How to mount cabinet in Modern house with Plasterboard walls

[jweaver]

Last weekend, I fired my first shot with a shotgun..

 

I was invited to a Pheasant/Duck shoot, but before I did this, I took a Clay shooting lesson. With the clays I did suprisingly well.. But then the next day Pheasant I couldn't even see them, let alone shoot them. In the end, I probably only fired 6 cartridges, all of which I missed with. Then finally the ducks refused to fly, so in the end, it was a bit of a let down.

 

To be fair to myself, I am left handed and right eye dominant.. So whilst in my lesson, I was using a left handed gun, fitted with a special sight to correct "cross eye dominance", the next day, I was loaned a right handed gun (which i fired left handed) so had to close my right eye.. hardly ideal..

 

Anyway, I digress.. From the second I pulled the trigger I was hooked and have decided to get my own Gun, primarily for use with clays.

 

I am going to submit my forms on Monday but want to go on and get my cabinet fitted.. The only problem is that I live in a modern house with plasterboard internal walls.. I wonder if anyone can give me some tips as to how I can secure the cabinet in line with Home Office regulations.

 

The idea spot for the cabinet is in an understairs cupboard, but because its in the middle of the house, there are no brick walls, so thats out. The other good spot is in my bedroom, in the corner of a fitted wardrobe.. Thats on an external wall, but I still can't work out how to secure it firmly through a layer of plasterboard.

 

When I have tried to do something like this before, the force of doing up the bolts, just crush the plasterboard into the cavity. The only way I think can of doing this is to cut out a cabinet shaped square in the plasterboard and mounting the cabinet directly to the block works.

 

Has anyone else had to do this? Does anyone have any tips?

 

Jon

[moxey]

some i know had same probs ,he put his cabinet in to joists in his loft

 

al the best mox

[jweaver]

Thats an interesting suggestion.. I don't want to put it in the loft, as its cold and damp... But I did wonder whether I could lie the cabinet down and fix it to the floor..

 

Upstairs in the bedroom/wardrobe, this means that it would be screwed into the joists.. But downstairs (in the understairs cupboard), it would be a concrete floor, so probably stronger/safer than fixing to a wall!

 

I wonder if these options would be acceptable?

 

Jon

[turner2785]

i put my cabinet in the loft as well, i was worried about damp but in the end when i got my brattonsound cabinet there was an offer for a napier vp90 moisture pad, i got that and theres been no problems.

 

James

[Brisa]

You should be fine fixing it to the concrete floor and maybe a few little ties to the plasterboard wall for good measure.

[Baldrick]

FEOs tend not to like cabinets in lofts. The rationale is that you may not be inclined to venture up into the loft to lock up your guns at the end of a day's shooting, instead taking the lazy option of temporarily stashing them in a cupboard. A loft is not a terribly good environment for expensive, corrosion-sensitive guns.

 

I have a two sizeable cabinets mounted on plasterboard. Buy the heavyweight Interset plasterboard toggles used for mounting radiators to platerboard walls: http://www.rawl.co.uk/Products/lightmain/cavity.htm#Interset (other types of toggles are useless)

 

My cabinets are bolted together, each with 8+ Interset fixings on the back-plate. The cabinets are fixed to the floor using standard rawlbolts. My FEO weighs upwards of 20 stone, and he could not get this set-up to budge when he used his bulk to try to tear it from the wall.

[moxey]

if your cupboards not that big get a break down cabinet, an put ya gun in it with barrels off mate.

moxy

[vole]

My house is like that. My cab is in the loft and the feo was very happy with that. Your loft might feel cold and damp but I think with downstairs heating,it is pretty dry probably?.I have had no probs with rust at all.

[tiercel]

I had the same problem many years ago. So what I done Was ask the FAO to call and tell me what is acceptable for this force. Mine is now bolted to the wall with expanding rawbolts and screwed into the joists on the floor. That is what they told me to do, so no comebacks on me.

 

TC

[dustyfox]

If your not sure dont install one before the FEO comes round, tell him the situation and he should help you out.

[smallbore]

I had the same problem, but the wardrobes are back-to-back with the wardrobes in the next bedroom. I just bought some threaded 10mm bar and bolted two cabinets to each other through the walls. The cabinets are in the corners of the wardrobes, extra protection. I also cut the skirting boards, so the cabinets are flush with the plasterboard on the two walls each cabinet is touching.

 

Even my external walls are single skinned!

 

Regards

 

Bob M

[urikastu]

Thats the best thing you can do ( what tiercel said) make a call to your local fire arms office for advice.

Mine had to be rawl bolted to an an external Brick wall :unsure:

[DIVERD]

I have a very similar situation, modern house with stairs in the middle. I have 2 cabinets in the cupboard under the stairs. Both are screwed into the chipboard floor using very large 10mm self tap screws x 4, they have a large bold head and large washers to secure them. The skirting board behind them was removed and then they were screwed into the plaster board using wall fixings for two screws and into the joist with the other two screws. The larger cabinet is just inside the door and the side is also screwed into the door frame. This is incredibly solid and passed the inspection first time with only a sold shove from the inspector.

I also put one of those bolts in the door to secure it that externally only shows a small hole

 

Many of us live in these today and inspectors will be vey familiar with this problem and solution

[activeviii]

Under the part of the form that says where the cabinet is, write 'Under fire arms officers advice' they will then help you with the right sort of placement for it.

