Hanging A Floating Vanity

ClosetPro

Leave that to the pros please.

Leo G

It's a Colosseum

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woodtradesman

Will do, although I don't have a CNC but good knows I want a weeke.

loneframer

Sorry, I forgot, Framers are NOT carpenters. I keep forgetting that.

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woodtradesman

Realisticaly a framer is more likely to switch to finish carpentry, cabinetry or woodwork rahter then viceversa, surely I don't see my self dromping everything to wood frame and even if I did I doubt I could ever be as fast a framer has to be.

basswood

Gus,

That looks like a good system. With your 3/4" ply boxes and the doubled ends, cleat and mounting rail... the hurricane clips are extra insurance.

I use GRK structural screws in cases like that (big washer heads, and huge pullout resistance numbers), but never thought of using Simpson hardware. The GRK screws have pull out resistance that exceeds the strength of the lumber... so the 2x4 would come apart before the screw pulls out or breaks. Each screw was rated for 1700-2000 pounds for pull out (though the head will pull through the mounting rail at 800 lbs. of force per screw--long before the screw pulls out).

http://www.grkfasteners.com/en/RSS_1_2_information.htm

A cabinet run like that would be screwed to 6 studs maybe... so 4,800 pounds before mounting rails are pulled off of the screws. Given that, their still may be an argument for hardware, but between the mounting rail and the cabinet sides. Just a few 90* framing angles to keep the cab/rail connection together. What do you think?

Garages and mudrooms are two places where floating cabinets are practical. Nice to be able to hose out the garage without getting base cabs wet. I made big storage boxes on casters for the "toe space" below the floaters (kinda like my vanity stepstool). Just roll them out of the way for cleaning. In mudrooms wall cabs can be used as floating bases with room for shoes below:

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woodtradesman

So how far up do we have to hang those floaters before they become uppers

Gus Dering

Bass,
I get what you are saying about the pull out strength of the lags you are using. In fact the first vanity I did like this I used 3/8"lags and the HD2.5's for that very reason, increasing the pullout strength.

But here is the concept that I neglected to elaborate on.
Those fasteners exceed the strength of the connection between the back and nailer to the cabinet guts. My idea was to transfer the holing power to the stretcher. That part has fasteners from the end that would have to shear out plus pull the back off the box. My worst nightmare can't stretch that far.

The thing about these cabinets that set them apart from your garage cabinets is the height of the cabinet. The more the height exceeds the depth the less likely the fasteners will see a load applied to them in tension. Your garage cabinet fasteners are mostly in shear down the face of the wall.

In the case of these vanities the load seems to be significantly different. The cabinet is 22" deep and 24" high. A load applied to the countertop edge will be trying to pry the box away from the wall at the top. The load is traveling almost 45 degrees down to the bottom rear of the box. No chance of shearing staight down the wall so It tries to hinge at the rear corner and pry loose from the top.

Like I joked about in my opening remarks, I'm anticipating the weight of two people having a hoot on the edge of this vanity. I don't want the splash to even show signs of a crack after they get done.

It's all about what gives me the confidence to leave the job and let the owners live a worry free life along with me. I have a hard enough time sleeping without that catostrophic failure image in my head. This helps.

basswood

Gus,

Your approach looks bombproof. It prevents the pulling of the cabinet away from the mounting rail. You are right to be concerned about it... needs to be addressed one way or another.

Have you tried the GRK's? The GRK 5/16" screws are stronger than 3/8" lags and so much easier to use.

Nite nite,

Bass