Securing dressers, shelves, and other furniture to the wall can prevent them from tipping over. You can anchor furniture to drywall using furniture straps with basic tools to keep you and your family safe.
My cats like to climb the shelf beside the bedroom window whenever they want to go bird-watching. They’re always determined to catch the birds outside the window, but the shelf wobbles a lot whenever they do.
Anchoring furniture to the wall prevents it from tipping over and can protect your family and pets from potential accidents caused by this. Some ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture, such as bookshelves, comes with anchor kits to help you easily secure it to the wall.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use furniture straps to anchor furniture, such as a dresser, to drywall.
What You’ll Need
- Stud finder
- Tape measure (optional)
- Pencil
- Furniture straps with brackets (at least 2)
- Power drill
- Drill bit
- Screws
- Screwdriver or screwdriver bit
Safety First: Protect yourself from dust and debris while working on DIY projects by wearing safety glasses and a dust or face mask. Safety is always the most important step.
Step 1: Mark the Top of the Furniture
Move the furniture against the wall and draw a line across the top of the furniture using a pencil. The wall studs you’ll be drilling into should be below the top of the furniture. Afterward, move the furniture away from the wall so you have enough working space.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging of the furniture straps to know where you’ll attach the metal brackets to the drywall. If the instructions say you need to mount the brackets around 6 inches below the top of the furniture, you’ll need to find 2 wall studs that meet that requirement in the next step. You’ll also know which bracket to use on the drywall and furniture.
Step 2: Locate the Wall Studs
Use a stud finder to locate 2 wall studs in the drywall based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drilling into wall studs reinforces the support provided by the furniture straps. Use a stud finder to locate 2 wall studs in your drywall. You’ll typically need 2 furniture brackets to anchor furniture to the wall. If you’re trying to mount a 60-inch dresser, you’ll need to find 2 wall studs within that area.
Learn More: How to Find a Stud in the Wall
Mark the outline of the wall studs using a pencil to help you drill into the center of each stud in the next step. Afterward, draw a line across the two studs. You can use a tape measure for precision.
Step 3: Drill the Holes in the Drywall
Anchor kits typically have screws included. Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screws. This will ensure the screws will firmly hold on to the drywall once inserted.
Slowly drill into the center of the studs you marked in the previous step.
For more detailed information about drilling a hole into drywall, read our article on How to Drill into Drywall.
Step 4: Attach the Brackets to the Wall
Align the brackets to the holes you drilled. Insert a screw through the bracket and drive the screw into the drywall using a screwdriver or screwdriver bit. Repeat this process until all the screws are in place.
Step 5: Drill the Holes into the Furniture
The important thing to remember is to drill the holes into the solid wood at the top of the furniture. Align the bracket to the solid wood and trace the holes you’ll need to drill using a pencil. Repeat this process with the other metal bracket.
Unlike the previous step, you have more flexibility in the placement of the holes in the furniture’s solid wood. The holes can be off-center as long as you’re drilling into solid wood.
Once you’ve marked the placement of the holes, drill the first hole. Place the wall bracket on top of the hole you drilled and insert a screw to mount the bracket to the furniture. This will help keep the metal bracket in place while you’re drilling the other holes.
Repeat this process until you’ve completely mounted the metal brackets using the screws.
Step 6: Attach the Brackets to the Furniture
Slide the furniture closer to the wall so you can loop the furniture straps attached to the wall to the ones on the furniture. Tighten the straps and move the furniture closer to the wall as needed. Once the furniture is in a position you like, test the straps by pulling it towards you to check if it’s securely in place.
Read More:
- How to Use Drywall Anchors
- How Do Drywall Anchors Work?
Main Photo Credit: Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock Free / License
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