Is my wall cabinet safe?

Question

Hi everyone, I paid someone to hang this cabinet in my bedroom. Is made of metal and glass, so it’s quite heavy and my skills are very limited.

The welded attachments at the back in which it was going to be hang were useless (super tiny), so the builder snapped them and then drilled a hole in the metal back of the cabinet, to screw through it.

He used two blue gripit fixings for plasterboard, however he had to substitute the original thick silver screws for another pair of copper, longer and thinner as there was a big gap between the wall and the cabinet and the originals were too short.

When I ask if it will hold he he said ‘it should, but don’t put too much weight just in case. Just some Knick Knacks’ The idea was putting some of my books and a small collection of rocks.

I have a baby on the way and the cot is going to be nearly under it.

If someone could tell me if it is safe or whether I should try to contact another professional to have a second opinion I would be very grateful.

I live in the U.K. (no earthquakes), the cabinet is at least 30 kilos and the wall is plasterboard. The thickness of the metal at the back is probably 1-2 mm. The screws are around 4mm thick. The cabinet is 80cmx120cm. I hired the chap off of AirTasker to put up the cabinet.

Answer 1

As mentioned in the comments, I wouldn't put anything heavy above a baby's cot. Even if it was attached really well, earthquakes are likely to dislodge your books and rocks.

It appears that there are only two screws holding it up and they are through thin metal sheet. I would predict that

1. The sheet metal will start to rip/tear around the screw holes
2. The screws are going to pull out of the wall (because of the turning moment).
3. If the screws are really brass, they may well shear (break off).

There is an art to hanging things off the wall safely. My father-in-law builder was an expert at it. This isn't it.

You should however, get an opinion from another builder, if you want to retain it.

Answer 2

For hanging (as up in the air, not just tip safety) this particular piece I would recommend french cleat, or better, a dedicated rail from hardware store. This will allow you to fix it securely to the wall with as many screws/fixings as are required, takes care of the gap created by the decor up top that the handyman had problem with, and will allow you to fix it to the case in multiple places for best support.

Also, the guy who did the job did very poorly. You don't hang things on screws like this, unless they are picture frames.

Fix this right now by unscrewing the screw and putting a proper washer under it, so it cannot slip out. You will probably need a square washer or take a file to round one to fit it.