Anchoring wardrobe in concrete wall (screw dimension and electrical wiring in the wall?)
Hello.
I have a concrete wall that transitions to a lightweight concrete wall (bathroom on the other side of the lightweight concrete wall, should be about 10 cm thick) where I need to anchor two 75x236 PAX wardrobes.
What size holes should I drill, depth and diameter?
The lightweight concrete wall only affects one of the holes, and I'm considering skipping that hole as I'm not really comfortable drilling there. This means that one of the wardrobes will only be anchored with one screw though...
I have a stud finder that doesn't detect electricity. Neither where I want to drill nor in places where I know electricity is present. However, it does detect magnetic metal in these places, which I interpret as being the metal pipes (?) that the electricity is run through.
It also detects something at one of the places I want to drill a hole in the concrete wall, but I suspect it is a rebar. If it were a metal pipe, it should have detected at all places since the pipe would most likely run straight, right?
In the worst case, do you think a rotary hammer with a concrete drill bit can penetrate metal pipes without me noticing while drilling? I could use a percussion drill otherwise, but it will take 5 minutes per hole and the neighbors will be moderately happy.
The house was built in 1951.
Thanks.
I have a concrete wall that transitions to a lightweight concrete wall (bathroom on the other side of the lightweight concrete wall, should be about 10 cm thick) where I need to anchor two 75x236 PAX wardrobes.
What size holes should I drill, depth and diameter?
The lightweight concrete wall only affects one of the holes, and I'm considering skipping that hole as I'm not really comfortable drilling there. This means that one of the wardrobes will only be anchored with one screw though...
I have a stud finder that doesn't detect electricity. Neither where I want to drill nor in places where I know electricity is present. However, it does detect magnetic metal in these places, which I interpret as being the metal pipes (?) that the electricity is run through.
It also detects something at one of the places I want to drill a hole in the concrete wall, but I suspect it is a rebar. If it were a metal pipe, it should have detected at all places since the pipe would most likely run straight, right?
In the worst case, do you think a rotary hammer with a concrete drill bit can penetrate metal pipes without me noticing while drilling? I could use a percussion drill otherwise, but it will take 5 minutes per hole and the neighbors will be moderately happy.
The house was built in 1951.
Thanks.
Best answer
Construction veteran
· Norrland
· 342 posts
Hey! Yeah, it's probably safest to skip one of the holes in the aerated concrete. Doesn't seem worth the risk and the wardrobe will stay up with just one screw anyhow. If the wardrobes are next to each other, you can screw them together. The thing with the electricity is very hard to answer; it could go any which way or even be tied into the reinforcement. But to feel the pipe before you go through it is probably very difficult. You'll have to go very carefully and just hope for the best. But it'll suffice nicely if you drill an 8mm hole 50mm deep and insert an 8x40 nylon plug that you only fasten in the concrete, then use some suitable screw (wardrobe's thickness at the attachment + 45mm for the fastening in the concrete). Use a screw that's not countersunk, like a mounting screw or equivalent. Just ensure you get the right thickness for the screw to the plug. Should be somewhere around 4-6mm if you're using an 8mm nylon plug.
Thank you so much 
I guess I'll try drilling carefully then. Just like you said, it's probably best to skip the lättbetongvägg!
I guess I'll try drilling carefully then. Just like you said, it's probably best to skip the lättbetongvägg!