!  :Laughing1:  
Oh and I wouldn't under ANY circumstances mount a wall cupboard to the gyprock. Keep looking for a stud!

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## arms

> got this 600 wide and 400 wide wall cabinet from ikea to put one side of kitchen wall and a 800 wide and 400 wide to put the other.
> these wall cabinets have fixed screw locations and only 2 of them per cabinet for fixing to the wall. how can just 2 mounting points hold the cabinet and its contents?? and how on earth can you locate them to line up on a wall stud?? cant with the 400. leaving only one option i can think of, screw it into the gyprock using a wall mate??
> would that work?? im also going to drill 2 more holes at the bottom of the cabinet to use as 2 more mounting points per cabinet, is this a good idea??
> how else do you mount these damn cabinets??

  congratulations you have now become one of the many members of the "look i,ve bought an imported product that doesnt suit Australian conditions "club..
you now have to find solutions for your decision  :Annoyed:

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## wozzzzza

> Replace the back with a solid 16mm thick back

  i had thought of that, what sort of wood? chipboard or pine? 
and damn i hate my wife for going to damn ikea and getting them.

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## Kanga

> i had thought of that, what sort of wood? chipboard or pine? 
> and damn i hate my wife for going to damn ikea and getting them.

  white melamine 16mm thick

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## N0mad

As China said, blank the holes in the rear panel and move the brackets up or down to match where the studs in your wall are, then mount. The brackets don't have to be mounted exactly according to the instructions and can be moved to suit. I suspect you would have the same issues with most flatpack products regardless of origin as indoors building practices are not noticeably different between Sweden (IKEA design and origin) and Aus (i.e placement of studs, materials, etc). I agree that the instructions aren't that wonderful (I just mounted a complete IKEA kitchen myself) but I challenge you to do better without using any text. Compared to other flatpack products I've seen, their instructions are brilliant.  :Rolleyes:  
Anyway, I had an easier time with fastening the cabinets as my walls are masonite on vertical tongue and groove.

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## pawnhead

Couldn't you just put a 40 X 19 batten inside the cupboard at the top, and fix through that? It would be easier than replacing the back with 16mm. If you painted it white before installing, then it would look the same as a piece of melamine.

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## arms

> I suspect you would have the same issues with most flatpack products regardless of origin as indoors building practices are not noticeably different between Sweden (IKEA design and origin) and Aus (i.e placement of studs, materials, etc).  
> Anyway, I had an easier time with fastening the cabinets as my walls are masonite on vertical tongue and groove.

  got bad news for you on these lines ,homes in sweden are either made of stone, masonary ,or fully lined solid timber walls ,thats why the ikea system was developed (for their construction methods and materials),whereas over here we have a vastly differing variety of construction to suit the climate ,one day sun next day rain but rarely going from full sun to snow

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## N0mad

Sorry to disappoint you "arms" but plaster/stud (gyprock) walls are quite common in Swedish homes nowadays (the multinational construction industry wouldn't accept anything too different from any other country). I'm Swedish, my father was a chippie and I have lived there most of my life so I have a fair idea of what goes on there. By the way, I suspect the indoors climate varies less than you would think as I rarely had snow or rain indoors while I lived there  :Wink:   
Outdoors climate is probably even more varied there than here, as I have experienced temperatures from +38 to -38 with arbitrary combinations of snow and rain there. Only differences are that outdoors it gets a few degrees warmer here and indoors temperatures are generally more stable there. In fact, very few Swedes would accept anything less than 21 degrees indoors even during the coldest winter. The only real differences in home design are that roofs there are of sturdier construction to cope with the weight of snow and that drainage has to be better around the house due to higher rainfall at lower temperatures. Well, generally they are also much better insulated as well but my main comparison is with homes here in QLD so this may not be representative of all Aussie homes. Indoors you would find that modern homes in Sweden have different electrical outlets, but everything else looks the same as in Australia, same materials, etc, etc. Only the outdoors materials are different as there are no termites to cope with in Sweden. 
Returning to the original issue, I would either move the brackets to the alternate mounting points inside the cabinets or just bolt and/or glue a sheet of ply or MDF (sized according to the back of the cabinets) to the wall then fasten the cabinets to that. "No problemo" as Arnie says.

