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My top kitchen cabinet (double door 42"x31" each) has a gap from the wall. I looked at the screws (2.5"), and I can see that it is pulling away. There are 3 screws in the back separated by 12" and 17". I removed one screw and drove it back in. It goes in and gets tight, but it does not have the pull to bring the cabinet back in. I tried adding another screw below it by 2" to try another section of the stud, but there is no solid bite into any wood as if there is no stud only dry wall. Before I drill anymore holes, what can I do to reattach the cabinets to the wall?

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    You want to add supports(2x4s) under it, to hold it till you find the studs. They do make a big noise when coming down and you might lose some weight(and a pair of pants).
    – crip659
    Commented Sep 19 at 21:03
  • studs are generally 16" on center. is your cabinet grabbing one stud or two, how wide is the cabinet? I like snap toggles if you don't have a stud.
    – Fresh Codemonger
    Commented Sep 19 at 21:11
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    @FreshCodemonger - Just FYI in my area we ask for 12" OC for any walls supporting cabinets... and usually crossers at a certain height(s). If you look at the math on 16" OC you might have a stud at 6" and then nothing else. 18-24" are normal upper sizes.
    – DMoore
    Commented Sep 19 at 22:33
  • @DMoore how long has that practice been going on? I've seen Risinger homes using LVLs with a header to ensure perfect walls for cabinets. It makes a lot of sense to give more detail to a wall that gets kitchen cabinets given what kitchens cost. It just seems like this wasn't a detail put into houses until maybe 10 years ago and is still the exception rather than the rule?
    – Fresh Codemonger
    Commented Sep 20 at 0:24
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    @FreshCodemonger - I don't know... say about 10-15 years. I for one live in a house that seemed well planned and built... except they did not reinforce the cabinet walls well. The main wall has no load bearing below it and 16 OC... I have fixed the cabinet issue but the cabinet wall being usually very heavy has caused a slight dip. I can jack it up from the storage room and move it 1/64" every 3 months or just leave the 3/8" dip that probably hasn't changed in 20 years.
    – DMoore
    Commented Sep 20 at 2:44

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Yes - this is very serious especially if there are kids are small pets around. I would empty it until it is fixed. The reason why this is happening is important too. A lot of times the wall isn't exactly flat or it is slightly angled allowing the weight of the cabinets to cause them to pull faster. This isn't the world's end but I would say any fix should include reinforcements - extra screws. (usually if a wall is perfectly flat the bottom screws keep the top in line... If there aren't enough screws or they are not attached to studs it can cause a pull too over time.)

There are a ton on things you could do here...

  • Get a larger size screws and slightly longer. I would also add a couple of screws on each side. You have to be hitting a stud.
  • This isn't probable but it happens - there may only be one stud behind the cabinet. I have seen it. If so you may need to put in 5-6 screws along that. Also once you have a cabinet screwed in a normal adult male should basically be able to hang on it - please don't try this because the cabinet structure itself might not handle this.
  • As a last ditch effort and really doesn't take much time... You can unscrew cabinets, remove a section of drywall, and then add some crossers between the studs to screw into. The drywall is covered so this can take as little as a half hour.
  • another note... You can take a lot of stress off of the cabinets if they are attached/secured to the other cabinets next to them. If you do not have a place near the back to screw them into you can add a small 2x2" blocking (plywood) and bolt cabinets together. I do this all the time on islands, albeit drawers are usually hiding this.

Note: I have seen people add small ledger boards between drywall and cabinet (if there is a gap) with plywood. I don't suggest this even if it is attached to studs because the grip on ~3/8 plywood isn't right for supporting big cabinets.

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  • For emptying until fixed, I'd also take the door off. It saves a bit of weight but more leverage (even when closed), and a damaged door is hard to hide if it all comes crashing down. You'll probably take it off to work in there anyway, making it just a matter of timing.
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 20 at 10:08

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