Elfa carrying bar on plaster wall.

[Adamvest]

Hi forum!

I found my way here because I have no one else to ask about this stuff. So I hope it's okay to ask here!

The thing is, I've just got my own apartment (rental) and have now moved in. It's a small studio with a little "walk-in closet" that I need to make a bit smarter for storage, as the apartment has very little storage space. What I'd like to set up is an Elfa hanging rail and shelves in the closet. But I feel very unsure about how to approach something like this.

I see in old holes in the closet that there are plaster walls. And I've at least found nails when I feel with a magnet on the wall. But what's the next step then.

Will a plaster wall with unknown thickness be able to handle installing such a hanging rail for an Elfa system? To then put up maybe 6 shelves to hold boxes with various items and a clothes rail for storage?

I'm really scared of doing something wrong and damaging it now in a rental.

Or is it better that I put in freestanding shelves?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Tomtom79]

Elfa has good guides on their website about what their simple tracks and/or carrying rails with hanging tracks can handle.

That said, it mostly depends on how the wall is built, unfortunately. It can support a lot, and one can fail completely if the person who built the wall is incompetent.

But step 1 is usually to try to find the studs behind the drywall at least. If you put up a carrying rail high up and manage to find the studs (often 60cm c-c between the studs) and can screw into these, it can support a lot!!

If you don't know how to find the studs, it might be a good idea to ask for help. It's not very popular to leave 20 holes in a wall after trying to find the studs.

Search "hitta reglar bakom gips" in Swedish or English, and you will surely find plenty of videos on how to do it.

 

[Adamvest]

Elfa has good guides on their website about what their simple rails and/or carrying rails with hanging rails can handle.

That said, it mostly depends on how the wall is constructed unfortunately. It can support a lot and you can fail completely if the person who built the wall is a bungler.

But step 1 is usually to try to find the studs behind the drywall at least. If you mount a carrying rail high up and manage to find the studs (often 60cm c-c between the studs) and can screw into these, it will hold a lot!!

If you don't know how to find the studs, it might be an idea to ask for help. It's not very popular to leave 20 holes in a wall after trying to find the studs.

Search "find studs behind drywall" in Swedish or English and you will surely find plenty of videos on how to do it.

Hi! Thanks for such a quick reply! I think I have found the studs because I find now when I'm standing with a magnet rows of nails with about 60 cm spacing. It must be studs then.

But I also feel a bit dumb for not knowing what screws to use. Should you go and buy these that are Elfa's own?

https://elfa.com/sv-se/produkter/classic-by-elfa/topphangt/stomme/screwandplug

And also their own expanders?

https://elfa.com/sv-se/produkter/classic-by-elfa/topphangt/stomme/drywallanchor-471815

 

[Tomtom79]

Hello! Thanks for such a quick response! I think I've found the studs because I now find rows of nails about 60 cm apart when I use a magnet. It must be studs then.

But I also realized that I feel a bit silly not knowing which screws to use. Should I go ahead and buy Elfa's own?

[link]


And also their own expanders?

[link]

Interpreting it as you're finding individual nails at certain intervals in rows? Then it's probably wooden studs with drywall nails/screws that you're "seeing."

If you find the studs and hit them with the screw, no plugs are needed. The screws will sit like a rock in the studs!

 

[Adamvest]

I interpret it as you finding individual nails at a certain interval in rows? Then it is most likely wooden studs with drywall nails/screws that you "see."

If you find the studs and hit them with the screw, no plugs are needed. The screws will sit very firmly in the studs!

Okay! Thank you so much!

 

[BirgitS]

I don’t mind Elfa's system but in a rental I wouldn’t choose that, rather freestanding wardrobes like Ikea's Pax.

 

[Tomtom79]

I have nothing against Elfa's system, but in a rental, I wouldn't choose it; rather, I would go for standalone wardrobes like Ikea's Pax.

I would say that Elfa's top track with hanging rails is very forgiving. There will be some screw holes, but it's usually not a problem, as TS already has a number of holes in the wall.

One thing you should do in a rental, however, is to photograph all the walls, ceiling, and floor before you start. With strong lighting/daylight. If the landlord starts to complain when you're moving out, at least you can show what it looked like before; as long as you haven't completely destroyed it, you'll be fine. You have the right to use your rental.

 

[Uffe A]

With Molly plug, there are no problems. Use as many anchoring points as possible. If there is a träregel exactly where the anchoring is, then use a suitable wood screw instead.

 

[sjoelund]

With Mollyplugg there are no problems.

Wouldn't use them in a rental apartment.

 

[Tomtom79]

Would not use them in rental property

It is actually possible to remove them again, neatly and nicely, if done correctly. But there is certainly a high risk for marks and damages that you can't patch up "invisibly"...