Joe is a former carpenter and cabinetmaker who writes extensively about remodeling, woodworking, and tool techniques. Luckily, you have options to secure a bookshelf to the wall without screws or studs. For freestanding flat-screen TVs, this strap and adhesive system adjusts to fit many different TV and furniture configurations. I'm nervous about trusting the screws to stay in the wall if the shelves or other heavy furniture tried to tip. Weve found several products that are well-made, durable, easy to install, and often priced under $10, which is a minimal cost for the upgrade, especially considering whats at stake. It is a relatively inexpensive kit to purchase and claims to support up to 200 lbs. We presume you've already done the basics, such as moving caustic chemicals out of reach and installing child-resistant latches on cabinet doors. What Are Apartment-Sized Stoves? A danger might be lurking right in your home. Heavy-duty glue is often a go-to method homeowners use to secure various objects. Ensuring that a heavy bookshelf is secure can give you more confidence in your homes safety, especially if you have curious kids or pets. The connecting strap or cable is typically affixed to each bracket, then tightened in place. Securing a bookshelf to the wall can give you peace of mind, giving you one less thing to worry about regarding safety. Most studs are 16" centers, but some are 24 which could be tricky. Learn more. I like that idea! Place your bookshelf along the wall where you have marked it with a pencil or plan to sit it. It can also help to staple the tape into the shelf. Line them along where the vertical edges of the bookshelf will be. You can use glue, tape, Velcro, or purchase anti-slip safety kits. Home Homeowners Decorating Secure a Bookshelf to a Wall Without Screws. In most houses, these are typically 16 inches apart, and you can locate them with a reliable stud finder (we have more thoughts on stud finders here). On the 'Consumer 101' TV show, Consumer Reports' expert Peter Anzalone explains to show host Jack Rico what consumers need to know about furniture tip-overs. Typically, these hexagonal screws come with a properly sized masonry bit for drilling the pilot holes. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Finding studs in a lath and plaster wall can be tough for a couple of reasons. In comparison withHangman and Quakehold gear, Harry said, thisproduct is not as robust. There are two basic types of expandable metal anchors. For proper drill-bit sizing, a rule of thumb is to select one that is the width of the screw minus the threads (most installation instructions will specify a bit size). Test the strength by gently but firmly pushing the side of the bookshelf. Polyurethane or urethane glue is the best glue for a wall. To install a toggle bolt, first drill a hole in the wall large enough for the toggle. If you want to hang your flat-panel TV on the wall, we recommend the Sanus VMPL50A-B1 or Sanus VLF728-B2, depending on how much motion you need in your mount. We spent 30 hours researching and testing six models to find the most reliable, durable, and accurate magnetic wall stud finder. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Thread the screw partway into the toggle, pinch the wings closed, and push the toggle through the hole in the wall. Many brands produce heavy-duty tapes that do a fantastic job of keeping heavy furniture, like bookshelves, anchored. Three points of contact mount to the TV, furniture, and wall, with convenient contact points that anchor to your TVs existing VESA mount holes. We spent 50 hours researching what makes good patio furniture. A traditional toggle bolt with a 1/8-inch-diameter screw will support approximately 50 pounds in 1/2-inch drywall, and cost about $8 for 50 screws and toggles. I have a 54 dresser that is attached through the back plywood and into the wall as well as a 48 bookcase. These particular ones are Ez anchors. To compound the situation, lath and plaster walls are more solid than Sheetrock walls, making it difficult to locate studs by tapping on the wall or by using a stud finder. Some manufacturers of childrens furniture have started including kits with their merchandise. Theyre also good only for open-backed furniture. If that happens, simply abandon the anchor and use a wood screw instead. It seems like a lot of pressure on it suddenly could rip the anchors out. First, while the studs in modern wall systems are equidistant from each other (16 inches on center) to support 8- or 12-foot lengths of wall board, the same can't necessarily be said for old wall systems, as wood lath requires no such uniformity of application to affix plaster. Next, install the wall-mounted portion of the anchor. If your anti-tip kit of choice doesnt come with mounting hardware and youre buying your own screws, get screws with at least 1inch of grab on the stud. Quakeholds 4520 Universal Flat Screen Safety Straps have very high customer feedback at Amazon. However, you should never delay installing an anchor. This type of glue is waterproof and you can use it for both indoor and outdoor projects. Hollow-Wall Anchors: How to Hang Something on the Wall Without a Stud. Proceed with installing the furniture-mounted portion of the anchor, as described below. A Snaptoggle with a 1/4-inch-diameter screw can support an impressive 265 pounds in 1/2-inch drywall; but expect to pay about $8 for 10 SnapToggles. This 1,100-piece LEGO Vespa will transport you to Italy, Le Creusets Factory to Table sale is back, The weird way inflation might actually benefit you at Walmart. Subscribe now for unlimited access. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, 9 Best Attic Fans for Keeping Your House Cool, How to Get Your Wood Trim Joints Just Right, 8 Super-Effective Ways to Soundproof a Room, The Best Oscillating Tools to Tackle Any Project, The Best Drywall Repair Kits (And How to Use Them). If you dont use a stud, use multiple straps, and multiple drywall anchors per strap. Strong metal hardware and a flexible, easy-to-install design make this a solid option for anchoring any tip-prone furniture at home. Wirecutter audio/visual editor Chris Heinonen anchors his freestanding TVs with the Sanus Systems Anti-Tip Strap. The brackets can be attached to the wall by using one of a number of wall anchors. How to Fill Empty Living Room Floor Space, 10 Colors That Go With Forest Green in 2022, The 11 Toilet Tank Parts to Know About in 2022, Standard Trash Can Sizes | Picking the Right One. Mark the wall with a light pencil to guide you when securing it. Thoroughly clean both the wall and bookshelf with a cloth containing isopropyl alcohol. Can you Anchor a Bookshelf to Wall Without a Stud? It is more obvious though and either method should work if rated for the weight correctly. The strength of the tape may not be enough to handle kids climbing or dogs knocking into it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://m.lowes.com/pd/E-Z-Ancor-6-Pack-1-1-4-in-x-1-2-in-Standard-Drywall-Anchor/1098793?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. To further ensure the safety of your home, there are a few things to keep in mind when you secure a bookshelf to the wall without screws: Here are some of the most common questions regarding securing a bookshelf to a wall without screws. If you're looking for a clever solution to hang a picture or other fixture to drywall, try one of these. On the wall side, its important tosink your screws into a stud (the vertical framing members). Align the toggle vertically, then tighten the screw until the toggle draws tight against the back of the wall. Toggle bolts would be better than nothing, but I really wouldnt trust them with anything like a tall book case, sheetrock is just too weak to withstand that kind of force. Houses built in the 1910s had interior walls of lath and plaster. It has a flat Phillips screw head and sharp self-drilling tip. Nobody wants to leave a lasting hole in the walland if youre a renter, wall damage may mean forfeiting a portion of your security deposit. Who needs a stud when you've got wall anchors! Also, the hole for the toggle is much larger than the screw, so there's a chance that the fixture you're attaching to the wall could slide down slightly, even after tightening. While many appear to be effective (this professional childproofer uses them), some are little more than cheap electricians zip ties with a small clip on each end. However, if a bookshelf falls over, it can cause harm to small children or pets. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Use a level to determine if your bookshelf is balanced. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Urethane glue will be your best bet for secure placement. Screwing heavy furniture into drywall can not hold up as well but can destroy your wall in the process. Because of the easy adjustment, you can temporarily move your bookshelf to clean or grab items that have fallen behind them. But those are generic pieces of hardware thatdont come with properly sized screws. One bracket screws directly into the piece of furniture; the other fastens into a stud in the wall. A bookshelf is more likely to wobble when its top-heavy. pay for content, product research, guides, and more). Use at least four pieces of masking tape evenly spaced from top to bottom. Press in each strip firmly. The TK-400 comes with all of the necessary mounting hardware, and we like that the connecting cable is metal rather thanplastic, as on many products, but is still flexible enough to make the kit easy to install. Refer to the included instructions to determine the best place for the attachments for best results. CR recommends anchoring dressers, televisions, and other furniture. Use a stud finder to locate a stud in the wallin modern construction theyre usually spaced 16 inches apart, and you should find one to the left or right of an electrical outlet or light switch. There's never a stud when you need one. Once inside the wall, the spring-loaded wings will pop open, trapping the toggle. TheQuakehold 2830 7-inch Steel Furniture Cable works by overlapping two brackets (one on the wall, one on the furniture) and securing them with a through-cable. Some furniture comes with anti-tip hardware, which is a start, but such items are not always of the best quality. It may also be possible your home has an uneven floor which is not only unsightly but can be dangerous. The best way to keep a bookshelf from falling over is to secure it to the wall. We moved to a very small house from a bigger space and are kind of crammed. Once youve located a stud that aligns with the back of your furniture, mark the wall along the stud with a pencil and place an intersecting mark on the wall that indicates the height of the furniture. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. Keep pressure on the tape for about 20 seconds. *At the time of publishing, the price was $6. is strong and should withstand some force. Is there an easy way to accomplish this? However, this method is best for lighter-weight bookshelves. Next, pass the screw through the fixture you're attaching to the wall. Advice, staff picks, mythbusting, and more. Even without curious paws or hands, living in. is a patent-pending system to help secure heavy furniture to prevent accidents or damage. These anchors work by collapsing and compressing expanded metal straps that are designed to buckle in a specific manner and exert pressure on the back side of the wall when the fastener is tightened down. Dont attach the anchor to the thin back panel of the piece of furniture. Secure the bracket to your furniture with wood screws, and connect the wall-mounted bracket and furniture-mounted bracket with the included cable or strap. We are also a member of several