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## arms

> Sorry to disappoint you "arms" but plaster/stud (gyprock) walls are quite common in Swedish homes nowadays (the multinational construction industry wouldn't accept anything too different from any other country). I'm Swedish, my father was a chippie and I have lived there most of my life so I have a fair idea of what goes on there. By the way, I suspect the indoors climate varies less than you would think as I rarely had snow or rain indoors while I lived there   
> Outdoors climate is probably even more varied there than here, as I have experienced temperatures from +38 to -38 with arbitrary combinations of snow and rain there. Only differences are that outdoors it gets a few degrees warmer here and indoors temperatures are generally more stable there. In fact, very few Swedes would accept anything less than 21 degrees indoors even during the coldest winter. The only real differences in home design are that roofs there are of sturdier construction to cope with the weight of snow and that drainage has to be better around the house due to higher rainfall at lower temperatures. Well, generally they are also much better insulated as well but my main comparison is with homes here in QLD so this may not be representative of all Aussie homes. Indoors you would find that modern homes in Sweden have different electrical outlets, but everything else looks the same as in Australia, same materials, etc, etc. Only the outdoors materials are different as there are no termites to cope with in Sweden. 
> Returning to the original issue, I would either move the brackets to the alternate mounting points inside the cabinets or just bolt and/or glue a sheet of ply or MDF (sized according to the back of the cabinets) to the wall then fasten the cabinets to that. "No problemo" as Arnie says.

  
well then going along these lines the particular brand is nothing more than cheap sheet

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## N0mad

I thought that "cheap sheet" is exactly what flatpacks are all about  :Biggrin: 
As always you get a variable percentage of what you pay for and only you can choose what is right for you. The reasons I bought from them are that I don't like pushy salesmen (a lot of those in the kitchen business I discovered), I only wanted a fairly plain modern kitchen, they offer a 25 year guarantee, I was willing to do the installation myself, I didn't need to wait for it to be manufactured and the price was right. As far as I can determine the products I bought are of decent quality, but I am by no means an expert. Anyway, if it lasts 25 years or more I will remain a happy camper.

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## pawnhead

> In fact, very few Swedes would accept anything less than 21 degrees indoors even during the coldest winter.

  That's one thing I've noticed when visiting my relatives in Denmark. When the weather gets cold, they keep their homes very warm. Much hotter than I'd have my home in winter, and I'd have to strip down to a T shirt to be comfortable.

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## N0mad

That's exactly right Pawnhead  :2thumbsup:  
In fact I had hardly ever been cold indoors until I left Sweden. When It's cold outside and you arrive at somebody's house, you would typically remove your shoes and enough clothing to make you comfortable inside (within reason).  :Wink:  There is a popular proverb there, that says (in rough translation) "Bad weather doesn't exist, only bad clothes do". 
Sorry about the thread kidnapping Wozzzzza.

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## PrecisionCabs

Either replace the back with a solid 16mm back or as somebody else said use a piece of timber 40mm x 19mm and screw/nail through that.

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## wozzzzza

IKEA kitchen wall cabinets,    NEVER AGAIN!!!!

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## dazzler

> IKEA kitchen wall cabinets,    NEVER AGAIN!!!!

  Well you bought a 400mm wide cabinet where the studs are 450mm 
Perhaps the problem lies a little closer to home  :Wink:

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## pawnhead

> WAH, WAH!!!!

  (sorry about that woz  :Redface: ) 
I don't see what the problem is.  :Confused: 
You just need a short bit of 2 X 1 and a $2 spray can of white paint, unless the whole thing has fallen apart since you last posted?

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## mattwilliams78

I can't really see what the big deal is. I have just installed a full Ikea kitchen and am really, really pleased with it. For a straight kitchen 4m long I paid about $4k including benchtop, sink taps and tiling. I did ALOT of research before hand and I read from other installers that the best way to install them is to hang a horizontal batten behind the cupboards at the height of the upper brackets to screw into at any point of width. I had decided to regyprock the wall anyway (good base for the tiles, needed to get to water pipes, was blocking a doorway) so I just installed the battens behind the gyprock. For 99% of people installing a new kitchen this probably isn't a problem (as it wasn't for me) so why should we pay for that extra backing material? there is no need and this is why Ikea stuff is so reasonably priced but I agree not necessarily long lasting. 
I can see that for someone like yourself adding one cupboard or two then that could be too much of a hassle. In this case simply adding a batten at the top of the inside of the cupboard or a wide 16mm backing strip (doesn't need to be full depth as many caboinets arent) is the best idea BUT assuming that at 400 wide you can get two anchors (which doesn't seem possible if you have 450 studs??) I wouldn't hang a cupboard off one stud - full backing or not. 
As for Swedish building construction, I shouldn't comment as I haven't been there but being a pom and having travelled to many other places I can confirm that international building standards are not THAT varied. Ikea do a good job in designing to the common denominator and have a much wider range available in the UK and US than here. I don't think its a valid arguement to say that Ikea kitchens are not suitable for our conditions. And for space heating, you can blame our ridiculously cheap electricity for our ridiculous absence of quality, fixed hydronic heating systems. Southern states and alpine areas have easily as cold winter conditions as the UK but people manage with terrible plug in electrical convection heaters rather than energy efficient hydronic radiators and underfloor systems that are so popular in Northern Europe. I sometimes feel like I'm back in the UK in even mild winters here because I can't get warm enough at home.