I had the same sort of problem and was told to write this as it also so looks as if your asking them for advice, which they like. a FLO told me so.lol.

 

also in the location guild it says you can put it side ways on a wall, just drill new holes in the cabinet so they line up with you battening in the stud walls.

 

If you want to fit to a wall that has a plaster board covered wall then use cemifix and threaded bar. very easy to do.

 

if not sure just ask them for help.

 

Phil

[BobGee]

I drilled 30mm holes through the plasterboard and turned up some mild steel spacers then used the normal expanding fittings in the external wall.

My cabinet stands a couple of mm away from the plasterboard but it can't be moved.

[stu nesling]

i must be lucky living in an old house i use,

6x 100mm expanding bolts into solid brick with a high granite content, it even stopped my drill in its paces a few times.

and thats despite leaning on it real hard :unsure: . have to suggest outside wall and a good set of expanding bolts really.

might need long ones to reach through any plaster board but it will be solid...and safe.

[Nial]

My FAO said he'd prefer the cabinet in the roof space.

 

How I did it is in the second page here....

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...binet&st=15

 

 

Nial

[UnclePete]

My exterior walls are stone, faced on the inside with plasterboard. My gun cabinet is in a walk-in cupboard fixed to the plasterboard with toggle-type cavity bolts. I can't pull it away, and I've not had an FEO question it.

[hitfreshairagain]

one things for sure you will not get a good enough fixing,on the plasterboard alone.

There are a few options to gain a good enough fixing.

1.if its plasterboard on an external wall(dab and plaster)you can mark the wall around the edge of the cabinet and cut out the plasterboard.you will then be able to fix directly to the brick/blockwork.

2.If you dont want the above option you could chem fix and a threaded stud to achive the fixing,but remember if there are no dabs behined the plasterboard as you tighten the nuts this will just bow inwards.There are two ways around this.1 slide a barrel washer over the stud back to the brickwork/blockwork or drill a small hole and use expanding foam to fill the cavity between the plasterboard and brickwork.

3 if its an internal wall and there are no wooden studs(usually at 400mm or 600mm centres)you are going to have to put some in that way you will be able to use coach screws.Personally i would advise you to drill more holes in the back of the cabinet to give more fixings if you choose this method.

[MM]

you could always move house

[chop]

My FEO made me move mine twice until he was happy. Mine were both times screwed to a solid brick wall, and the result being pulling all the plaster of 2 separate walls in order to move it, and 2 chunks of skirting board missing.

 

Best thing to do is ring them up and find out. They will come and do the interview without a cabinet being secured. They will advise you there and then were best to put it. Be aware this may be somewhere you don't like, but it just depends how much you want the license. They will then print the certificates and drop them off in person and check the cabinet is secure.

 

Hope this helps

[hitfreshairagain]

my Fao came out to view my installed cabinet while i was at work and told my wife it was ok and he was happy,he then told her he would notify for the cert to be released.Only thing is when i opend the post that evening the cert was already here.I had the cert before he had even inspected,whats that all about?.

[TheHunter]

Hi Jon

 

I had exactly the same problem and the cabinet is now in a wardrobe in the bedroom, this is how i did it.

 

4 x threded rods (1.5" longer than drill bit used)

4 x Nuts and washers

14" drill bit

1 x box of chem-fast rawlplugs (Chemical glue mix in glass container)

 

Place the cab in the wardrobe and mark where the holes need to be, using long drill bit, drill through wardrobe, wall and into breeze block. remove as much dust as possible from hole. Using threaded rod in a drill, push chem-fast into hole and operate drill until glass container is smashed and well mixed, allow to dry for 24 hrs

 

Mount cabinet on protuding rods and bolt on with nuts and washers.

 

FEO was more than satisfied.

 

Happy Hunting

Edited November 24, 2008 by TheHunter

[Cosd]

I would check with the firearms officer first, but this would be my suggestion.

Since it is under the stairs, why not remove a section of plasterboard between two of the joists, then add some noggins (additional timber crossbeams) between the existing joists, at the height you need for your gun cabinet. Go overboard with fixing the noggins in place for added strength, replace the plaster board, re-plaster that section if you really want to then you can mount the cabinet against the wall securing to your new crossbeams. For added security, maybe a couple of bolts to the concrete floor as well. This is all quite simple DIY, and you get to put your cabinet where you want it....

 

Good luck, now all I have to do is think where and how to mount mine watch out for a thread soon asking the same question

[jweaver]

Hi All,

 

I went ahead and did it.. In the end, I simply removed the skirting inside my fitted wardrobe, pushed the cab to the wall, marked out a rectangle and cut out the plasterboard.

 

I then was able to secure it directly to the block wall using 'resin' and M10 threaded bar and, then made good around it using decorators filler. Its very secure and it looks nice.. The only problem is that the 'blocks' are actually thermolite, so VERY soft.. But with the resin fixings, I was able to do the nuts up REALLY tight and there is no sign of it moving.

 

I hope that FAO is happy with it, as if he isn't I have made a right mess of the house (fortunatly, in a place you can't see).. I can't see him having a problem.. Its secured to a block wall using 6 x M10 bolts.. Its inside a fitted wardrobe, so completely out of sight.. I can't see I can do any more.

 

My inspection is tomorrow, so fingers crossed...

 

Thanks for all your help.... I just hope that I have done enough!

 

Jon