other affiliate networks. Youll need something different for a freestanding flat-panel TV thatisn't mounted to a wall or a secured stand. can pose a risk to you or anyone in your home during one. Let us help you. Unfortunately, studs are seldom, if ever, positioned exactly where you need them, but that's okay. With the Qdos Safety Anti-Tip Kit, you can easily adjust the straps that anchor your furniture to the wall. Not a bad combination. *At the time of publishing, the price was $25. Quakehold 2830 7-Inch Steel Furniture Cable, Quakehold 2830 7-inch Steel Furniture Cable, Quakehold 4520 Universal Flat Screen Safety Straps, Quakeholds 4520 Universal Flat Screen Safety Straps, Sanus Systems ELM701B1 Anti-Tip Strap for Flat Panel TV or Furniture, The Best Patio Furniture (And How to Shop for It). For the mounts on both the furniture side and the wall side, youll need to use proper basic drilling and driving techniques to ensure a solid connection for the hardware. There was an occasional mess on the floor when Katie zigged when an older child would have zagged. The Hangman TK-400 Anti-Tip Kit consists of a piece of steel cable and a clevis pin on each end. This is how we keep the lights on (i.e. But patching holes and touching up with paint is easy and straightforward. Push the bookshelf against the wall, pressing where you placed Velcro in each location. Securing dressers and other large pieces takes only a few minutesand might save a life. Each of the two adjustable straps has a large, adhesive pad that attaches to the back of the TV or display; you attach a metal plate at the other end to your wall or furniture using screws or a similar adhesive pad. Adult Fans of Lego, or AFOLs, are a growing number of enthusiasts who say that playing with Lego isnt just for kids. (Buy these screws yourself if your kit comes with shorter screws.) Velcro strips make an excellent no-screw option if you plan on moving furniture later on. Refer to the instructions to determine the proper location for the furniture-mounted portion of your anchorsee Attaching Brackets to Furniture, below, for full instructions. As the bolt tightens, it compresses the "umbrella" closure. It features a fixed-wing toggle (no spring) connected to two long plastic straps that have a sliding locking collar. Measure up along the stud where youll anchor your furniture, and use a properly sized wood bit to drill a pilot hole for securing the anchor. I prefer the board method to anchors. When drilling into masonry, select a spot that sits squarely in the center of a brick or cinder blocknot a spot on the mortar between stones. But if you cant, you should install the furniture with the included anchor, then consider upgrading at a later date. Using screws to anchor furniture to the wall is one option; however, you can also use: Whether you want to avoid screws to prevent adding extra holes to your wall or want more ease relocating furniture, these solutions will help you get it done. If you live in a newer commercial building like an apartment or condo with metal studs, the process is the same; simply use 1-inch (fine thread) drywall screws instead of wood screws. If we link to any product, you should assume that well receive a commission when you buy it, at no extra cost to you. If you choose to use the brackets, the hole will be much smaller than a standard screw. I would not trust just a screw. I've put what I can by a stud or window frame, but it's a small space and there's no way to line everything up that way. A furniture anchor needs to withstand any effort to pull the fixture straight out from the wall, and the best practice is to always attach to a stud in the wall.. Brick or concrete block walls are far less common than drywall or plaster walls, and they pose a unique challenge. Anchors leave bigger holes in drywall and I feel screwing into studs is more secure. This kit makes a great option to use in kids rooms because of its durability and ease of use. With a typical wall consisting of -inch drywall, this means a minimum of a 1-inch screw. However, that thick cable and the overall design give you less leeway for installation, as the two brackets must be fairly close together for the cable to fit through both. Its also important to make sure youll be happy with its placement. 7 incredible vacation rentals with pools in Palm Springs, You can buy this entire cabin home on Amazon for $30K. Studs are harder to find behind plaster walls; a traditional stud finder wont always work. When you are ready to remove the kit to move furniture, you can easily do that. When you are ready to move the bookshelf, you can easily take it off furniture without leaving a mark. Hi all, I have an active toddler and am trying to secure furniture in her room (and the rest of the house). If you are new here, please review posting/commenting guidelines below. Press the bookshelf against the wall with firm pressure for about 20 seconds. What Size Mirror for a 60 Inch Double Vanity? If your bookshelf is leaning, it may be possible that a leg is too short. You'll run acrossa number of other methods for securing a piece of furniture. Align your furniture with the bracket on the wall. Never use a drywall anchor or toggle to anchor furniture. Its not surprising that the CPSC brochure on childproofing says that no device is completely childproof; determined youngsters have been known to overcome or disable them.. -- Insert the bolt through the furniture fastener, tighten the bolt and draw the umbrella closure tight up against the back of the wall. Allow the glue to cure for about 24 hours, and then remove the tape. to help balance the bookshelf out and keep it at an even height. Ultimately, the prospect of a hole in the wall should never prevent you from anchoring furniture. Though it is unnecessary, adding extra safety precautions doesnt hurt.

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