Metal Studs & Hanging Cabinets

Locate the metal studs beneath the wall where you wish to install the cabinet using a wall stud finder. Mark the location of the studs by placing a strip of masking tape onto the wall along the stud location. Make certain that the strip extends above the location where you wish to place the top of your cabinet and that it is long enough to extend below the cabinet so you can see the stud location during cabinet placement. If the cabinet is wide enough to cover two studs, mark both stud locations so you can use both studs as mounts.

Turn off any electricity running through the walls to avoid drilling into any electrical wiring. If pipes are present, mark the run of the pipes through the wall using the masking tape, as the stud finder should be able to detect pipe presence as well.

Remove the door from your cabinet by removing the screws holding the hinges in place. Set the door aside.

Hold the cabinet against the wall where you intend to mount the piece. Place a carpenter’s level along the base of the cabinet and level it out. Set a cabinet jack beneath the cabinet to hold it steady.

Place a line along the top and bottom of the cabinet with a pencil to mark its location.

Drill a hole through the cabinet and wall, and through the metal stud beneath about an inch from the top of the cabinet. Use the masking tape to determine the placement of the stud, drilling in the center of the taped line as seen from both above and below the cabinet body. Use a drill bit that’s large enough to create an opening that will accept your toggle bolt. Place a second hole an inch from the bottom of the cabinet and a third in its center. If the cabinet spans two wall studs, then repeat the hole placement over the second stud.

Remove the cabinet and pull away the tape. Replace the cabinet, using the drawn lines to help you align the holes in the cabinet with the holes in the wall. Place a toggle bolt with a washer attached through the cabinet hole and wall hole, pushing it through the hole in the stud as well until it clears the other side of the stud and the wings of the bolt opens. Tighten the bolt in place with a screwdriver until the head of the bolt is tight against the cabinet. Repeat the process with each mounting hole, securing the cabinet to the wall.

Restore the cabinet doors to the cabinet by screwing the hinges back into place. Turn the electricity for the room back on.