Repairing Cabinets that are falling apart

[BrendanP]

Hi All,

Recently we've noticed that our kitchen cabinets are starting to fall apart because of too much weight over time. Basically the back is still attached to the wall, but the sidewalls inside the cabinets are starting to detach from the back wall and every thing is shifting forward and down. For the time being I pushed some pieces up wood underneath the front and they're helping to hold things in place.

I want to use brackets and screws to reinforce the cabinet rather than have to replace anything. I don't mind ugly brackets inside the cabinets.

I attempted to install corner brackets inside the cabinet. The idea was that they would help to pull the side wall back towards the back of the cabinet. However, I realized that the back of the cabinet isn't solid but rather a cardboard backing, so this didn't work. I then used a long drywall screw in the hopes that it would go through the bracket and cardboard, and stick into the wall but no luck.  The screws kept turning and never anchored into anything. I thought the drywall screws would hit a stud or at least a wooden piece on the back of the cabinet.

Any suggestions on how to solve this problem?

Thanks.

[therethere]

PTF. I have this same problem.

[jc4]

Anchor on side: You'll have to use something like this to anchor to drywall.

https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Drywall-Anchors-Assortment-Pieces/dp/B07DWQ8K93/ref=zg_bs_6906598011_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y8VWYSM0KMKZMR27VGVQ

Anchor at top: Find a stud and put the anchor at the top of the cabinet where you can hit a stud.

[kms]

The drywall screws are no good for this. They go through the drywall and end up in pure nothingness after the first inch or so (depending on how thick your drywall is). If you want to attach something to a drywall there are basically two ways:

a) a stud finder to locate the wooden beams behind the drywall
b) drywall anchors

Solution a) only works if you have freedom of movement for your screws, which in your case you don't. Which in turn limits you to solution b). However, I would not take the anchors suggested by jc4 as they won't be any good in thin drywalls and they'll suffer the same problem as regular drywall screws. What you want are actual drywall anchors like these: http://a.co/2XbdT2u They have two benefits: they are self-drilling, which means all you need is a hammer and a screwdriver, although I find it much easier to drill a pilot hole, and two they are incredibly strong. We have two giant mirrors in our house attached to nothing but these anchors as they are specified to 50 lbs each (!).

[BrendanP]

thanks @jc4 and @kms  for the suggestions.

I'll try self threading drywall screws in conjunction with a bracket.

[kms]

You're going to fail. Self-driling (or self-threading) drywalls screws are not used to attach stuff to drywall but rather to attach drywall to studs. Especially not heavy cabinets filled with glasses, plates, bowls, cups, etc. What you need are drywall anchors that go through and behind the drywall and then spread apart as you screw in the screw in order to attach firmly to the drywall from both sides.

Using screws without anchors in a drywall may be able to hold a light-weight photo frame, a wall clock, etc. But nothing heavier than around 3-4 lbs, that's where I would draw the line.

[Fishindude]

Decent cabinets have hardwood rails in the back framing that you fasten thru.   I don't see any in photos.   
It's really not worth putting much more effort or money into repairing cheap junk cabinets.

The suggestions about using drywall anchors, molleys or toggle bolts are no good.   They will just pull out of or thru the drywall eventually.
Cabinets are heavy and need to be anchored directly into something structural; studs or blocking installed for this purpose.    If there is nothing structural there, you will need to add something.

[jc4]

Here's another idea.

Run a small piece of wood the length of the cabnet inside the top. Attach the end of wood to the cabinet walls using corner braces. Then you can put long screws through the middle of the wood to mount to studs in the wall, ceiling, or both.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Double-Wide-Corner-Brace-2-Pack-15051/202033994

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandria-Moulding-1-1-2-in-x-1-1-2-in-x-3-ft-Poplar-Hobby-Board-0Q2X2-27036C/202563493

[BudgetSlasher]

If that particular cabinet section can be removed. I would remove it and repair the cabinet and then reinstall it. (it looks like the "random" screw above the door hinge is connecting the face frame to the adjacent cabinet.

You have a particle board cabinet, with a wood face frame, and a "cardboard" back. From what I can see there are 3 failures. 1) The "cardboard" has separated from the sides 2) the top has separated from the face frame and 3) the side has begun to separate from top.

I would be inclined to pull the cabinet down from the wall and repair 1-3 and reinstall it as originally installed. How to repair 1-3 will depend on how the cabinet is constructed. 

In any case could you give us some pictures of the entire wall of cabinets, above the cabinets, and below the cabinets?