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## andrewkafp

Ditto Matt 
I have almost finished my IKEA kitchen. Their stuff fits together so well (esp the drawers and doors) With the wall and base cabs (screwed to a wall), I just found and marked the stud positions and moved the brackets to the top and bottoms. I have many extra brackets as I am using about 3 metres of free standing cabs. You wont move them with a D9... 
I didn't take much notice of the instructuions.. and didn't use the plinth brackets (just countersunk and screwed the to the base cabs). If you can't improvise, then it's better to get a Kitchen mob in to do it for you. You may come across out-of square walls, floors, and even noggins that don't offer support,as they are 15mm short of the wall for wiring. 
My kitchen 3.7x2.5 galley style was $6500 inc new stove, cooktop , sink, tap, new Bosch dishwasher.

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## rrobor

My solution I think is rather easy. The wall behind the units dont need to be that flash so cut a slot in the plasterboard, fit a few noggins get a sheet of plasterboard, fill the hole and alls well. Any of these kit kitchens do that so I just replastered the walls. Word of advice, fit a temp batton to the wall to sit the cabinets on when installing.  That way you are safe. Having the wife hold one up while you try to fix ends up getting very nasty.

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## andrewkafp

A 16mm solid back is not going to be any better than the thin back if you only have 1 or no vertical studs where the cab is. I just finished installing an ikea kitchen (with wall cabs) and you will find that you have a few of those brackets left over from the free standing cabs.Find the vertical stud and put a bracket at the top and one at the bottom (if the cab is less than 600mm wide). These wall cabinets are also joined together and joined to the verical panels. Mine will never move. 
I think that for me.. The ikea kitchen was brilliant.It is the first kitchen I've ever done, and apart from apart from a 0.5mm misalignment of the benchtop join (my fault) it went together perfectly and is very solid. 
I can tell you that the "professionally" installed one that was there for 20 years was only held up by more than 10 srews  into the wall 
Refer to my pics here... http://img518.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=p7210024.jpg

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## MGOwen

I used L brackets wherever the studs where. 
I mentioned this problem on my blog - did a whole comparison between ikea and bunnings: DIY Kitchens: Ikea or Bunnings Flatpax? (Part 1)  M. G. Owen

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## GCP310

> My solution I think is rather easy. The wall behind the units dont need to be that flash so cut a slot in the plasterboard, fit a few noggins get a sheet of plasterboard, fill the hole and alls well. Any of these kit kitchens do that so I just replastered the walls. Word of advice, fit a temp batton to the wall to sit the cabinets on when installing.  That way you are safe. Having the wife hold one up while you try to fix ends up getting very nasty.

  
i agree, if you are doing a full kitchen reno, you are going to do the whole hog, even if you butcher a hole in the wall, put in more nogging / 18mm plywood bracing and a rough patchup plaster board job, hang the cabinets over the mess, then tile the splashback and a coat of paint and the jobs done. 
least you know the cabinets not going to come crashing down when you least expect it. 
also agree on the overhead cupboards / temp batten trick.

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## ScroozAdmin

We have a new heavy duty gyprock fastener arriving from Europe next week which takes 40Kg in 10mm board and 70Kg in double boards, should be on sale in about 3-4 weeks, used to sell loads for fixing cabinets, radiators, hand and grab rails etc. to plasterboard and never had any failures. Just used some to fix my Ikea wall cabinets, they are perfect for this application due to the Ikea bracket arrangement, they are rock solid. 
I'll let the forum know when they are available for sale along with more info of course.

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