Cabinet hanging cleats?

[edfan]

Has anyone tried the rockler steel cabinet hanging cleats? Tell all. Here's the product --

http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/findprod.cfm?&DID=6&sku=347

[edfan]

Okay, it's weird to reply to my own topic but ---

I hit Post before I mentioned that the .pdf file of specs do not include how much weight these cleats are engineered to carry. Anybody care to guess?

[JohnP (Guest)]

I have used hanging strips or cleats in the past. If you cut to the cabinet width (depending on cabinet construction) you may need to apply a reinforcing strip to the back of the cabinet before attaching the hanging strip. If you are very concerned bout the weight, the attach 2 cleats to each cabinet.
The value of the hanging strips is the wall portion can be aligned with the studs while the cabinet can be offset of the studs. If this is you design then you need to make a cut in the backside of the cabinet to allow one cabinet to be mounted next to each other. The only place you will not make this cut is on the end cabinet. If the wall cleat is too short to support the cabinet then cut a short section to support the rest of the cabinet
.
Hope this helps
JohnP

[edfan]

Was the installation convenient and secure? I live in earthquake country and I've decided to redo cabinets around that reality. Did you use Rockler steel cleats or saw up wooden ones? Are wooden ones just 2x4s cut at 45??

[JohnP]

LAST EDITED ON May-10-01 AT 06:37PM (CDT)

Cabinet to wall mounting cleats ( in my opinion ) are not for the permanent mounting of any cabinet. They are to be used as a tool for aligning the cabinets that are to hung. When hanging a cabinet you only have a couple of real options for positioning a cabinet on the wall before securing.
1) is to put a ledger board at the bottom of the overheads, rest the cabinet on it, then secure the cabinet to the wall with screws.
2) would be for a friend (I should say ex-friend) to hold the cabinet in place while you secure it to the wall
3) use jacks, blocks, engine block, knee, or what ever to balance the cabinet in place
With the cleat system, you sue the cleats to align the cabinet on the wall, but you still need to secure the cabinet with screws as you would with any other install. The cleat just allow for easer mounting and for distributing the load over a larger area. I have used metal and wood cleats, the wood are 1x4 cut at a 45
Hope this helps
JohnP

[administrator (Guest)]

Edfan,
I have ready access to our technical staff so I posed the question to them. This is their response:

There is no weight rating for these. The are a heavy steel so the weight they can handle will depend on the length of the screws being used and the materials being screwed into. The cleats themselves would hold. Screws would pull out before the steel cleats would bend. They are commonly used for upper kitchen cabinets. The screws are not included (with the cleats).

Hope this helps.

Kay Strait

[JohnP]

Kay; while your tech staff is correct about holding the weight better than screws, but the weight of the cabinet is not sufficient to hold the cabinet onto the cleat in the event of an earthquake. Code requires that all cabinets that are attached to the wall be done so with a positive locking fastener (screw,bolt/nail.consult your building inspector) in an seismic area.
Hope this explains what I posted before
JohnP

[edfan]

Thanks, Kay and John (and everybody). I think I get the picture -