Anchoring Furniture to Drywall

Reasons

• If a substantial piece if furniture topples over without warning, anyone standing nearby could receive an injury either from the furniture itself or from other heavy items that might go flying. Although you might feel confident that a bulky article of furniture cannot budge from its location, an earthquake, flood or sudden impact could cause top-heavy items, such as bookcases, to lose their equilibrium. Charleston County Government Online advises people to secure not only wall-mounted furniture but also chimneys, mirrors, light fixtures, water heaters and any other heavy items that can shift position during a disaster.

Procedures

• The Earthquake Country Alliance recommends that you use either strapping or bracketing to secure heavy furniture to the walls. In strapping, nylon straps attach to the top of each end of the item and extend down the back. Each strap should line up with a wall stud. You then run screws through the straps and drill them directly into the studs. If you cannot afford a strapping kit, you can attach metal brackets to each end of the furniture’s top surface, lining them up with the wall studs as you would the straps. You then drill screws down into the furniture to fix the brackets to it, drilling additional screws into the wall studs to anchor the furniture to the wall.

Tools and Equipment

• Most hardware, furniture and home improvement stores carry the necessary tools and equipment for anchoring furniture to walls. Some manufacturers offer complete do-it-yourself nylon-strapping kits for just such a purpose. The bracketing method calls for a pair of 4-inch L-shaped brackets and a total of eight 3-inch lag screws. Portland Bolt describes lag screws as screws that can secure themselves firmly into wood without the additional support of nuts. You will also need a drill to make pilot holes for these screws.

Considerations

• If you use brackets instead of straps to anchor your furniture to the walls, bear in mind that drilling screws directly into the top surface will leave permanent holes in the furniture. Expensive or antique pieces will benefit from the use of the strapping method instead. In addition to anchoring the furniture, you should also consider moving the bulkiest items on bookcases from upper shelves to lower shelves to help prevent injuries in the event of an earthquake or other disaster.